Why is my senior dog suddenly stiff, moaning, and crying?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bailey. I recommend that he see a veterinarian. He could have experienced a seizure and is taking a while to recover. If this is not the case, small breed dogs are prone to neck and/or back pain. This is a potentially serious situation as it can lead to weak or paralysis in certain cases. His veterinarian will be able to guide as far as treatment based on his exam findings. In the meantime, keep him quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry you and Jam are experiencing this. Seizures are very scary, especially with big dogs. Right after a seizure, dogs have a period where they are recovering and may seem not totally aware of their surrounds or have trouble walking, hearing, seeing. That usually lasts a few minutes to a few hours. That could be whats going on with Jam tonight. Another possibility is that whatever is causing the seizures is getting worse and starting to damage her brain more leading to the blindness. Seizures in older dogs can be caused by metabolic issues, such as kidney or liver failure, toxins, or brain tumors. I would recommend a veterinarian appointment to run blood work and full neurologic exam. If she's have more frequent seizures, or seems "off" for a long time after the seizures, it would be wise to go to the emergency clinic tonight rather than waiting for your regular veterinarian to be open. Best of luck to you and Jam.

Hi there. So sorry that Kage is having this issue. Based on your description it sounds like seizure activity or a pain response (orthopedic pain like arthritis). I suggest you video an episode if it happens again so you can show your vet. Did the vet just examine him or was any testing done? If no blood testing was done that should be the next step. If the blood testing is normal then your vet can prescribe an anti-seizure medication or pain medication (depending on what they think after seeing the video) that will likely help. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Yes, it may be seizure related but i would be concerned it may also be due to pain and spasms. I recommend you video the episodes if they happen again and show them to your vet. I would be concerned that this could be progressive

It is not uncommon to have 24 Hours of lethargy and “post-ictal” behavior especially after a cluster of seizures such as JJ experienced. However, it is also possible that he has something more concerning going on in his brain causing the seizures and lethargy such as encephalitis or cancer. If the behavior or seizure events continue then I would encourage you to have a follow up appointment with your veterinarian to discuss further diagnostics and possible anti seizure medication. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The falling/lethargy episode you described may have been a seizure. This may be due to toxin ingestion or epilepsy, which does occur occasionally in older dogs. Head shaking may be related or unrelated as an ear infection. I recommend having Sami seen by her vet who can perform bloodwork and x-rays and prescribe anticonvulsant medications if the seizures continue. I recommend bringing a video of the episode if you are able to, as his will be really helpful in determining if the episode was truly a seizure. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

An 11 year old dog suddenly having seizures activity is very concerning. Especially if they are clustering like you describe. There are several possible causes such as low blood glucose from xylitol ingestion, a tumor on the pancreas releasing too much insulin, or something even more concerning such as a brain tumor. I would highly encourage you have her evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. It was unclear to if you were previously at the emergency clinic due to this issue or something else. However, if it was due to this then I would call the veterinarian and ask if you can have some diazepam to give this evening to see if you can keep her seizure free until tomorrow. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.