My senior dog twitches and falls from noise. Could it be neurological?

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!

Is he running into things around the house? He could be suffering from some blindness which can make them hypersensitive to anyone coming around their face. If this is all of the sudden, it could be due to high blood pressure and I would have your vet check him out to see if he needs to be on any blood pressure meds. Another possibility is that he may have had a seizure in his sleep which caused the twitching. After a seizure, they can be very hypersensitive to any touch or movement until they snap out of it. If he isn't improving, I would definitely have your vet take a look at him to see if there is anything else going on. If he doesn't snap out of it suddenly, then I would believe even more than it was likely a seizure. I would call your vet and talk to them about the seizure. Your vet will likely recommend a panel of bloodwork to ensure there isn't anything metabolically wrong that could have caused a seizure. I would recommend to start a seizure log which records the date, time and what he did during and after the seizure. If these episodes begin to happen often then I would contact your vet about this as well. I hope this helps!

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

What you are describing sounds like it may be seizure. This can happen at any age from getting into something or having a change in their nervous system or brain. At her age, it is safest to have her checked by a vet to make sure there are metabolic reasons this was started. If it is a seizure then there is medicine they can start to help prevent further ones and control it

That depends on if he’s actually having a seizure or if he is trying to get his legs to work normally. The first thing I recommend to do is to record one of these episodes and show it to his veterinarian. While videotaping the episode, call his name as pets who are having seizures are generally not as responsive. If he is having a seizure, the best thing you can do is dim the lights and make the environment quiet. You do not want to create more stimulation. Additionally, if he is having seizures there are medications that can control them and I recommend to discuss this with his veterinarian. If this is not a seizure, I recommend to start him on an omega-3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, a joint supplement, a joint diet and also pursue physical therapy. Jasper is still a young dog and starting physical therapy now can make all the difference when he is older. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Tyler may have had a seizure. I do recommend bringing him into your vet’s for screening bloodwork to rule out severe liver/kidney issues that may cause seizures. If the episode happens again, keep him away from stairs and away from objects that he may hurt himself on during the seizure and stay away from his mouth to avoid being accidentally bitten. Vets generally do not start dogs on seizure medications unless they have had 2 or more seizures in a month or have a seizure lasting more than a few minutes. You can also inquire with your vet about a diet called Purina Neurocare that has helped many dogs with seizures/epilepsy. Good luck!

Yes, this sounds like seizure activity. Unfortunately at her age if she is just now starting to have seizures that is not a good thing. Seizures starting at her age are usually indicative of an underlying brain lesion. I would recommend you take her in to your vet for an examination and some bloodwork. In the meantime, monitor her closely and if it happens again I would video tape the episode so you can show it to your vet. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Lily.