Weird "episode"

[Guest bigorangedog]

Okay, so I'm probably going to give a lot of irrelevant information here, since I have no idea what might be relevant. We just got back from the vet (not my regular "good" vet, who is an hour away, but our "close" vet who I don't much like) with Tigger. Tigger is 8.5 years old and we've had him a couple months. He was in for shots on Tuesday, and the vet discovered that he has a heart murmur which is somewhat more pronounced than the "typical greyhound" heart murmur. So she did some kind of blood test that they sent out, to determine whether or not there was damage to his heart. It came back normal. For all I know, he has always had this heart murmur. I have no previous vet records for him.

 

Tonight (Monday) I was in the kitchen and he came in looking... odd. I reached out for him and he cowered a bit, which is very out of character (he is a constant tail-wagger and happy guy). I came to hug him, and he just suddenly fell to the floor, flat on his side. He instantly got himself back up, and I put my arms around him and he started to wag his tail.

 

As I let go of him and he started to move around, it was clear that he was "not right." He seemed a little wobbly or off balance or weak or something. Looking in his eyes, I did not see any nystagmus or anything. He looked...concerned. His gum color was okay. But he was just not right. So we instantly decided to load him into the car and we all went to the vet. He seemed like he might be getting ready to have a seizure or something.

 

He continued to be "off" during the 10-min ride to the vet, and fell down once more as we pulled into the parking lot. But again, able to get himself up right away.

 

The vet did some abdominal xrays (looked normal), bloodwork (normal), blood pressure (normal), and tried to do an EKG but unfortuntely their EKG machine was not working (!). So....they sent me home sans diagnosis.

 

While at the vet, he continued to see off-balance. A few times he would move his head like he was going to do a head-shake, but then think better of it like he knew he would fall. On the other hand, he was alert and interested in the goings-on there and tried to poke around the exam room.

 

We are going to try to get in for a thoracic ultrasound tomorrow to see whether he has any cardiomyopathy. But my good vet's best guess (via her cell phone tonight) is that he either had a cardiac arythmia or a petit mal seizure.

 

He is acting normal again now. He ate an Arby's sandwich on the way home, with enthusiasm, and he is walking around better now.

 

Don't know whether or not this is relevant, but he was out with us at MNGR events on Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun so he is pretty tired. He even lure coursed a tiny bit on Saturday, and did take a spill but got up and wanted to keep chasing (was uninjured except a tiny scrape on the knee). This morning he acted normal, and he had been inside the air conditioned house just hanging around for the couple hours before the episode happened.

 

So -- any thoughts??

[Guest TeddysMom]

Well if it was a boxer, I would tell you that it is most likely his heart because it is really common to the breed but I haven't read of very many cases of severe cardiomyopthy in Greyhounds. I will keep Tigger and you in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you get a diagnosis tomorrow and it is nothing serious and treatable.

[HopeForHounds]

Oh Jen, no suggestions but I am sending prayers and hugs.

[GreyTzu]

Sounds like perhaps Vestibular Disorder.

[Guest kerber]

I am no professional, but I am dealing with LS in my greyhound at the moment. Bo-D has had something going on for a few years now, - maybe 4 years- It started when he would all of a sudden stop moving, or would crouch his rear and freeze. What ended up happening that time is that he had run pretty hard the day before in our fenced in yard, and after a visit to the vet, he had a pinched/inflamed nerve-2 weeks of no running and then he was fine.

 

I am telling you this because you said yours lured for a bit and spilled the other day - perhaps something went out of wack with his back, especially since you mentioned he was hesitant to shake his head...my greyhound would not let anyone manipulate him without moaning during that vet visit, but would be his normal self - it seemed that if he moved just right, something would make him stop everything. You said he cowered when you went to pet him, probably cuz he didn't want you to touch his "ouchie".

 

Now, since vet visit, Bo-D would get intermittently wobbly and have a weird tail wagging thing going on-like a tail cramp. That was for 4 years, very rare would he do that. However, in the last month or so, he doesn't like to stand for long periods of time; long story short, x-rays seem to indicate LS - type of arthritis in the last vertabrae where the spinal cord gets pinched. Bo-D may have had it for some time and it is just getting worse with age (he is 13).

 

Yes, greys have a murmur show up on heart exams more often than not, but you may also want to explore the neurological possibility with your hound, especially with the tumble from lurning...my grey would stare weird too, like "hey, I can move, but something isn't quite right back there, is someone touching me?"

 

Good luck.

Edited June 29, 2010 by kerber

[Guest bigorangedog]

Thought I would give an update here... Tigger had a thoracic ultrasound today and his heart looks normal except for the murmur (a minor mitral valve leak), so there is nothing going wrong with his heart.

 

The ultrasound doc suggested a new hypothesis -- an anaphalactic reaction. He described what you sometimes see if a dog eats a bee (for example) and has an allergic reaction to it, and it sounded just like what happened with Tiggs. Moreover, Tigger spent the next 24 hrs or so obsessively licking his feet, so the allergic reaction hypothesis is looking pretty good.

 

Certainly looks a lot better to me than a cardiac arrhythmia or a seizure!

 

Oh, and for any following Apollo's progress, his heart looked GREAT on the ultrasound, so no damage from chemo at all. He has one more chemo treatment left and then we are all done treating his osteo. Hoping it does NOT come back!!!

[Guest SusanP]

It does sound neurological. Here is a link about vestibular disorder: http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/vestibular/vestib.htm

 

I'd get him to a vet you trust and go from there. Sending positive thoughts to you both.

Edited July 1, 2010 by SusanP

[Guest Energy11]

Sorry to hear about the "eposide!" Almost sounds like a small seizure or mini strokes.

 

When Curfew gets his "episodes" (*no one knows what causes them), he gets very wobbly, and falls sometimes. He also drools heavily and pants. I say they are mini strokes, and the vets, seizures. I do give him Valium daily (by mouth) and have trans-rectal Valium as well.

 

Might have to do what we do, ... just take each day at a time, and keep a journal if you can, too. Curfew had an EKG as well, and also his blood pressure was taken several times, and EXTREMELY high. He is on Enalapril for it, and I monitor it myself.

 

I'd also be sure your vet checks Tigger's blood pressure.

 

Sending you both lots of love, prayers and good luck!

[Guest MyCody]

Our little broodie, Emmy Lou had an episode where she stopped suddenly, stood very still staring into space and then was catching herself from falling over. Took her right in and her blood sugar was low.

[mychip1]

Great news! Glad he's better.