all at once, no prior issues, no poison found. buffy was acting fine all day. i lay down to take a nap and heard her outside in the hallway, whimpering and bumping. i came out and she had pooped in the hallway and was trembling and whimpering on the staircase landing. i carried her downstairs to her bed. she was panting heavily, but isn't now. now she is droolong a lot, and cannot stand very well. i hand fed her some chicken, which she ate, and sat her water bowl in front of her which she has been drinking from, but she seems uncoordinated, being very careful and gingerly lapping up the water.
2006-12-03 06:59:35 · 16 answers · asked by allenone973 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
i should mention buffy is still alert and her eyes are sharp
2006-12-03 07:01:31 · update #1
i should mention buffy is still alert and her eyes are sharp
2006-12-03 07:01:32 · update #2
i should mention buffy is still alert and her eyes are sharp and clear
2006-12-03 07:01:46 · update #3
buffy has improved dramatically as the day has progressed. thank you for your answers. she ate her beneful with her usual delight. i think she may have eaten or drunk something. she seemed drunk, but i don't have any beer missing. i am going to get her checked out by a vet asap, just to be sure.
2006-12-03 11:30:35 · update #4
What your describing sounds like your girl may have had a seizure. There are many classifications of seizures, some so subtle that we as owners don't even know the dog is having one, even though it might be right in front of us. The more "traditional" seizure we think of consists of rigid, tremoring, loss of bowel and bladder control and unblinking, fixed eyes - this is called a grand mal seizure.
The seizures, on average, last less than a minute. After the seizure itself, the dogs are often disoriented, dazed, and have difficulty standing or walking (let's be honest, a seizure is an overload of activity in the brain - the body's response after experiencing one is quite understandable). Most times, they recover after a half hour to an hour.
A seizure every now and again is, surprisingly, not a big deal in dogs and cats - they don't drive, don't have to worry about the things we as humans must take into consideration if we're epileptic. Only seizures occurring more frequently than every few months warrant medication. The only things to be mindful of are multiple seizures in a short time - they're referred to as cluster seizures, and are an indication of either toxic ingestion, nervous system disorder or a serious metabolic disease.
If she seems better with each passing minute, she's probably fine (and this is coming from a registered vet tech). There's little to nothing that a vet clinic can do - they may ask to keep her overnight to monitor her, but at 13 years of age, that might be really tough on an old girl. There are no long-term damages associated with one normal seizure, and in fact, can be attributed to her "senior dog" status. If you had plans for the evening, it might be a good idea to cancel - you should be around to keep an eye on her, and it'll probably make you feel better if you're at home.
Hope your girl feels better soon, and don't hesitate to take her into the emergency clinic if you feel like that's the best thing - you've got to go with your gut on these ones.
2006-12-03 07:25:29 · answer #1 · answered by sjlawson12 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not sure but I had a black lab and when he was 11 yo he done basicly the same thing. After this happen a couple of times I took him to the Vet. They said he was haveing seizures they gave me medication for the dog. He lived for another 5 years very happy; however he was having a seizure when he died. But thanks to the med I had 5 more years with him. They told me old age was one cause for the seizuresand that they were very hard on the dogs respitory system and his heart I would see a vet if it keeps happining.
2006-12-03 15:31:04 · answer #2 · answered by rkotac 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At 13 years old a lot of things can be wrong with Buffy.She might have had a small heart attack of it could be an onslot of something just as serious. I would take her to a vet. Obviously she has been with you for some time and if she has something serious I don't think you would like her to suffer.
2006-12-03 15:13:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
At her age, she may have had a seizure (caused by illness or stroke). She could also have been accidentally electrocuted, or gotten into something poisonous (whether you realize it or not). Drooling and excessive thrist can also be the early symptoms of rabies. (If she's been properly vaccinated, that would not be an issue.)
You need to get your dog to a vet immediately; only he can determine the real cause of her symptoms and prescribe the proper treatment regime.
2006-12-03 15:10:23 · answer #4 · answered by Fetch 11 Humane Society 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is very elderly for a German Shepherd, but with such an immediate response, it's NOT old age. Mabye she got into antifreeze or household chemicals? Call the vet. Quick.
2006-12-03 15:12:45 · answer #5 · answered by ismartsissy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take her to the Vet immediately. She has probably either eatten something that she shouldn't have or she could have a problem in her digestive system...either way she needs to see a vet today!
2006-12-03 15:09:17 · answer #6 · answered by moodemaddie 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Call a veteranary hospital in your area immediately! If you can not afford it, see keep calling different ones in your area till someone can bill you. Then when you get the bill call and make a payment arrangement. Your dog needs medical attention immediately.
2006-12-03 15:08:16 · answer #7 · answered by purrfectica 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It sounds like a stroke to me. My shepard mix had the same thing happen at 13. I had her put down immediately.
2006-12-03 16:41:43 · answer #8 · answered by boogeywoogy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That sounds like she got into something she shouldn't have i would definitely bring her to the vet as soon as possible. Even if you can't find something she could have gotting into I would still take her.
2006-12-03 15:07:06 · answer #9 · answered by Megan B 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your dog had suffered a stroke, seek veterinary care as soon as possible. Strokes can be fatal. Good Luck
2006-12-03 16:05:29 · answer #10 · answered by Kimmie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋