[petroff2]

My 2 1/2 year old dog german shepherd and terrier mix has periodic seizures. They do not seem to present like epilepsy. He will all of a sudden (about 4 to 6 times the last 6 months that we have witnessed) has an uncrontrollable shaking, the right back leg seems not to support him, his ears go back and he just shakes. This can last for about 5 minutes. He recovers immediately. Tail wagging and legs moving normally. He never seems to have any after effect. He doesn't urinate or lose his bowels and never drools.

When this has happen when I have been present he immediately moves his body to me as if he is looking for comforting during the episode. He usually has a very scared expression on his face.

I have taken him to the vet to check him out following a seizure. Since he recovers so quickly they are not able to witness any of the episode.

[jillianleab]

My dog started having seizures last year, it's terrifying, so I'm sorry you are going through this!

When I took my dog to the vet, they did some blood work to rule out a few things (sorry, I don't remember what) and when all that came back normal, they said they don't really know what it is. My dog's mom has seizures too, so we figure it might be genetic. The vet said we could do MRI's, CAT scans, etc to look for a brain tumor, but was honest and said it was expensive and didn't guarantee anything. I opted not to do the tests. Since that visit she hasn't had any seizures, but the vet told me to keep an eye on her and see if they get more frequent (she had three in one night, then one about two months later) he would put her on some anti-seizure medication. He was hesitant to do this to being with since she is young and the drugs can cause organ trouble and stress on the dog's system.

Now, my vet told me if my dog had three seizures in a month he would put her on meds. From what you are saying, yours is having one every month at the most. I would start to really document, time the seizure if you can, and report back to your vet in a few months if you are still worried. If you feel this vet is not giving your dog the proper care, you might also want to seek a second opinion.

Good luck to you!

[DocWill]

Seizures may be caused by situations within the brain, such as trauma or infection; or by situations centered outside the brain, such as low blood sugar, hypothyroidism, circulating metabolic toxins, or external poisons. The first step is to rule out situations centered outside the brain, easily done with a blood test. An ophthalmic exam may also be performed as the retina may show signs of a brain infection. If these tests are negative, the next step is determined by the age of the pet.
ANIMALS LESS THAN AGE 1 YEAR - Seizures are usually caused by infections of the brain. (Canine distemper would be the classic cause of seizures in a puppy.) Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, obtained by a tap under anesthesia, would be important.
ANIMALS BETWEEN AGES 1 AND 5,. In these animals, usually no cause can be found and the term epilepsy, which simply means seizure disorder, is applied. If seizures are occurring frequently enough, medication is used to suppress them. Schnauzers, Basset hounds, Collies, and Cocker spaniels have two to three times as much epilepsy as other breeds.
ANIMALS MORE THAN AGE 5 YEARS,, In this group, seizures are usually caused by a tumor growing off the skull and pressing on the brain (a meningioma*). Most such tumors are operable if found early. A CAT scan or MRI would be the next step. Special referral is necessary for this type of imaging. For patients where surgery is not an option, corticosteroids may be used to reduce swelling in the brain. Treatment to suppress seizures may also be needed
Epilepsy is the name given to seizure disorders for which no cause can be found. It is not a unique disease in and of itself. When to treat When seizures occur in clusters, that is, one after the other.When isolated seizures occur once a month or more. When special circumstances exist regarding how often the animal is observed. (If an animal cannot be observed, there is no way of knowing how frequently its seizures are occurring. It may be best to play it safe.) The German Shepherd dog, Golden retriever, Irish setter, or Saint Bernard breeds are notorious for difficulty in seizure control. It is best not to wait for frequent seizures in these cases as each seizure makes the next more difficult to control.