Lucy had another "episode"

I'm too lazy to type out the whole history so I'm just pasting what I'd previously posted on PV.

Second episode 6/13/08
Second episode 6/21/08

Funny that it's almost been a year. Is there typically this much time between seizures? This was really a short episode. I'd just let the girls out of their crates (last night just happened to be one of their crate nights that we do periodically so we can get a decent night's sleep!). They were hoovering up some cheerios that Ava threw on the ground. I was standing right there and looked down she and was on her side. No shaking. She was just kind of "stuck" Limbs stiff. She was wide eyed like "why can't I get up!?" Out of instinct I just picked her up and once I picked her up she was fine. I held her for a second then put her down to make sure she was ok, would stand ok, etc. and she was fine. I let them both outside. She went out fine, went potty and came back in and is now sitting here next to me and seems fine. There was no spinning before this episode.

I went back to read the previous posts to refresh my memory. I don't have any answers. It would freak me out, too. But with it being a year since the last one, that has to be a good thing. Right? I would keep an eye on her, and if she has any more over the next few days, get her into a vet.

A question about the "spinning"...what exactly is it? How often does she do it? Toby does what I call his "Happy Dance" at mealtime and when I come home from somewhere. I'm wondering if it's the same thing, because his is actually a little spin-like move.

Christy, her spinning is alot more than the typical happy dance spinning. She's had the issue since we got her. When she first came to us, it was constant for a couple weeks and she'd also pace around the house. She wouldn't even settle down to sleep. Her first owners apparently kept her crated pretty much 24/7 because she was too "hyper." I don't know if the crating caused pacing that turned into the spinning or if she's always been a spinner and that's what they were calling "hyper." She was actually born in Hungary (not sure of the story there) and based on how young she was purchased by her first owners, she must have been shipped over to the US at a VERY young age and who knows in what kind of conditions. So I've always thought there's probably just something not "right" with her brain.

She did slowly start to relax with us. The pacing stopped and she's fine with sleeping (like all pugs!). She still consistently will spin though if something on TV (see my post on the DAP plug-in though!) gets her worked up, the doorbell rings, we leave the room, etc. It's a really fast spin and there's usually some kind of vocalization that goes alot with it, like a low growl kind of sound. I'll have to get it on video sometime. I've been using the webcam alot lately for my parents and MIL to see Ava so I always have a cam sitting next to me now. I should use it!

That has to scare you to death. I haven't had any experience with that either but I agree that if she hasn't had any problems for a year that I would just watch her. Does she have any breathing issues (other than the normal with a pug)? Gracie will sort of pass out if she gets really pissed at the other pugs and she has a super elongated pallette (SP?).

lindarpugma wrote: Does she have any breathing issues (other than the normal with a pug)?

No, not really. She's more of a panter/snorer than Nell but it's not excessive at all. She certainly doesn't pant or snore to the extent that Hoover used to and he didn't have any breathing issues. Not that I want it to be seizure related but the stiffening of the limbs lead me to think it's not breathing related but really, who knows!

I'll have to go back and look at the previous post about Lucy. When she is on her side, how does Nell act towards her? When she is on her side, I know that you said she looks like "what am I doing here", but are her eyes shifting for side to side quickly? How old is Lucy?

The reason that I am asking all of this is that Teddy has started having seizures. The first time, I thought that it was his back because he went stiff and then when he able to stand up, he was walking in circles and could barely stand up. When he goes stiff, Lola jumps on him like a vulture as if she needs to take out the weakest link. In retrospect, these were probably the beginning of the seizures. I am going to set up a live stream and record it for my vet. I would also start documenting what time of day, how long, etc. It could just be low blood sugar and something easily corrected or it could be something neurological. I have a 3 page document that I've typed up, but it is probably more info that you want.

Big hugs to Lucy!! I hope that it is something easily corrected!

I don't have any advise - no experience with this. Just wanted to say that I hope she is doing ok now and that you figure it out. Poor girl (and you). Scary!

papaspugs wrote:When she is on her side, how does Nell act towards her? When she is on her side, I know that you said she looks like "what am I doing here", but are her eyes shifting for side to side quickly? How old is Lucy?

Nell doesn't pay any attention to her that I've noticed. Today she wasn't down for more than a couple seconds before I scooped her up and Nell was still hoovering up the cheerios so I'm sure she didn't even notice. Her eyes don't shift side to side. It's more of a deer in the headlights kind of look. She is 4.

Do you think she could have choked on the cherrios? I can't go back and look at your post on PV, so I am not sure if she was eating the last time, but I just remember that one time when we were fostering baby Elvis he choked on his food, and it was very similar to that-I looked over and he was on his side. Scared me to death but then he got up and was fine.

Are you sure it was a seizure today? Could it possibly have been choking on the cheerios? Tilly looks like that when she chokes. She will be laying flat out and look like she's dead.

My friends Chi has a similar problem and the vet diagnosed it as an enlarged heart. Basicaly, when he got to excited his heart pumped too hard and his body couldn't keep up. I'm not sure this is in any way related to what's going on with Lucy, but I thought I'd share.

Saira wrote:Do you think she could have choked on the cherrios? I can't go back and look at your post on PV, so I am not sure if she was eating the last time, but I just remember that one time when we were fostering baby Elvis he choked on his food, and it was very similar to that-I looked over and he was on his side. Scared me to death but then he got up and was fine.

The other 2 times she wasn't eating. The first time she was in the midst of spinning and the second time I'm pretty sure it was just random, like today. Nothing really noticeable that precipitated it. She's not a big "choker" in general so I doubt that would have been it anyway. As a matter of fact, she just stole an entire pancake from Ava and gulped it down without choking.

Not Afraid wrote:My friends Chi has a similar problem and the vet diagnosed it as an enlarged heart. Basicaly, when he got to excited his heart pumped too hard and his body couldn't keep up. I'm not sure this is in any way related to what's going on with Lucy, but I thought I'd share.

I'll certainly mention it to the vet. Her heart has always sounded ok at exams but don't know what else would need to be done to dx an enlarged heart.

I don't have any advice to offer. When I was young we had a small mixed breed dog that did this. I remember the first time it happened. He was just running through our yard and he suddenly plopped over on his side, legs straight out and laid there. We picked him up and he appeared to be fine. He did it randomly throughout his life and the vet never found any reason for it that I remember but then I was just a kid and it was ages ago.

I'm sorry Amanda!! I have no advice but just wanted to send you and Lucy some hugs.

No advice from me either, but hugs to you and Lucy. I can only imagine how scary that must be.

Amanda, my Lucy does the same thing! It seems like it must be a seizure, but there is no shaking. We've found that our Lucy may be a bit hypoglycemic. Her episodes are also far apart. We make sure she gets her food on schedule. Nothing has happend for quite a while. Hugs to you, I know how scary it is to watch.