This evening, around 8pm, Boris was in the den playing with a toy in usual manner of dropping it on my lap for me to throw. He was as energetic as ever and wanting to play. In the midst of this, I got up to go into the kitchen to get something. From the kitchen, I heard an unfamiliar thumping/thudding sound - definitely not characteristic of Boris at play.
When I looked back into the den, something did not look right. Boris was stumbling around the room, jerking his head, and making a funny kind of noise. There appears to be a little foam forming around his lips. It looked like he was choking. I thought that he swallowed a piece fromt one of his plush toys. I had never seen this before and was not certain to do. I approached him to try to help, but the symptoms appeared to worsen. As the seconds passed he became more agitated and began to thrash violently.
Still thinking he was choking, I panicked and my only thought was to try a heimlich-like maneuver to dislodge whatever it was. I tried a few times, but everything just got worse. At this point, his body was severely convulsing with all four legs thrashing, he was foaming profusely at the mouth, and appeared to have completely stopped breathing. I was "yelling" at him in an attempt to "comfort" him (in my state of panic) and I tried to perform chest compressions to get him breathing (if that is even possible on a dog).
After what seemed to be several minutes (but was probably less than a minute), his body began to relax and he began to breathe again, panting heavily and just laying there on my lap in a stupor. After another couple of minutes, he lifted his head and looked up at me, but his eyes seemed hollow and distant. He was still pretty disoriented.
A few minutes later, he was able to stand and started to walk around tentatively, seemingly shaking off the fog from the episode that he had just endured. He still seemed a little confused, so I put him on leash and slowly walked around with him, inside the house, then outside for some cool fresh air. This seemed to help him shake it off. About 10-15 minutes latet, he seemed good again, but looked a little tired. I geave him some food, then took him for an evening walk and he seemed back to his usual self.
Later, I did some online research on dog seizures. Based on what he experienced, it seems to me that he suffered a grand mal seizure.
Here is one of many references to grand mal seizures in dogs:
http://www.essortment.com/causes-seizures-dogs-23156.html
When I looked back into the den, something did not look right. Boris was stumbling around the room, jerking his head, and making a funny kind of noise. There appears to be a little foam forming around his lips. It looked like he was choking. I thought that he swallowed a piece fromt one of his plush toys. I had never seen this before and was not certain to do. I approached him to try to help, but the symptoms appeared to worsen. As the seconds passed he became more agitated and began to thrash violently.
Still thinking he was choking, I panicked and my only thought was to try a heimlich-like maneuver to dislodge whatever it was. I tried a few times, but everything just got worse. At this point, his body was severely convulsing with all four legs thrashing, he was foaming profusely at the mouth, and appeared to have completely stopped breathing. I was "yelling" at him in an attempt to "comfort" him (in my state of panic) and I tried to perform chest compressions to get him breathing (if that is even possible on a dog).
After what seemed to be several minutes (but was probably less than a minute), his body began to relax and he began to breathe again, panting heavily and just laying there on my lap in a stupor. After another couple of minutes, he lifted his head and looked up at me, but his eyes seemed hollow and distant. He was still pretty disoriented.
A few minutes later, he was able to stand and started to walk around tentatively, seemingly shaking off the fog from the episode that he had just endured. He still seemed a little confused, so I put him on leash and slowly walked around with him, inside the house, then outside for some cool fresh air. This seemed to help him shake it off. About 10-15 minutes latet, he seemed good again, but looked a little tired. I geave him some food, then took him for an evening walk and he seemed back to his usual self.
Later, I did some online research on dog seizures. Based on what he experienced, it seems to me that he suffered a grand mal seizure.
Here is one of many references to grand mal seizures in dogs:
http://www.essortment.com/causes-seizures-dogs-23156.html
At this point, I am not certain what to do but to wait and watch. I have a call into the vet, but I am not certain what can be done at this point. He just had a full checkup ($$$) and was pronounced in good health.
In hindsight, I learned that everything I did during the episode was wrong. Everything I read indicates that there is not much to be done other than to protect the dog from injury and let him ride out the seizure until the symptoms subside. Hopefully, I will never have to be tested on that again!
In hindsight, I learned that everything I did during the episode was wrong. Everything I read indicates that there is not much to be done other than to protect the dog from injury and let him ride out the seizure until the symptoms subside. Hopefully, I will never have to be tested on that again!
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