Weird Episode...

[KristenElla]

Two nights ago we had a strange thing happen. I got home from work late and my bf said Tatie was acting strange. He said she had peed on the floor in the bedroom and then sat at the end of the bed staring at nothing. He said she then began to act afraid/anxious. She kept looking over her shoulders and sitting up and laying down. At first he thought she was upset about her accident in the house (he hadn't said a word to her about it though). But she kept up this behavior for a long time. Her heart seemed to be beating very quickly and she was also breathing fast. He tried to give her treats and she would act like she wanted them and then spit them out.

I came home about an hour later and she was still acting the same way. Her heart felt like she had been running (she hadn't) and it seemed like she was seeing things. She couldn't sit still for more than a few seconds and kept whining at me with a distressed look on her face. I immediately called the ER Vet and they said to bring her in. In the car on the way there she seemed to do better. By the time we arrived she was wiggling around and happy to see everyone. The vet checked her and could find nothing wrong. I felt like a total fool and was happy to feel that way! She still wouldn't eat when we got home though and she hadn't had dinner so I know she was hungrey.

I have noticed her two times in the past getting really anxious for no reason and fixating on various objects for a short period of time. You can't make her stop and it's like she's seeing things. It passed within 15 minutes or so. This lasted much longer and it's the first time I've noticed her heart beat fast.

I should also mention that she is from a great breeder that health tests. Also, my other dog developed diarrhea and has had it for the past couple days. At first she could barely hold it long enough to get outside but it seems to be improving. Lastly, they are both eating and playing fine now. Do you think they could have eaten something bad? Maybe the two are unrelated and Tatie's teeth hurt (she has many falling out/growing in right now)? could it be a more serious problem?

Does this sound familiar to anyone or am I just being a worry-wart mom?

 

[gmacleod]

Both dogs having problems out of the blue like that certainly does sound suspicious. It makes me think of chemicals. Is there anything they could have been exposed to? Weedkiller or grass fetilizer, for example?

 

[KristenElla]

That is what the vet thought too. There was nothing that we could think of or find. We looked all over the house on our hands and knees and racked our brains. Tatie didn't have diarreah and Ellie didn't have Taties symptoms so that is even more weird!

I had a Boston that died back in February. At first the vet thought she ingested something. They eventually thought it was a massive seizure. She acted really hyper and kept fixating on her bone. The difference is she began throwing her head from side to side and then got worse from there until the vet could no longer even hold her still. She had to be put under heavy sedation which she never recovered from. We even called in a neurologist and he couldn't figure it out.

This is what really concerned me when I first saw Tatie. I kept thinking "NO, I can't go through this again!". Her symptoms never developed any further though - THANK GOD!

As I'm sure you can tell, we just don't know what to think at this point. Are we being paranoid because of Sophie? Are our neighbors doing something (our dogs don't even bark and are usually inside)? Is there something around the house that is causing this? We just can't figure it out and I'm worried sick that it will happen again.

 

[Baby Bella]

What kind of cleaning supplies do you use? There are alot of things that are dangerous to animals that you wouldn't think would be. I know Febreeze for one has been responsible for many things such as head tremors.....I've also heard about animals reacting to Swiffer cleaners....such as the mop spray. You may want to investigate your cleaning supplies and make sure they are safe to use in a home with pets. Most will state on the bottle if they aren't. I hope they are both back to normal soon and this is nothing more than a little bug. Please keep us posted!

 

[1FlashyFan]

Crystal has a really good point. You might want to substitute your cleaners for non-toxic products like white vinegar, baking soda, etc. and see if you notice a difference. I would put any of Tatie's bedding, blankets, washable toys through an extra rinse cycle and NOT use any fabric softener (you can use white vinegar instead). Avoid any sprays with perfumes (Lysol, Febreeze, etc.) and try to control her environment as much as possible. Hopefully it's just a freak thing and she'll be feeling herself again soon.

 

[BeckyNC]

I hope you are able to figure out what happened with Tatie. I know this type of situation can be scary.

I wanted to chime in and say that the wet Swiffer is not supposed to be toxic. A little over a year ago there was an email circulating about how it contains ethylene glycol, similar to antifreeze (which is toxic to dogs), but that was an urban myth. That said, check your cleaning products. Does Tatie drink out of the toilet? Do you clean your toilet with chemicals? Clearly your Boston probably stays out of the toilet.

 

[cobbpark]

This sounds similar to what happened to my Apollo last year (October).
When I came home one day, he started peeing in the house and seemed very anxious and seemed like he couldn't sit still (shifting his weight like he was uncomfortable). Also he would pace up and down the hallway and then sit and stare constantly at the kitchen window. I immediately took him to the emergency vet and they were concerned he had gotten into some chemicals but we could not find anything that he might of gotten into. They gave him charcoal, ran some tests and kept him overnight. I went to my regular vet the following week and basically what he told me is Apollo has a slight case of epilepsy (which I was told is common in boxers). He said that when it first happens to them they are very scared but they eventually get used to it. He compared it to them seeing "stars". He said Apollo shouldn't get any worse than what has already happened and if it does there is medicine he could take. He said that he will calm down over time when it happens. My Vet said two of his dogs have epilepsy and now they are used to it and just lie down and stare until its over.
Apollo has had two episodes since then and they both seem better than the first time. He did not pee in the house in either of those episodes and they did not seem to last as long as the first one. He still constantly paces but eventually settles down to his "spot" in the hallway looking out the kitchen window.
You probably should take Tatie to her regular vet to get her checked out to be on the safe side.
Keep us posted on how she is doing.

-Sandy, Apollo and Zoe

 

[Baby Bella]

Sorry about the swiffer post. I was posting that information on heresay....didn't mean to make any false accusations. I do have one more thing to ask....what kind of flea preventative do you use? I know some dogs react to the topical ones that you place in between the shoulder blades. Just another suggestion....

 

[KristenElla]

Thank you for the posts everyone. They are both doing good. Tatie is her normal sweet self. Ellie's diarrhea is almost gone and she is playing, eating and being her normal brat self. Ellie has been in heat for the past two weeks (her first) so maybe the diarrhea is related to that?

- beware - this is going to LONG - I'm writing and thinking this out -

1. I use 409, bleach/water mixture, Windex, Mop & Glow, Glade Scented Oil Plug-ins and Fabreeze Air Freshener in my house. I will DEFINITELY look into a new animal friendly product line! I have used all of these for years so it never occurred to me that they could be causing reactions. Thank you for bringing this up!

2. My bf sprayed Roundup and fertilized the lawn with nitrogen a couple months ago but there has been rain and/or sprinklers on the area ever since. Tatie didn't even live with me when that occurred and Ellie wasn't allowed to go outside several days. I was told that nitrogen was fast absorbing and not toxic to animals (unless a significant amount was consumed).

3. They both ate a wild mushroom two weeks ago. I had to take them to the vet to get their stomach pumped and then have activated charcoal administered. The vet thought that was too long ago to have caused this reaction though (especially since I've seen it before a couple times). I also check the backyard when they go out. Since the mushroom incident, I have not found anything strange.

4. Cobbpark - I have thought of seizures or epilepsy. My Boston that died (Sophie) used to have small episodes where she would drool strings of foamy drool for no reason and would wander about looking anxious. I had asked the vet about it shortly before she passed. He said that I should keep a record of them and get her in when it was happening if possible so they could test her. After she died, we speculated that these episodes were small seizures leading up to the last large one. This happened in all three houses I lived in (and my mom uses different cleaning products). I can't believe Tatie would have the same thing unless it's something I'm doing/using in all three of the places I've lived.

5. My 17 year old cat developed a head-tilt/twitch when he was around 10 years old (about 7 years ago). He has now passed but it was unrelated to the head tilt. The vet thought it may be small seizures but after testing, could find nothing wrong. I attributed it to all the flea products I used on him and my house many years ago (before we knew better).

6. Oakleysmom - Yes, she has recently completed all her vaccines (except rabies). We have been to the dog park twice (last weekend) since she finished. She seems fine now and it's been three days so I don't think it could be Parvo?

Thanks for reading all my long posts. It has helped tremendously to put it all down and see that there may be a pattern here. I'm going to write down every product I have used and ask my mom which one's she's used as well (I lived with her for two years prior to this new house). I will keep you all posted. Thank you again

 

[Baby Bella]

As for the Febreeze, I do know that Elyse, a member here at BW had a post a while back that she used to spray that on her bed everyday and her boxer, Nestle started having head twitches. As soon as she stopped using the Febreeze, the twitch went away!! It is so hard to find cleaners, air fresheners, bug killers...etc. that are safe for children and pets anymore!!! Who would have ever thought that Febreeze could be harmful? It is quite frustrating. I do hope you can figure out what is causing their symptoms and get them both back to their normal selves soon!!