Anxiety attacks?

[Taz_Zoee]

Zoee will be 2 years old on January 12th. Her first "attack" was this past Spring, in April or May. We were outside sitting on the deck and Zoee was laying beside me. All of a sudden she jumped up and ran to the grass and was pawing at her nose. I looked down at where she had been laying and a bee came up through the slats on the deck. We assumed she had been stung by a bee. She began to pant and drool a lot.
Over the next few months my boyfriend, Bruce, said she had done it a couple more times. One time after being outside for a while, and the other while she was inside. So again, we assumed she got stung or bit by something. The vet had suggested to give her Benedryl, which he did once but it didn't seem to help.
At the end of September we went on vacation for 10 days. As usual, we take Zoee to my brother's. He lives in the country and has a dog that Zoee loves and he loves her too. A day after we left she had a strange accident on my nieces bed in the middle of the night. She pottied on the bed.
Needless to say she doesn't sleep on her bed anymore. But she also threw up a couple of times. After that she was fine for the rest of the time she was there.
The day after she got back home Bruce, who works from home, said she had an attack. She began panting real hard and drooling buckets, soaking everything. She was shaking very bad and her heart was racing. He said she was acting like she didn't know where she was and tried "climbing the wall". She also got on the back of the couch, again trying to climb the wall.
The same night she had another attack in the middle of the night. Since then she has been fine.
Until yesterday. She spent a couple days at my brothers over the holidays, so she wouldn't have to be locked up for hours at home. We brought her home on Monday. Yesterday we had to leave her for a while (turned out to be longer than expected). When we came home she had pulled things off the bathroom counter, like she had tried climbing up on the counter. And the floor was soaked, it was drool. When we leave her we put her in the bathroom, which we have done since we first got her. There is nothing she can get into that would hurt her and she's never tried to climb on the counter like that (besides one of the attacks she had with Bruce). I didn't realize she had had an attack until she had another one when I had gone to bed. The symptoms were exactly what I listed above. Shaking, heart racing, panting, drooling and climbing the walls. It takes about an hour before it passes.
It's not over yet. She had another one at 2am, again it lasted an hour before she was completley calm again. She then had two more mild attacks at 8am and 10am. I had made an appointment to the vet for 10:40 this morning and Bruce took her. I thought she may have been having some mild seizures. They ran blood work on her and everything came back fine and the doctor said it didnt sound like seizures. And if it happens more frequently (once a month) we could put her on a daily medication. Bruce didn't like the idea of his puppy being on drugs. So we are hoping to find a way to avoid this.
I had thought perhaps it was separation anxiety, maybe fear we were going to leave her or because she left Boo (my brothers dog). But there was another trip that she stayed with Boo between these last two attacks and she was fine when she got home. She LOVES going to Boo's house.

I had read on one of the PT threads about using lavendar oil to help calm a dog. Do you think this would help with Zoee's attacks?
Any suggestions or thought would be appreciated. Sorry this is sooo long.

[Vela]

I would have her evaluated, she could be having seizures. It may only be anxiety but it could be a form of seizure activity so I honestly would get her checked out, especially how you said it seems like she doesn't know where she is when she's doing it and is behaving spastically at those times. Not all seizures knock you down with convulsions. Please get her looked at.

[mike001]

Did you ever check that the stinger from the bee wasn't still lodged in her nose? That could cause the drooling and maybe start the other symptoms also. I know a porcupine quill if not removed properly will have a reaction similar to what you describe.

[Taz_Zoee]

I would have her evaluated, she could be having seizures. It may only be anxiety but it could be a form of seizure activity so I honestly would get her checked out, especially how you said it seems like she doesn't know where she is when she's doing it and is behaving spastically at those times. Not all seizures knock you down with convulsions. Please get her looked at.

She went to the vet yesterday morning. They did blood tests. What am I supposed to ask them to do? The doctor said it didn't sound like seizures. Should I try another vet?

And Mike001, the bee issue was back in April/May. I would think if there was still a stinger in there she would be messing with her nose more. And right after it happened I did keep an eye on her to see if there was any swelling or irritation......and nothing came up.

Thank you both for your responses.

[Love That Collie]

I would try a second opinion myself.

Bailey gets sinus attacks, which in no way mimick a human sinus attack.
My vet didn't know what to say except, "Must be a food allergy", which is what most vet's comments are when they don't have a definitive answer, they say to change the food. She observed him in her office for about 5 hours nothing....yep, change the food.....no I didnt' change the food because I KNEW it wasn't his food. So, I take him to another vet and LO and BEHOLD.........I tell the vet the symptoms, he looks him over,the vet looks at me without blinking an eye and he says, "he's got a sinus infection". I say, "oh, you've seen this before?", the vet says, "sure have, a lot of dogs and other animals in this valley get this and I see this very often." He gave Bailey a shot, gave 2 prescriptions and we were all set and on our way. Now, when I see the symptoms appearing I give him his medicine and he's good to go. BTW, his meds are over the counter human meds. From Bailey's symptoms I would never have guessed that it was sinus related. Bailey's regular vet was not in agreement when she got the report from the other vet but I can tell you what........Bailey hasn't had another occurrance since May or June and we are now in a big sinus infection season here because of our unusually warm fall/winter (more like early Spring weather).
Please get another opinion.

[Taz_Zoee]

You know what, I think the next time it happens (hopefully it won't be in the middle of the night) I will have Bruce take her to another vet. I really like my vet I have now, but totally understand about getting a second opinion.
Thank you for the suggestions.

[BOBS DAD]

I am afraid that your dog may in fact be suffering from epileptic seizures. Sounds pretty symptomatic of the disease. See Attached:
How do I recognize a seizure?
Seizures can be very subtle or very obvious, depending on the dog and the circumstances. Any abnormal behavior that is out of character for your dog and that appears to be neurological in nature, could be considered a seizure. Seizure activity may be very different than what you would normally expect, i.e.: a dog that falls over, jerking or paddling its limbs. Quite the contrary, a seizure can be something a subtle as a dog becoming disconnected for a moment and then suddenly snapping back to reality or a dog whose pupils dilate and who suddenly starts salivating for no apparent reason. All of these things should be a source of concern and should be monitored for increased occurrence or for more severe symptoms. If you suspect your dog may be having subtle seizures, discuss the circumstances with your vet, or make an appointment with a veterinary neurologist to get a more accurate assessment.

Seizures occur in several distinct stages:
The Prodome - may precede the seizure by hours or days. It is characterized by changes in mood or behavior.
The Aura - signals the start of the seizure. Signs include restlessness, nervousness, whining, trembling, salivation, affection, wandering, hiding, hysterical running, and apprehension.
The Ictus, the actual seizure - a period of intense physical activity usually lasting 45 seconds to 3 minutes. The dog may lose consciousness and fall to the ground. There may be teeth gnashing, frantic thrashing of limbs, excessive drooling, vocalizing, paddling of feet, uncontrollable urination and defecation.
The Post Ictus/Ictal - occurs after the seizure, and may be the only sign of epilepsy the owner sees, particularly since many seizures occur at night or early in the morning. For minutes to days after the seizure, the dog may be confused, disoriented, restless, or unresponsive, or may appear blind and deaf and eat or drink excessively. At this stage the animal is conscious but not functional.

The Canine Epilepsy Network site has some short video clips in their "Canine Epilepsy Basics" section that can you can view to see what a seizure sometimes looks like.

from http://www.ashgi.org/aussiegenes/concerned.htm#3

This is very common among Aussies. You may want to "watch the videos" to see if they resemble your girl's behavior.

[BOBS DAD]

http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/basics/basics_index.html

if this sounds like your experience, you may want to get another opinion from a another vet.

[mike001]

it does sound like a seizure, but the dog isn't incontinent which is one of the surest signs. Hard to tell without another diagnosis. If it is seizure activity, it could be caused by low blood sugar, don't know if your vet checked this or not. A complete blood profile would be in order I would think.
Also, bee or wasp stings can cause this for long periods, especially the salivating. The stinger could have gotten lodged in the nose and caused a small cyst or in the throat also.
In any case I would have the dog checked out again.
Is there any way the dog could have gotten into some kind of insecticide? This will also cause similar symptoms.

[Taz_Zoee]

Bob's Dad: Thank you for all of this info. I didn't realize that was even out there. I am going to continue to research this. I seriously hope this is not what Zoee has. Bruce is in denial at the moment. He doesn't want to admit that they might be seizures she is having, since ALL of the symptoms do not pertain to her. But I am going to investigate further and see if there is a specialist near us. She is not even two years old yet.....why does she have to go through this??
Granted they are not very often, but I'm afraid if I don't figure out what it is now it will become worse, quickly.

Mike001: Bruce took her to the vet and the paper work only states "Blood Profile Major (canine)". I knew I should have stayed home and taken her to the vet myself. I guess I could call them and ask more questions on what exactly they tested. I would think an extensive blood test would take a day or two to get the results back. I am going to call tomorrow.
And there are no insecticides she could have gotten into, unless someone threw something over the fence....our back fence does connect to the park.

She appears to be back to her normal happy self today. Like nothing ever happened.

Again, thank you for taking time to help me figure out what is going on with my baby girl. I truly do appreciate it. I knew I could count on fellow PTers to help.

[Rachel]

Cindy, your thread was very helpful to me as my Tucker has had some strange episodes which start out with trembling, then hiding in a very tight dark place (I could barely find him) and ending with his being confused as if he were deaf or blind. When the episode was over, he is back to normal. I suspected these episodes might be epileptic in nature and after reading the info from Bob's Dad, I even more convinced.

[Taz_Zoee]

Rachel, I am glad this helped you as well. I am sorry you are going through a similiar situation as we are. It's not fun.
While I am not ruling out epilepsy with Zoee I am leaning more toward anxiety disorders at this time. But I am still doing my research.

I called my vet yesterday to get more details on what they tested when she was in on Wednesday. Since my regular vet was not in, I spoke to the other doctor. In talking to her she said it did sound like the beginning stages of epilepsy. But then when I mentioned she has a licking fettish, she thought it could be an anxiety thing.
So at this point we are just keeping an eye on her and will decide what steps we will take next IF she has another attack.

Thank you all again for your thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

[Vela]

I'm glad you are doing more research. She could also have two different problems, anxiety and seizure disorder, so don't rule that out. I certainly hope it's nothing serious but keep looking into it. Dogs and people are not always incontinent with different kinds of seizures. I hope you get to the bottom of it. SHe may need an MRI or CT of her brain to make sure thing looks okay in there, and they do have meds to help manage seizures, so if it is that it's good to get it diagnosed, they can do a lot to help things like that nowdays. Good luck and keep us updated.

[Freedom]

I don't have any personal experience with any of this. Just a thought from reading what you described.

If it lasts an hour, then is it possible to get the dog to a vet while the symptoms are happening? Just show up, no appointment, don't call first, just get her in there for someone with some medical training to observe? Maybe your vet, maybe another vet, or a vet specialist or emergency vet?

If you consider doing this, be CAREFUL. Some of the types of illnesses you are considering, the dog may bite you, not knowing it is you. Getting the dog out of the house, into the car, into the vet, be careful. And in the vet waiting area, be wary of others who may be there, human or pets.

And pleae let us know how things develop! Wishing all the best for you and your dog.
Sandra

[Taz_Zoee]

Yeah, taking her to the vet while it is happening is what I want to do.
Unfortunately, while she having them the worst is in the middle of the night. She did have a mild attack at 8 that morning, but the lady at the vet said the doctor wouldn't be in for an hour so there was no point in taking her in. And then when she had another mild one at 10 Bruce wasn't ready to take her.
But that is the plan if it happens during vet hours. I am even considering taking her to a different vet for a second opinion.

Thank you all for your responses and I will keep you updated on her condition.