Blue Tick Beagle

Question
I have a blue tick beagle approx. 4 yrs old. Just recently I have noticed that she is having what appears to be seizures. That is the only way I can describe them. What happens is only her head starts to shake and it looks like a seizure but I have never seen a seizure on just one part of the body. She is alert during these episodes,will respond if you call her name and doesn't become mean or aggressive during these episodes. What is your advice?

Answer
Take her to the vet for an exam and some routine blood testing....CBC, Chem Screen, Thyroid Level and Lyme Disease (Idexx snap test) to rule out any underlying medical problems first.  A lot of things can cause seizures like low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalances, low calcium, liver disease, fever, low thyroid and Lyme Disease.  If everything is negative, then a diagnosis of epilepsy can be made.  I would recommend starting her on Potassium Bromide first versus phenobarb since she is so young.  Seizures can be controlled, not cured so you are usually looking at life-long medication unless there is an inciting cause as mentioned above.

GOOD LUCK!