QuestionMy 1 1/2 yr. old Aussie had a sudden episode a few weeks ago - ears back, frothing/drooling, slight shaking, eyes staring. I took her to her vet (I thought it might have been a toxic ingestion or a seizure)- he guessed that it could have been an allergic reaction to a bee/wasp bite. What do you think? Is there an Epi pen for dogs? I am concerned that if she gets stung again or maybe multiple bites she might not live. I sure hope that it was not a seizure. Your thoughts please.
AnswerIdiopathic epilepsy runs in Australian Shepherds, as does hypothyroidism, both of which can cause seizures. I would rather err on the side of caution and get a full thyroid panel done on the dog, and read up on epilepsy here: http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/ and here:
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/
Kidney and urinary problems can also cause this, so a urinalysis might be the first thing to do, since it's also the cheapest. In my area, a thyroid panel is about $90. The good news is that if it is hypothyroidism, the meds for that are very inexpensive, less than $20/month for one of my dogs.
If you purchased your dog from a reputable breeder, the breeder will want to know that your dog had a possible seizure. Good breeders, while they occasionally have a seizure dog, work very hard to remove dogs from their breeding programs that produce this. Good luck and I hope your dog never has another incident.