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Expert: - 1/21/2010


Question
My 10 week old Yorkie has started having seizures just in the last week.  They are getting worse and are increasing in frequency.  My local vet suggested maybe he was dehydrated.  He was given IV fluids and Nutrical.  10 minutes after that, he had another seizure.  So far today he's had at least 5 that we know of.  What is your take on his situation?

Answer
Well I am not a vet Cheryl but I can tell you that this is a very bad sign. 5 seizures in one day is too much for any dog, puppy or not.
This seems it would indicate some brain issues such as hydrocephalus (water on the brain) or a liver shunt which causes ammonia to build up in the blood and brain, or epilepsy. This is the most common cause of seizures in dogs. Brain tumors of course can cause these also and yes, puppies can get brain tumors too.

The outlook for a dog having this many seizures so quickly is very guarded. Your vet needs to run some tests to see what is the main cause of these seizures, but in the end the prognosis might not be very good.

I am really sorry to hear this, but once you decide what you need to do, you should contact the breeder you got him from. Seizures, if caused by epilepsy, are inheritable and thus these parents shouldn't be bred again.

I hope you find the cause and that he does better. Please let me know what the outcome is.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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