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Question
my dog pokes his tongue in and out like a snake sometimes for over 10 minutes.I was told it might be an early sign of a seizure. If so what does that mean and what kind? He has kidney problems and has painkillers for arthritis.He is a 14 year old dog.
He could just have a dry mouth from the pain killers and the kidney failure. It is a rare thing for a dog this age to have that kind (petite mal) seizure, but anything is possible!
Petite mal seizures are small focal seizures that only involve one part of the body. It can be as small as an twitching eye or his tongue or the side of his face moving, even a leg shaking.
It is something worth investigating by your vet simply due to his age etc. I wouldn't be too concerned about it but you should have your vet look him over.
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| Comment | Thank you for returning my question. He has been to the vet but he is not worried about the problem. I don't trust my vet as he is new and unless the problems he has are bad he doesnt do much.i.e. because his kidneys are not 75% bad they won't issue me any drugs to help him. He is on Tramadol and although it is only 100mg twice daily I worry it affects his kidneys. But he does have bad arthritis (bless him) so as the vet did not give me anything else it has to do. Thank you for your help. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
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.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
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!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
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