Hello,

My name is XX. XX and I would be happy to help you with your questions about Libby. Please let me start by saying I am so sorry she is showing these very serious symptoms. You are right to worry.

When you say she is shaking, her eyes roll back into her head, she can't stand, and her mouth clamps shut, that sounds like seizure activity. Has she been doing this continuously, or intermittently for some period of time?

I'm so sorry you have felt this is poor service. My intention is to continue chatting until you are satisfied with the information I have given you.

How is Libby acting at this exact moment?

How long do the episodes last?

Good. I'm very glad to hear she is completely normal between seizures.

Okay. 2-3 minutes is fairly mild for a seizure. That's good too. When is the last time she ate anything at all?

And does it appear she is losing a lot of Weight fairly rapidly?

Does she have a history of any prior illnesses?

Does her belly seem bloated at all?

And is she vomiting at all?

She loses bladder control when she is okay, or only when she is in the middle of having a seizure?

And when is the last time she was at the vet's and did she have any blood tests performed?

Good. I'm glad she already had blood tests done. Did they give you any reason why they thought she was having seizures?

I ask because urinary tract infections don't cause seizures.

Did they say if the blood tests ruled out liver disease?

So at least it's not liver disease.

If we look at ALL the possible reasons for a 13-year-old dog to start having seizures, some of the reasons can be pretty alarming.

Especially combined with the fact that she is now no longer eating well.

The most likely possibilities that would have normal blood work include:

1. Meningitis - an inflammation of the tissue around the brain. This can be viral, bacterial, or even parasitic. These are tough conditions to diagnose and treat. It would take a referral to a specialty hospital.

2. A tumor of the brain or tissues around the brain.

Again, I do not mean to be coarse. But these are serious symptoms

It's also possible that this is due to some kind of injury to the brain, but that is less common.

Additionally, it is worthwhile to mention that we do not often see strokes in dogs. It's just not common.

If you take her back, there may be limitations as to how much they are able to do.

They've already done the basics of blood tests and a urinalysis. Diagnosing these more complicated problems would require a visit to a specialty hospital. A referral center or vet school would have the necessary equipment and know-how to do things like spinal taps and imaging of the brain.

I work in a small town and many of my clients are unable to pursue that kind of veterinary care for their pets.

Is it an option for you?

Do not feel bad about having to seek a solution that is within your budget. That is a reality for everyone we work with. The good news is that as long as she is otherwise acting normal between seizures, she is not in pain.

If she engages in her favorite activities and rituals, greets you and plays, this is all good. Also good news is that she is not suffering during the seizures. She is not there for them. They are harder on you than they are on her.

Your vet should be able to work with you to help continue to evaluate her quality of life. It's also possible they may be able to use medication to decrease the frequency and severity of her seizures, at least for a while.

Additionally, there may be some steps they can take to try to improve her appetite, even if it is only for a little while.

You will want to avoid giving her any food that seems to make her vomit or have diarrhea.

Avoid particularly rich or fatty foods.

Baby foods of the meat variety are a good choice.

You are very welcome. Please remember you can always post more to this thread, even after you've clicked ACCEPT. I'

I'm happy to help.