Answer

Hello and thanks for researching this very important question!

Unfortunately, I do not have great news for you.

I do suspect that your Little One is having seizures. If they are happening more than once a month, she should be put on medication to control them.

Seizures are the result of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. They can be due to a number of things, including low blood sugar (usually seen much earlier than 1 1/2 years of age), kidney disease, Lyme disease, other physical illnesses, or developmental problems that affect the shape of the brain itself.

Lhasas are afflicted by a brain abnormality called Lissencephaly, but the seizures from this condition are also accompanied by retardation, uncoordinated movement and aggression. The highlighted link above contains a more detailed discussion about seizures in dogs.

Sometimes, seizures problems cannot be linked with another body condition and are called Idiopathic (greek for illness that doesn't make sense)...this problem is also called Epilepsy. Epilepsy is known to be inherited from parents.

Epileptic dogs should NOT be used for breeding as the pregancy/labor/nursing pose a hazard to the mother dog's condition, and the pups will be at higher risk of developing the seizure condition themselves. Research is now underway to try and find the "epilepsy genes" in dogs so that breeders can eliminate carrier dogs from their breeding programs...so far these projects are in very early stages, and no conclusions have been reached.

If this were my pet, unfortunately, I'd have to disqualify her from breeding so that her health could be safeguarded and no new epileptic pups would enter the world.

I'd urge you as well to not take these episodes casually...you may want to seek a second opinion with another vet office in your area. Continued and prolonged seizures can damage the brain over time.

If you need additional support at this time, please click "Reply", otherwise I thank you in advance for your "Accept".