[Dennis M]

Hello All,

We have an 11-year old Wheaten Terrier who has struggled with fits of gulping/rapid swallowing “episodes” since he was a year or so old. I have read more and more of folks saying their vets are diagnosing this condition as “complex partial seizures” or “limbic seizures.” Something that causes a rapid — seemingly involuntary — swallowing. But he always remains conscious — buy clingy. It can happen weeks apart, or a few months apart, but always several times a year. And when it starts, it continues overnight (he doesn’t sleep) and into a second or even third day, gradually dissipating. He swallows so hard (in rapid succession) that his neck/head lurches forward a little bit each time — almost like a hiccup. Our vet and GI specialist we saw were convinced he has IBS / reflux issues and we’ve tried all sorts of remedies around that diagnosis, but nothing seems to help. They’ve never seen him do it in person, but have seen a video of him doing it. Our regular vet is perplexed, but initially suspected reflux. The specialist indicated food allergies, but doesn’t make sense if he eats the same thing each day, and fully recovers on the same food that purportedly causes the issue. We never did a scope, because we kept searching for answers around food and reflux meds. And some years, its only happened a few times. Here are the reasons we are leaning toward seizure (from putting pieces together) and not reflux: happens on all sorts of food brands (high quality), protein sources, canned and kibble; totally random; happens even feeding three small meals; two Pepcids given before each meal doesn’t prevent, nor does Pepcid, Cerenia (anti-nausea), or Sucralfate (Carafate — a anti-ulcer drug) combination help to prevent, stop or shorten an episode once its begun. We immediately withhold meals during an episode and give him the above meds — but he still continues to swallow/gulp and not sleep all night. We ask ourselves if reflux/GI related why wouldn’t these meds help within a few hours?

He really doesn’t have any diarrhea or straight vomiting issues. Maybe once or twice a year, he might vomit out of the blue, but it does NOT involve a gulping episode – so it seems gulping and vomiting are not the same. Simply being nauseous shouldn’t cause the involuntary rapid-fire swallowing and licking we see. Reflux would cause burning sensation and discomfort up into the esophagus, but again, if a double dose of Pepcid does nothing, I again lean towards seizure. As one member wrote — it’s so true — it seems like it’s something happening to them they can’t control, even though they are fully conscious.

Can anyone say if they’ve had success treating as a seizure? How or what tests did your vet do to make this diagnosis? What seizure meds have been used and any bad side effects? We’d be the happiest parents in the world if we could finally solve this mystery — and educate others having the same problem! Thanks so much!

[jane s]

My 8 year old, 50 lb, mixed breed dog suffers, too. She has had these episodes for several years. She also suffers from seizures and has been on 64mg Phenobarbital per day for 6 years. This seems to control her seizures, but not stop the gulping episodes. She had one this morning, the worst I’ve seen, where she was having trouble breathing between gulping and licking. I was about to take her to the ER vet, but I could see it was beginning to pass, so we sat in the back seat of the car, just in case. In the past if she’s gone out and eaten grass, she’d be better, but this time she didn’t even want to eat grass.
One time, when we weren’t home, she ate carpet and paper towel. She’s never had an episode when the vet’s office is open, but we’ve taken video and showed the vet. But since they can’t examine her while the episode is happening, they’re having a hard time diagnosing. Sure wish we could find the cause and cure.

[Dennis M]

Hi Jane S – I sure feel for you as we have had the same issue with our boy. I know you mentioned your dog has seizures and is already on phenobarbital. But I’m wondering if this gulping your dog is doing is a different seizure. Our neurologist diagnosis was a gustatory seizure which manifests itself as rapid swallowing over and over and the dog believes it needs to start eating – thus eating inediable objects which is extremely dangerous. Maybe either an increased dose of pheno or perhaps a combo/ different drug (ours takes Keppra but not everyday) to combat the gulping? My suggestion is to take your dog to a neurologist and show him/her the video. Keep track of how often they occur and how long they last. General practice vets, in my experience, won’t be able to help you. If it’s not a gustatory seizure, then you can at least rule that out. Good luck and don’t hesitate to ask me any questions!

[jane s]

Dennis, thanks for your reply. I know how scary the spells can be. Luckily, Lizzie’s spells have been relatively short– usually no longer than 1/2 hour. We will work on tracking her gulping spells and do more research on gustatory seizures. I’ve never believed it was a food/gi/reflux problem, just for the same reasons you expressed. After consulting with our vet, we are going to increase the Pheno dosage.
Does Keppra help prevent the episodes?

[Dennis M]

We had two options – Keppra extended release to be given every day twice a day to prevent seizures but the trial period to see if it helped was three to four months. Doc said efficacy over time decreases. Jake can go a few months at times between seizures so we opted for giving him Keppra regular (rapid release) only when he has a seizure. It has worked well the two times since April that he’s had these seizures. It takes an hour or two to start working but it eventually does and we dont have to stay up all night with him. He literally wouldn’t sleep with these seizures and would be up all night gulping and swallowing, sometimes vomiting. And then usually more gulping into the next day and gradually stop – lasting a total 48 hours of varying degree. Just awful. The side effect of the Keppra is it makes him very drowsy and he isn’t very coordinated “on his feet” – but doc said that is normal side effect of the meds. So he sleeps really well during the night. We have to watch him carefully due to the drowsiness but it’s a better alternative. If the seizures you experience are only a few minutes or less than an hour that might be consideration for the preventative route rather than the “pulsed” therapy we do.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Dennis M.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Dennis M.

[Susie]

Wow, I think my girl Sadie has the same problem. She’s 11 and otherwise healthy. Thank you for posting so that I can see a neurologist and have knowledge. Do either of you know what triggers this? Sadie gulps and licks floors, and looks scared when it happens. She’s had 3 now, spaced out, and they last maybe half an hour. She will calm down and stop for a few minutes but then it starts back up. Could heat or motion sickness trigger it? She eats five star canned foods and made in USA grain free treats. No vaccines. I’m worried. Thank you.

[Susan]

Hi Susie, what is the Fat % in the can food she’s eating?? fat in wet tin food is different to the fat % in a dry kibble… if it says 5% fat wet tin food that’s around 20-23% fat in a kibble… sounds like your Sadie is having acid reflux, when she is gulping give her some liquid Mylanta about 1 teaspoon, the Mylanta will settle the acid.. & feed wet tin foods under 4% fat… I prefer to cook a lean pork mince with sweet potato, broccoli, carrot etc.

[anonymously]

“Thank you for posting so that I can see a neurologist and have knowledge”.
@ Susie:
I would start with a regular veterinarian, find one close to home, ask dog owners in your community who they go to/recommend.
She needs a senior workup, labs and exam to begin with.
What you describe sounds neurological, it is not recommended to give a dog with a neurological condition any vaccine, so just decline and remind them she is a senior and she is not medically stable if they bring it up.

Do not give over the counter meds or supplements to your pet unless recommended by a veterinarian that has examined her. You have no idea what you are treating and could make the situation worse. Especially with medications that are intended for humans.
First thing is to get her diagnosed by a veterinarian and then evaluate the treatment options that are presented. I wouldn’t make any diet changes right now either.

[Dennis M]

Hi Susie,
What causes these gustatory seizures is not easy to say. I definitely would keep your dogs body temp down and not let him/her get overheated. Neurologist said there might be a correlation between being over tired and seizure (as with some cases in humans) but not definite. My heartfelt belief is that all the monthly flea and tick topical treatments and possibly vaccines could all add up to these seizures starting. We no longer vaccinate our dog for anything nor do we give him flea and tick treatments. We use organic diatomaceous earth, and natural repellent sprays for bugs. While he does still have seizures, they have been less intense for sure since we went the natural route a couple years ago. I can say at this point we will still deal with these seizures for how ever long we have left with our beloved Jake, but glad we have a treatment option and aren’t hitting our heads against the wall with trying to treat as acid reflux/ulcers/GI related problem. Let me know you have any other questions — happy to share knowledge and ideas!

[Madison V]

My sweet wheaten terrier suffered from the same mysterious symptoms for about three years before I put her to sleep because the symptoms were distressing to her and the vet tried everything they possibly could. For two years I tried different things with her: Pepcid, gas x, and she had her blood tested numerous times. Nothing was ever found. She “appeared” to be a healthy 4 year old. I changed her diet to boiled chicken and rice and never gave her any additional treats. I never did try the seizure medication. The vet thought it was a seizure disorder. It would start out of the blue: frantic gulping, wrenching, vomiting white foam, and the worst part was that she consumed ANYTHING in her path. There were two times when she ingested something that caused an intestinal blockage that involved two ER visits with extensive stays. The scariest thing occurred when she was overnight at the ER, inside her kennel. She had an IV in her leg and ATE the IV needle and all the gauze. She vomited it up hours later. She must have had an episode while there…alone and scared out of her mind. It was so traumatizing for both her and I. I didn’t know what else to do, so I sadly said goodbye to her and laid her to rest.
It was four years ago, I think about her every day. I can’t believe after all these years that the vet’s still have no clue as to how to treat these episodes. One thing I did think about was the correlation between applying frontline and the occurrence of yet another gulping episode. Frontline now states that their product can cause seizures in dogs. Perhaps you should see if that could be the culprit. I wished I had tried that….

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Madison V.

[anonymous]

Idiopatic seizures are a neurological disorder with no known cause. Often there is a genetic link. Brain tumors though rare can cause seizures but these are more likely with an older dog. X-ray/ultrasound would rule out (if the vet thought necessary).
Anticonvulsants prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined and diagnosed the dog tend to be an effective treatment, along with avoidance of triggers, such as unnecessary vaccines, avoidance of chemicals, and some dietary restrictions. Exercise and keeping the dog in good shape may help too. But, the medication is the #1 tool.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by anonymous.

[joan r]

I feel for you. My golden started this at 4 years of age. But I relate to your emergency visits and surgeries that your dog needed as did mine for eating anything he could see including my sweaters, carpets etc. It seems the swallowing and gulping came first so if I am not at home I put him in a crate without a dog bed. I have done this for the past year and although he has episodes from time to time , he will not randomly eat if he knows that I am here.
He has been on erythromycin, pepsid, and cisapride for years now. Don’t know for sure if it helps but am scared to take him off of it.
He just turned 11……….I never thought he would make it to 11 so I got a puppy a couple of years ago and my older golden is as happy as he has ever been.
The few times I have seen him do the gulping, I give him Sucralfate mushed up with water and in a syringe.
He had 3 surgeries because of the items he ate that got blocked up in his intestine.
I am sorry you had to put your dog to sleep. It is so hard to watch this gulping-swallowing episodes and we may never know why they happen. But for me the key thing , for me, was keeping him in a crate, when I was not at home so he could not eat things .
The crate costs a lot less than the surgeries!
I haven’t experienced any seizures when this happens and my vet hesitated to put him on seizure meds as well as long term metronaidazol.
I hope this helps someone out there. I felt so alone until I found this website.

[Madison V]

Hi Joan,
Glad to hear you found something to curb your dog’s gulping episodes. My dog’s episodes were unpredictable and she would at times have them when I wasn’t around. She’s had episodes at the groomers and even while in a crate at the veterinary ER. While in the crate at the ER she had an IV and bandage around her leg. During an episode, while in the crate (unsupervised) she ate the IV needle and the bandages. I didn’t realized this happened until I took her home and she vomited it all back up. I was horrified. The worst part was that the ER Vet never told me it occurred and just put another IV in her leg. I couldn’t be with her 24/7 and crating her at home caused her so much stress that it would trigger an episode. She’d have them in the middle of the night, while on walks at the park, and even while my parents would watch her while I was away. She was clearly terrified by what was happening and there was nothing I could do to stop the episodes. One time during an episode I did crate her (to keep her safe) she proceeded to gasp for air, vomit profusely, and it a state of sheer panic broke a tooth trying to exit the crate. I couldn’t bare put her through anymore and I’m glad she’s at peace. Best of luck to you and your dog. Someday, I hope a solution is found to stop the episodes.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Madison V.

[Taylor R]

SEE LINK TO VIDEO

My 5 year old boxer has the same gulping condition, initially investigated as a gastric/acid reflux issue but after seeing a Neurologist in Sacramento at the VCA, and doing a lot of research, changing her food to no avail, we have diagnosed the issue as complex partial seizures.

By process of elimination we realized that POTASSIUM BROMIDE, a low-dose, low side effect anticonvulsant medication, entirely stopped these episodes. I caution that over time she steadily develops a tolerance to the med and we have to up the dose every four-six months or so. The neurologist said we may eventually move to stronger meds like phenobarbitol but it has been over 1 year and she is still on the potassium bromide. When she starts having minor episodes, as opposed to the hours long, all-night epidsodes she was having, we make another appointment and up the does by a couple ml. She is currently on 5 ml/daily of potassium bromide.

Video of Scarlet’s gulping episode:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2hsoApFbGwXbnh1cXUwZE5jRUE/view?usp=sharing

Website that originally helped me diagnose her, read all the updates: http://www.jasonbk.com/2014/02/hiness-gulping-a-cautionary-tale/

Hines is doing well preventing these episodes with a med call Zonisamide, which my neurologist said may be an option later but wanted to start with the mildest type of drug which is the potassium bromide.

Hope this helps, we were so heartbroken watching her have these episodes, she would lick the carpet incessantly then hack up hairballs, feverishly eat grass, and eat strings out of our shoe laces; this is a dog that is not destructive at any other time.

Go to a Neurologist or specialist to try the medication, it is inexpensive ($60 for a 2-3 month supply). We saw several general practice vets who were entirely unequipped to diagnose the condition, to be fair, the neurologist was a bit skeptical when I showed him my research as well because it is such a rare and uncommon type of seizure manifestation.

[Acroyali]

Taylor, that is one gorgeous boxer you have!

I’m so glad you found a solution for her problems. She’s a very lucky dog to have such a caring and observant owner that was able to do what was needed to help her live a long and happy life.

[Ceri W]

Hi! I have a 2.5 year old male hovawart, Cato. He has been having these episodes of manic/frantic gulping, licking on and off for about a year now. The really bad episides have so far always started late evening, and when really bad they continue throughout the whole night. He will also lick at the floor or eat grass or leaves if we let him out. The gulping means he takes in loads of air and I can hear his tummy gurgling, I try to burp him, and do my best to try to calm him down. It’s so distressing for him and us.

He seems to have the bad episides about every three to four months, but in between he has smaller episides throughout the day, but they seem more like exaggerated swallowing motions as opposed to the air gulping. Sometimes he coughs and “huffs” a bit too. He’s been on famotidine 20mg twice a day since October 2016, and we thought it was helping but then smaller episodes happen and we had a big all night one again last week, so not convinced on the acid reflux.

He’s had x rays and a manual exam of the throat and soft palate, that showed very angry red tonsils, but don’t know if they flare up and cause it, or the constant gulping over night causes the tonsils to get sore. Speaking to his vet again on Wednesday as she is away at the moment, but don’t know what to do. He’s on a good, low fat, average protein chicken and rice kibble with wet chicken and rice added, and the whole meal is wetted with turmeric “gravy”. Any thoughts, advice welcomed. It’s so confusing and worrying, especially with so many cases seemingly unsolved.

I should add that I’m in the UK.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Ceri W.

[Taylor R]

Hi Ceri,

Please read my post on 02/26/16 and consider trying the potassium bromide! What you are describing is EXACTLY what Scarlet went through. I remember how hopeless it felt as nothing worked. If you want to correspond directly my email is [email protected].

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Taylor R.

[Susan]

Hi Geri W, Famotidine is a very low ant acid medication we don’t even sell it in Australia no more Zantac is the new Famotidine they are a H2 acid reducer not strong, at first if will seem like it’s working then after 1-2 weeks my boy was back with his symptoms, go back to vet & ask for Losec (Omeprazole) 20mg, give once a day of a morning…also what is he eating have you lower the carbs, no fermentable carbs, sometime when the fat is real low the carbs are higher in the diet which makes acid reflux worse not the fat… I found “Taste Of The Wild”, Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb grain free kibble worked the best & his acid reflux stopped, the fat is 15% protein is 25% & carbs are 38% where when I was feeding a lower fat kibble the fat was 9% & the carbs were 52% & didn’t help his acid reflux also no kibbles with Beet Pulp, makes acid reflux worse….
When you say his stomach is gurgling that’s gas/wind ripping thru his bowel & is painful, change his diet, my boy can’t eat any boiled rice, he was having rumbling, gurgling gasses going thru his bowel, I could hear him in the other room, it was awful, his vet said the sharp corner edges of the boiled rice can irratate the bowel especially if they have IBD…. When you see vet ask for a stronger acid reducer like Losec (Omeprazole) & see if he’ll write repeat scripts of the Losec & I buy from my chemist, my vet gives me 5 repeats + the script she wrote & there’s enough for 6months, then I just go to the vets & she write’s me out another 6 repeat scripts for the Losec & leaves at the front desk, it’s cheaper buying from the chemist then from the vets…
Why his throat is sore it’s from the acid coming up from his stomach into his throat, it was happening to my boy & he grinds his teeth in the end we did Endoscope + Biopsies make sure vet does the biopsies cause Patches stomach looked great but after the results came back Patch had the Helicobacter-Pylori & had to take 2 sets of antibiotics Flagyl & Amoxicillin & Losec for 21 days then had to stay on 20mg Losec…
I wonder if he has the Helicobacter bacteria ask vet? can he do the triple therapy meds… all dogs have Helicobacter but some dogs have an in-healthy gut & the Helicobacter takes over the gut causing real bad acid reflux & they always feel hungry they eat feel better then 20mins later pain again…..
Stop the Turmeric gravy, Turmeric made my boys acid reflux worse, I was adding the Turmeric powder to his pork rissoles…..
Try a grain free kibble like TOTW Roasted Lamb the carbs are lower so are the Kcals, you need foods that don’t ferment in the stomach, rice ferments in the gut, it’s no good.. Sweet Potato, potato & pumkin is better then boiled rice, new meds & change of diet & you’ll have a new dog….

[Dennis M]

Hi Geri,
Sounds very much like what our wheaten has experienced. Please feel free to email me directly and I’m happy to tell you what we did that worked.
[email protected]

[Ceri W]

Hi All,

So an update on Cato: we are trialing a therapeutic dose of phenobarbital as the specialist thinks that he may be suffering from “phenobarbital responsive sialadenosis” a rare problem that they do not yet fully understand. We were told that the dogs usually respond very quickly to the phenobarbital if it is this they are struggling with, and having started the meds only yesterday morning, so far we have noticed no more symptoms. Usually inbetween the all night episodes, he still has smaller episodes , sometimes none, but usually there will be something. So we are very much hoping that we may have got to the bottom of it. There is still a lot of uncertainty especially as it’s very early days, but… fingers and toes crossed!

[anonymous]

Thanks for posting this. This is why I recommend going along with diagnostic testing recommended by a veterinarian that has examined your dog, rather than looking for answers on the internet.
Excerpt below from: http://www.companimalmed.com/article/S1938-9736(15)00005-7/abstract
Phenobarbital-responsive sialadenosis (PRS) is a rare idiopathic disease in dogs. Vomiting, retching, and gulping with bilateral enlargement of the submandibular salivary glands are the more frequent clinical signs. A thorough diagnostic examination must be performed to rule out the most important systemic etiologies involved with chronic vomiting, as there is no specific test to diagnose PRS. Diagnosis is confirmed clinically by a rapid and dramatic improvement of clinical signs after instauration of phenobarbital treatment.

[Carla M]

I have a female dog, 2 years old.
Last night she woke me up with this gulp episode, to me she was trying to induce vomit, because she was eating grass and licking the floor.
Lasted for like 5 minutes maybe, then she did calm down, drank some water and ate some food, then went back to sleep.
Should I just take her to the vet now to report about this? Or should I just wait to see reoccurs? Since it happened only once.
I am worried and doing researchs on it! Found it could be gastrointestinal problems or complex partial seizure which scares me.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Carla M.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Carla M.

[anonymous]

How long has she been having these episodes? I would take her to the vet. An exam and some lab work, and other diagnostic tests should lead to a diagnosis and treatment options.
I wouldn’t wait till it happens again as I would be concerned it will occur when you are not around, dogs have been known to ingest rug remnants and other things that could be toxic and require emergency treatment/surgery.
If it’s neurological there are medications that will prevent the episodes and keep the dog comfortable, it doesn’t change the dog’s personality or make the dog drowsy.

[anonymous]

Hmmm, it only happened once? It’s impossible to advise over the internet.
Depends on the severity of the symptoms.
So, if the episode caused you concern, at the least, a call to the vet would be best, even if it only results in a wait and see suggestion.
A veterinary health care professional would ask you the right questions and should be able to determine if this is something that needs immediate attention or not.

[pitlove]

Hi Carla-

My AmStaff does this too. I was finally able to get a video of an episode and show it to our vet. She felt that it could possibly be acid reflux and prescribed him Prilosec (Omeprazole). This was only 2 days ago, so I can’t say if its stopped completely.

Wait and see if she does it again and get a good video on your phone. Bring it to the vet to show them. A lot of folks with dogs who do this have said that their vets have not seen this before, so the videos were helpful.

[Carla M]

Thank you guys, for the replies!
I’ll take her to the vet tomorrow, hopefully she will not have any other episodes, but I’ll keep an eye on her, and I also want to rule out any other, possible, condition.

But if she does I’ll record to show the vet as well.

I’ll keep you updated.

[Susan]

Hi Carla, sounds like Acid Reflux, after eating grass & some food this has pushed the acid back down into the stomach & she has settled, sometimes the poos will look green in color from the excess acid being made…. I have found giving white bread dry toast is good if they wake up thru the night, it normally happens around 3am, if this happens again have some cold liquid Mylanta in the fridge, I don’t know if you have Mylanta in America, give about 5mls, 1 teaspoon, the cold Mylanta soothes the throat & stomach & pushes the acid back down, it’s best to let the dog bring it up & vomit it get rid of it…..
It’s very hard for vets to diagnose cause there’s no real test for this unless your dogs ends up with stomach ulcer then a Endoscope & Biopsies are done, the vet gets a better idea, I found changing diets, till you find a diet that works & rotating between 2 diets works as well I have found, also if you can feed 1 cook lean meal, boiled sweet potatoes are really good with a lean meat also pumkin is good to add to a dogs meal…..

[anonymous]

@ Carla M
You probably know this but………
I would not give over the counter meds or supplements to your pet unless prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined her.
You don’t know what you are treating and could make the situation worse.

[Sue M]

Hi Heather, sorry list my first post, so hopefully this is not a duplicate. Our 8 year old had bouts of diarrhea off and on for many years. We tried white rice, psyllium, Hills Science diet for digestive issues and all we’re temporary fixes. A few years ago we found Honest Kitchen grain-free beef and chicken. Ever since then her stools have been solid and rarely even slippery. I find it cheapest at Chewy. Com. Hope you find some help on your new puppy journey.🐶😊

[Patti M]

To all the parents having babies suffering from gulping. tongue smacking, vomitting, acid, upset esophagus, stomach & intestinal issues. Health food stores, definitely (GNC) sells
1. “George’s Pure Aloe Juice. It naturally neutralizes acids & heals all in its path.
2. “MANUKA HONEY” Is now
being used by veterinarians, giving
internally & using topically to kill all bad bacteria naturally, no resistance.
3. Virgin Coconut oil added to Small meals spaced, giving GF Performance, Limited Venison can, & pure pumpkin or sweet potato in between meals as a treat. Eventually you can Gradually add GF Performance Limitted dry also back into
their diet.
Good Luck to all, hoping these tips will be helpful.
God Bless.

[Patti M]

To anun101,
It’s heartbreaking reading these
posts from desperate people looking for answers, who will move Heaven on Earth not to watch their babies suffer. Its evidently noticeable by your inputs your on the wrong site. I’ll gladly direct you to Narrsasists annon.😏

[Patti M]

To anun101,
It’s heartbreaking reading these
posts from desperate people looking for answers, who will move Heaven on Earth not to watch their babies suffer. Its evidently noticeable by your inputs your on the wrong site. I’ll gladly direct you to Narrsasists annon.😏

[anonymous]

You believe in homeopathic medicine. Good for you. I hope you don’t come to regret it, as many have. Steve Jobs, for example.
I prefer science based veterinary medicine.

Btw: I think you mean: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder
Which has absolutely nothing to do with anything I have posted.

[Taylor R]

Update on my post of 2/26/17 – Scarlet has not had ANY seizures/gupling episodes since increasing her dose to 5ml of potassium bromide ALMOST 6 MOS AGO!

Scarlet goes to a neurologist in Sacramento, ca who confirmed that her responsiveness to the pot. brom. Means it is definitely seizures and not some gastrointestinal thing.

Sharing the video links again so people can see if what their pups are experiencing are similar to my situation.

Video of Scarlet’s gulping episode:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2hsoApFbGwXbnh1cXUwZE5jRUE/view?usp=sharing

Website that originally helped me diagnose her, read all the updates: http://www.jasonbk.com/2014/02/hiness-gulping-a-cautionary-tale/

My email is [email protected] if anyone has any questions.

[anonymous]

@ Taylor R
Thanks for the update, glad your pup is doing well. What you have shared will most likely help someone.

You may want to remove your email address, it’s not a good idea, you will be hit with tons of spam. Delete it while you can.
If you want to remove the one from a prior post, just contact the moderator
/contact-us/guest-support/

[anonymous]

@ Patti M
This is not a homeopathic site. I was told by one of the moderators a while back that all opinions are welcomed. Science based veterinary medicine and homeopathic views.

[Shari G]

I currently have a dog going thru the same exact thing. He’s a 9 and 1/2 year old boxer and he’s had these episodes for months now. He just had one a few hours ago and rushed him to the vet and u was also able to record it. My vet is leaning towards seizures but does anyone else’s dog drool excessively while they are gulping? For the longest time we thought he just had an upset stomach but even the anti nausea med doesn’t help.

[anonymous]

Has the dog had a senior workup? Labs? Neurology consult?
If not, that would be the only way to accurately diagnose him. Anything else is guesswork.
If it is not within your means, or you are not willing to have a complete workup $ done on an old dog.
Tell your vet, I mean you could spend a few hundred on x-rays and such only to be told he has an inoperable brain tumor (a cause of late in life canine seizures).
The other option would be to focus on care and comfort which may include anti-seizure medication, this may do the trick and keep your dog comfortable as it would stop the seizure activity. Read some of my prior posts in this thread. Good luck.
PS: I agree with your vet, I don’t think it’s his stomach (based on the info you have provided)
But, then again, sometimes they have more than one thing going on.
If your regular vet is willing to treat him for seizures (1 or more seizures per month) with medication, I would start there.

[Shari G]

He actually goes to the vet and specialists quite often. He also has cardiomyopathy which he goes to a cardiologist every 6 months. I took him to the vet today and showed my vet the video I recorded.
She ran a full blood panel since he was due anyways for his yearly. She said pending results we could start him on potassium bromide tomorrow. I’m just extremely nervous because from all the videos I seen of licking, gulping, seizures in dogs none appear to be excessively drooling. Everything I read says a dog excessively drools when nauseous and I’m worried giving him something he doesn’t need especially seizure meds. My vet and I already discussed if he had a brain tumor we wouldn’t operate just for the fact it would be too risky with his cardiomyopathy. This is the video from today
https://youtu.be/2DuOMqhJ8XY

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Shari G.

[anonymous]

I didn’t watch the video, I believe I have seen what you have described. One dog with idiopathic epilepsy did very well on a low dose of phenobarbital for over 10 years.
Another dog had neurological damage related to Lyme disease, but the focus was on treating her symptoms of kidney disease caused by the Lyme. She would do the rug eating (pica) stuff occasionally, heartbreaking to watch.
Another one had hemangiosarcoma, I think it spread to her brain as she had neurological symptoms, I had already had all kinds of diagnostic testing done and was told the cancer had spread….no treatment options.
PLEASE TRUST YOUR VET, the anticonvulsant meds will keep him comfortable.

I hope you don’t fall down the anti-vet homeopathic rabbit hole. I almost did.
Go to skeptvet dot com and ask a question, nothing is being sold there.
It takes a while for your comment to show up if you are new because they don’t allow bullying and hate rantings and do a bit of screening before posting.
Of course he has not examined your dog, so he cannot give you specific advice.

[Madison V]

My Wheaton was doing exactly this type of gulping. She would vomit white foam and swallow anything in her path. As a result, she injested part of a rug and some of her bedding. The vet ruled everything out and assumed they were seizure related. I noted that these episodes would occur after applying the tick and flea med, frontline. It can cause seizures in dogs. I put her on pheno and it did help for a few years. She was laid to rest in 2013. I’ll pray for your dog. This is such a stressful and strange health issue. Vets don’t seem to know what it is.

[anonymous]

Okay, I watched the video. That is not nausea. It appears to be neurological, and the dog is suffering during these episodes.
I would start the anticonvulsants recommended by the treating vet, tonight, ASAP.
It takes a while for them to kick in. It does not dope them up, they are not sedated. It does not change their personality.
Stop trying to find good veterinary medical advice on the internet, it’s not going to happen.
The dog needs REAL medication not phony baloney stuff.
Give us an update after he starts his meds, he looks like he is in good shape otherwise.
Medications are not a bad thing, they were invented for a reason.

[Shari G]

It’s definitely horrible to watch. He’s currently having another episode again. He just looks so scared and I feel so helpless. Breaking my heart and it looks like this is going to be a long night. This started at 11:30 am and almost 5 hours later still going on.

[Shari G]

I wasn’t trying to find online veterinary advice. I was just looking for opinions on the drooling. His vet just called to check up on him and I told her they are still going on and they are getting the potassium bromide ready for me now. Trust me, my dog is well taken care of. He sees more specialists then I do.

[anonymous]

Call your vet, he will probably advise you to go to the emergency vet if he can’t fit you in.
What you describe sounds like status epilepticus, this is a medical emergency.

PS: Just saw your post, good, get him started on anticonvulsants today.

[Shari G]

Yeah, the emergency vet he was at 2 weeks ago for this same exact thing. They told me it was an upset stomach and sent me home with sulcrate and cerenia even when I mentioned seizures 3 different times. Glad his regular vet listened to me when I said seizures.

[Susie]

I am so sorry. I watched the video. Sad. If you are on Facebook why don’t you find an epilepsy group or something similar and post the video. I am sure here are several groups for dogs with seizures. Not that it’s a seizure. Even if it is t yoh will find many helpful people who could have the same issue and be helpful. I joined so many when I was worried my dog was I. Kidney failure. Then I worried it was addisons ‘s. My point is I think you could get some answers and maybe find out about the drooling etc. my dog was doing something g similar here and there and I think hers was her tummy. Good luck ❤️

[anonymous]

I know, I am very grateful that the 24/7 veterinary clinics are there in case of an emergency. However it is true, sometimes you get a newbie (vet fresh out of school and still learning)
That is why it is so important to have a regular vet that knows your dog. The clinic I go to has the option of calling the vet on call (via page by the answering service) I was very surprised when I got a call back on a Sunday evening, I was given advice and told to bring the dog in first thing Monday morning, rather than go back to the emergency clinic that night.

[Taylor R]

Hi Shari G,

I just watched your video and it looks identical to what my boxer Scarlet went through. I posted a video of her in the string above. In her more severe episodes she would drool a lot and lick to try and keep the drool down. Perhaps depending on the dog’s jowls drooling may be more common; like boxers. We have managed her symptoms and seizures very well since being on the Potassium Bromide. She needs occasional increases in the dose when she has breakthrough episodes.

Before starting meds, we were told that there is no point in doing expensive diagnostics if she responded to potassium bromide. If she responds to anti-seizure/anti-convulsant meds, its a seizure. If the potassium bromide does not work, they told us they would try the phenobarbitol which has higher frequency of side effects and is tougher on the liver. If after trying those 2 meds we saw no change, only then were we advised to do diagnostics. Another vet suggested an MRI and spinal tap before just prescribing her the potassium bromide, so watch out for overzealous vets!

Potassium bromide did the trick within a couple days there were no more seizures. My email is [email protected] if you want to chat further! Good luck!

[Taylor R]

Scarlet’s episodes would last for hours as well. Also, we have seen no side effects with the potassium bromide, and she has had updated blood panels to confirm it isn’t affecting liver function. She has been on it for over 1 year. Very happy with results!

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