Miss Marple Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 My miniature poodle (12 lbs) recently began having periodic seizures (very mild with leg stiffening - no salivation, urination) when becoming excited. It happened once while playing with her ball, once when she was chasing a chicken off the patio, once when hearing the lab barking and she ran down the stairs (rolled down the last 3) to help out, once when she was excited to see my dh in the evening...always in a period of excitement and barking. This began about 1.5 months ago and the first 2 incidents were probably about a week and a half apart. The episodes came more frequently until they were occurring every day. She is otherwise very healthy. Prior to the seizures I found a new snack she LOVES! The bacon flavored Beggin Strips. We began giving these to the lab as well as the poodle about a month before the seizures began. Well...I wondered if the seizures could be related to this because it was the only change (I realize proximate events don't necessarily cause issues, but I like to consider them) we made. So last week I quit the treats - she had 2 very mild seizures (more like absence seizures) and has been seizure free for the past 5 days. She has been excited, we've played ball, she chased the cat up the tree, she has been chasing squirrels, and no seizures! I'm not totally convinced it is the Beggin Strips, but think it's a distinct possibility. Have any of you ever experienced something like this? Could the lab be unaffected due to her much greater body size? I Googled and found several forums where folks have had small dogs react similarly. I found that vets do not recommend giving these snacks if the dog is on anti-epileptic meds but have not found any scientific literature indicating that treats of this type could cause seizures. I'm hoping the problem is solved, but I think I'll have to wait a bit longer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 I recently saw something online, wish I could remember where so I could post a link, that described the ingredients in Beggin' Strips. I do remember cheesy poofs (or whatever you call them) being in there, as well as some really gross stuff. I think Beggin' Strips is pretty much doggy junk food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 I hope that eliminating the treats will help. We had a somewhat similar experience with our miniature poodle - but had other issues as well. Mocha had a heart problem that the vet detected but didn't present in symptoms that we could recognize. Once it did get worse and noticeable to us, she also experienced seizures like you described. However, she would urinate if she had not gone recently and sometimes vomit. She had been on the same food for the whole 12 years of her life - but when we went to visit my family - she ate the food there and we noticed that the frequent seizures seemed to stop. I also found several complaints related to the brand of dog food but nothing conclusive and the vet did not seem to think that was the reason. The seizures never completely went away - and when the vet had the opportunity to see one, thought it was unrelated to her heart, possibly a tumor. Poor Mocha - did not get better - her heart failed last summer. But I still wonder whether the food she had been eating had caused the seizures. By the way - this was the IAMS dry food. How old is your poodle? I really hope that removing the treats from her diet helps - I know how heartbreaking it is to see you pet so helpless when this happens. :grouphug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted June 2, 2010 Author Share Posted June 2, 2010 How old is your poodle? She is almost 4 years old. Dh (a surgeon) wondered if it might be a cardiac arrhythmia of some sort. But she's been fine since we cut out the snacks and never had trouble before the snacks. I have heard that poodles are prone to idiopathic seizures so that's in the back of my mind, too. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if she has any more. If it is the doggy treats, how horrible that they are being marketed! I did see that there is a class action suit against the makers of the Beggin Strips (as well as other products). I just wish I could find some scientific literature... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 My miniature poodle (12 lbs) recently began having periodic seizures (very mild with leg stiffening - no salivation, urination) when becoming excited. It happened once while playing with her ball, once when she was chasing a chicken off the patio, once when hearing the lab barking and she ran down the stairs (rolled down the last 3) to help out, once when she was excited to see my dh in the evening...always in a period of excitement and barking. This began about 1.5 months ago and the first 2 incidents were probably about a week and a half apart. The episodes came more frequently until they were occurring every day. She is otherwise very healthy. Prior to the seizures I found a new snack she LOVES! The bacon flavored Beggin Strips. We began giving these to the lab as well as the poodle about a month before the seizures began. Well...I wondered if the seizures could be related to this because it was the only change (I realize proximate events don't necessarily cause issues, but I like to consider them) we made. So last week I quit the treats - she had 2 very mild seizures (more like absence seizures) and has been seizure free for the past 5 days. She has been excited, we've played ball, she chased the cat up the tree, she has been chasing squirrels, and no seizures! I'm not totally convinced it is the Beggin Strips, but think it's a distinct possibility. Have any of you ever experienced something like this? Could the lab be unaffected due to her much greater body size? I Googled and found several forums where folks have had small dogs react similarly. I found that vets do not recommend giving these snacks if the dog is on anti-epileptic meds but have not found any scientific literature indicating that treats of this type could cause seizures. I'm hoping the problem is solved, but I think I'll have to wait a bit longer... Not the same snack, but our basenji's seizures are food related. By process of elimination we've discovered she can only have Greenies and the Iams Healthy Natural's Weight Control food. White bread and Cheerios are especially problematic. Fish crackers too and especially cat food & cat poop. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 http://healthymuts.com/dogseizures/ here's something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted June 2, 2010 Author Share Posted June 2, 2010 Not the same snack, but our basenji's seizures are food related. How did you recognize that your dog's seizures might be food related? Did a vet advise you? I'm afraid that if I tell the vet my suspicion he will blow it off and just put her on seizure meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Def. start keeping a log book of seizures with an actual timer of physcial symptoms. Having bloodwork done now to rule out any blood issues are always a good idea as well and a full physical, ecg, are a good idea. what he is eating, including treats and when would be a good idea to go into the log book. Even though you stopped those treats make note of exactly when you stopped them vs. the last seizure. But these things need to be logged at these times. Try not to be vague, about 1 minute ,kind of staring. Again use a timer for the seizure and state things very clearly. Staring into space for 32 seconds, twitching from left side of body for 1 minute, urinated without knowing. Those sort of notes. Hang in there because epilepsy can be very trying to deal with but please have him checked out as their could be reasons behind them other than a potentiol food allergy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Our pup doesn't have seizures, but he used to vomit every time after having Pupperoni. I think that many of those treats are just loaded with chemicals and preservatives (much like human junk food) and so it wouldn't surprise me at all that they could trigger a seizure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 My 4 year old little doggie also started having seizures last year. We went to the vet and had all the tests done, nothing was found. She has not had one in several months now. But, I am also out of all my dog treats but Milk Bones. You have me wondering now. Her seizures did start after a "doggie birthday party" in which the gifts were bunches of different dog treats. I wonder if one of those treats caused the problem?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 My friend's corgi had a seizure shorting after having some new kind of treat. I can't remember if it was the same day or just in the same week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 How did you recognize that your dog's seizures might be food related? Did a vet advise you? I'm afraid that if I tell the vet my suspicion he will blow it off and just put her on seizure meds. I recognized it was food related because when she stopped getting a regular diet of cat poop from the barn cats at my mother's farm where I "borrowed" her from the seizures virtually stopped. Our cat box was behind a cat door and she could only get it rarely and on those days she'd have seizures. I'd started by feeding her the Iams Naturals and when that bag ran out I bought another brand. Again, the seizures started with a vengeance. So we switched back to the Iams and they stopped. Then my neighbor started feeding her Wonder Bread. OH MAN, she'd have 4-6 seizures a day. I couldn't get my neighbor to stop feeding her. So I bought a box of Milk Bones for the neighbor to hand out instead. Seizures were not only 2-3 times a day. So We moved. AND we switched the kitty's food to Iams Natural. And now the seizures have completely stopped. :D AND we tried Greenies and they don't give her seizures. Process of elimination. I never spoke to the vet about it. Basenji's are known to have seizures. If I had time to read labels and look for ingredient connections I would. I borrowed her 5 years ago from my other for the summer as a backyard guard dog and I'm NOT giving her back. My mom's relieved. This dog hunts her guineas and chickens. I think the barn cats are relieved too. She will have seizures after we've visited the farm -- tainted cat poop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary J Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 I have been giving my 14-year-old Shih Tzu pepperoni treats and she started having seizures. I stopped them for a while and the seizures stopped I didn't know if it was a coincidence or not I started giving them to her again and after a week she started having the seizures again. I'm not sure what's in them but I believe this is definitely causing her seizures so I will not be trying that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 (edited) very old ZOMBIE DOG SNACK thread, resurrected by 1st time poster...🧟♂️🐶🍖 Edited March 4, 2022 by Lori D. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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