Nightmare weekend... Part 1

[Mustelid 143]

I thought I would share the nightmare weekend I've just had with you in the hope that someone may offer some advice... If I start with Amber the spaniel first. Amber is 5 years old, a hard worker and super fit. Two weeks ago she collapsed when out woodcock shooting... eyes rolled back in her head, lifeless, frothing at the mouth, going blue ect. I thought she was a dead 'un. I wrapped her up in my coat and jumper and ran back to the car and sent my shooting buddy up to the farm for the details of the nearest vet. The vet was miles away and I suspected that her glucose level had collapsed and so drove to the nearest sop and got her a mars bar. She perked up no end and though she looked 'hungover' for a couple of days, she was fine.

 

I spoke to the vet about this and he said it was probably hypoglycaemia - basically low blood glucose. I upped her food and hoped that I wouldn't experience any further problems. Sadly, last Saturday, the same thing happened again. Amber hunted well for a couple of hours and then refused to enter the cover. I didn't think it likely that she was exhausted as she hadn't done anywhere near as much work as she has done in previous years. I waled through the bramble ahead of her and turned around to see her fitting again. She recovered much quicker this time, but I was gutted thinking this was the end of her working life.

 

I took her to the vet yesterday for blood tests. They haven't showed up anything. The vet suggested that metabolism, heart, or epilepsy type induced problems were the three possible options but none of them fitted the bill with Amber. I now have a portable blood sugar level kit and I'll check her levels next time we're out.

 

The scenario I'm dreading is that she has a fit in a thick bush where I can't see her. Spaniels do push on from time to time and if she passed out and then died of hypothermia because I couldn't get to her, that would break me.

 

Has anyone got a suggestions?

[Pignut 4]

Poor you - how horrible and scary.

 

I would definitely take with me a good first aid kit of stuff you need - like a hypothermia blanket (those silver ones), a towel if she is soaking wet to vigourously dry her, maybe hypostop (which is a gel you put in the mouth that is quickly absorbed. You can use this if she is unconcious though I am not sure if your vet can get it - I have used it on humans as a nurse). Mobile phone always charged and preferably on. Slow your hunting down, maybe go one to one with the dog and concentrate on her, monitoring her working blood sugar levels for a while. I would stop her every 30 minutes and take a reading.

 

Keep a pad of paper and pen (attached with string so you are not fumbling through the glove compartment looking for that pen, I know it is in there somewhere!) so you can have a written diary of what you have done, what happened and what you did. This is useful for telling the vet and referring back to. Write it all down as it happens.

 

Good luck.

 

Pignut

[sandymere 8,261]

Sounds like epilepsy is a likely cause though thought heart arrthymia is a possibility as is poisoning if it's a one off. If it was diabetic then it should show in the bloods has she a history of this?

[Mustelid 143]

No history at all. The vet thinks epilepsy is unlikely as fits don't tend to occur when a dog is 'in work' so to speak. Apparently, an epileptic dog will have it's fits when it is relaxed, not when adrenaline is pumping...

[sandymere 8,261]

Wouldn't be the first excitement/exercise induced fit and perhaps more common than low blood glucose in a non diabetic dog.

What ever it turns out to be good luck s

[sam123 0]

I thought I would share the nightmare weekend I've just had with you in the hope that someone may offer some advice... If I start with Amber the spaniel first. Amber is 5 years old, a hard worker and super fit. Two weeks ago she collapsed when out woodcock shooting... eyes rolled back in her head, lifeless, frothing at the mouth, going blue ect. I thought she was a dead 'un. I wrapped her up in my coat and jumper and ran back to the car and sent my shooting buddy up to the farm for the details of the nearest vet. The vet was miles away and I suspected that her glucose level had collapsed and so drove to the nearest sop and got her a mars bar. She perked up no end and though she looked 'hungover' for a couple of days, she was fine.

 

I spoke to the vet about this and he said it was probably hypoglycaemia - basically low blood glucose. I upped her food and hoped that I wouldn't experience any further problems. Sadly, last Saturday, the same thing happened again. Amber hunted well for a couple of hours and then refused to enter the cover. I didn't think it likely that she was exhausted as she hadn't done anywhere near as much work as she has done in previous years. I waled through the bramble ahead of her and turned around to see her fitting again. She recovered much quicker this time, but I was gutted thinking this was the end of her working life.

 

I took her to the vet yesterday for blood tests. They haven't showed up anything. The vet suggested that metabolism, heart, or epilepsy type induced problems were the three possible options but none of them fitted the bill with Amber. I now have a portable blood sugar level kit and I'll check her levels next time we're out.

 

The scenario I'm dreading is that she has a fit in a thick bush where I can't see her. Spaniels do push on from time to time and if she passed out and then died of hypothermia because I couldn't get to her, that would break me.

 

Has anyone got a suggestions?

[sam123 0]

I thought I would share the nightmare weekend I've just had with you in the hope that someone may offer some advice... If I start with Amber the spaniel first. Amber is 5 years old, a hard worker and super fit. Two weeks ago she collapsed when out woodcock shooting... eyes rolled back in her head, lifeless, frothing at the mouth, going blue ect. I thought she was a dead 'un. I wrapped her up in my coat and jumper and ran back to the car and sent my shooting buddy up to the farm for the details of the nearest vet. The vet was miles away and I suspected that her glucose level had collapsed and so drove to the nearest sop and got her a mars bar. She perked up no end and though she looked 'hungover' for a couple of days, she was fine.

 

I spoke to the vet about this and he said it was probably hypoglycaemia - basically low blood glucose. I upped her food and hoped that I wouldn't experience any further problems. Sadly, last Saturday, the same thing happened again. Amber hunted well for a couple of hours and then refused to enter the cover. I didn't think it likely that she was exhausted as she hadn't done anywhere near as much work as she has done in previous years. I waled through the bramble ahead of her and turned around to see her fitting again. She recovered much quicker this time, but I was gutted thinking this was the end of her working life.

 

I took her to the vet yesterday for blood tests. They haven't showed up anything. The vet suggested that metabolism, heart, or epilepsy type induced problems were the three possible options but none of them fitted the bill with Amber. I now have a portable blood sugar level kit and I'll check her levels next time we're out.

 

The scenario I'm dreading is that she has a fit in a thick bush where I can't see her. Spaniels do push on from time to time and if she passed out and then died of hypothermia because I couldn't get to her, that would break me.

 

Has anyone got a suggestions?

hiya mate make sure the dog is gettin plenty water as it could be gettin dehydrated as my lurcher did and make sure she has enough weight on her for a hard days graft if she is kenneld up her water bowl may have been frozen up all night and if she aint had a good drink she may have become dehydrated hope this may help, hope she comes good sam123