Seen the vet but still worried there's something wrong!! Any advice?

Hi, wonder if anyone can help please.

Ive already taken my dog archie SBT aged three in march to the vet yesterday but im still really worried about him.

Were not sure if about 3 weeks ago he had a seizure or not... he acted clingly ran under the duvet cuddled up to my boyfriend started trembling and looked vacant stared into space and didnt respond to anything his name food etc.... then after 3 or 4 mins he snapped out of it and went back to normal! he had a space out the next day but nothing since.

well the reason im worried is that he seems to go off and sit sulking or bored or fed up alot. Hes eating fine, and pooing and walking playing being totally like normal but seems to be demanding more walks more play wants attention all the time... he gets 3 4 walks a day, loads of cuddles and play and even another dog at the mo to play with. he seems to do all the normal stuff then skulk off as if upset, bored but as soon as say walk hes up wagging or playing or wanting dinner. he does snore alot lol and sometimes theres a noise of him swallowing more in his sleep like extra saliva only for a while... he wakes up fine and is always wagging his tail etc being totally normal.... but seems to want something.... at times he awakens and scratches his nose with his paw as if has an itch but not alot.

the vet said that it sounds like he had a siezure and the next day thing was part of it as a cluster and that unless they are having more than 1 a month then dont worry just keep a diary. he said he may never have one again.... but im worried cos he seems fed up all the time... now this vet was very through and said that he had a very good strong healthy heart and that we should just monitor him. he sneezes sometimes and has a slight dribble of nose but the vet said that can be normal... he said to look out for changes like mucous from nose or bleeding or any other changes, but apart from that hes a healthy dog....

so has anyone else ever experienced their dog wanting more attention or sulking but acting completely normal otherwise?

my boyfriend says im over worrying and that hes okay i just dont want there to be an underlying problem that affects him bad, hes my baby and adore him so much... he is very spoilt and soooo loving....

any help would be good thanks alot

Archie has a good, caring and observant mum and is very lucky! It is often we women who spot subtle changes, or feel that "something is not quite right", whilst the men shake their heads at our fussing...........before any man jumps on me, I know that you are not all the same, but my husband is a classic example of not noticing tiny differences in behaviour

I do feel for you, because you clearly think that there is an underlying problem with Archie and at the moment the Vet has little to go on other than the small seizures. It does seem strange that with all the stimulation that you are giving him during the day, he is still not happy and settled.

I hope that someone knowledgeable comes along soon to answer you, and in the meantime good luck.

I don't have anything to add to Bitkin's lovely post ~ you do sound like you are very caring & observant .

Just keep an eye on Archie & the vet's advice to keep a diary is really good. It can help identify any patterns in Archie's odd behaviour.

All I would say is keep an open mind as to what the behaviour might mean. Sometimes we humans can be too anthropomorphic & assume that the dog is "sulking" or "bored" but I'm not sure this would be a correct interpretation.

I've often wondered if sometimes dogs feel low grade pain that isn't necessarily shown by huge behaviour changes, but more subtle ones, like becoming more subdued/quiet, or just taking themselves away for a bit, e.g perhaps they get headaches like us, or feel a bit nauseous but not enough to be sick, or have an ache or pain somewhere that doesn't affect physical movement but is worse when they just lie down? Maybe, if Archie has had a seizure, h has a bit of headache?

Do you think it could be anything to do with the other dog being around?

Just an idea ~ would be really helpful if they could talk, wouldn't it? But at least be reassured that your vet took it seriously & gave Archie a thorough examination.

Let us know how he's getting on.

Just to add two things:

1 - if you continue to be concerned then you could always take Archie to another vet for a second opinion. If both vets reach the same conclusions, you may feel a lot better. And if the second vet spots something the first vet possibly missed (which seems to be part of your concern) then that's a good result ultimately too.


2 - my Lab sometimes seems 'bored' also. Are you doing any training with Archie?

Sometimes mental 'exercise' can be more exhausting than physical exercise for a dog. If you look online you can find some great training exercises and games that Archie may enjoy.

Oh - Dex also scratches his nose etc when he wakes in the morning. I think that's pretty normal

Hi Wendy,

Sorry to hear your Archie's not been well, (there's nothing worse is there?) can't really add anything more to the helpful posts above, but dont be afraid to switch vets and get a 2nd opinion, I switched vets recently, and I am much happier with my new ones! I was bit nervous about doing it but am so pleased I did.

Hope your Archie gets a clean bill of health, I would always go with my gut feeling, and if you think your boy isn't right then definitely get another opinion!

All the best
x

Hey everyone,

Thanks very much for all your replies, it has helped to chill me out a bit!!

He seems to have calmed a bit for now, and maybe its just him turning adult and changing behaviour pattern and maybe even that its winter and not so many daylight hours....

He eats plays and cuddles and walks and does his tricks as normal and hes not so much as sulking but acting bored... i will see how it goes, as hes in otherwise optimum condition and im a known worry wart anyway!! so maybe ive kind of read too much on the internet about dog illnesses and have made myself more concerned!!

The other dog that is here at the moment is my boyfriends mums dog and he loves her, they have been together loads of times before and she keeps him active so shes good for him and he shows whose boss inside and she outside lol.

so ive started to calm a bit for now and fingers crossed its just a phase and he will be okay, hoping he has no more fits! and well im very close with him so any sudden change i would notice anyway so im gonna leave things as they are as the vet i took him to has been opractising for 25 years and have always had good reviews from everyone, maybe i expected the vet to say oh its this take this and he will be fine, lol but anyway.... thanks alot for your advice i truly appreciate it.... your all great!!

thanks alot

Wendy and Archie Pants x x x

Has Archie or his parents been tested for L2 Hga.

It is most likely nothing but if he or his parents have not been tested and he has any more problems it might be worth doing.

Hey LeadsStaffs...

Ive never heard of that? what is it? i dont know much ab out his parents..... saw the mother but they didnt look after the puppies very well when young, so have no info...

could you tell me a bit about it?

thanks x

L-2-Hydroxyglutaric aciduria
L-2-HGA (L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria) in Staffordshire Bull Terriers is a neurometabolic disorder characterised by elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. L-2-hydroxyglutarate is normally metabolised to a-ketoglutarate but in affected dogs it is not, and builds up in the body with devastating results. L-2-HGA affects the central nervous system, with clinical signs usually apparent between 6 months and one year (although they can appear later). Symptoms include epileptic seizures, "wobbly" gait, tremors, muscle stiffness as a result of exercise or excitement and altered behavior.
The link below is to the SBT breed council health page.
There are instructions on how to test. If you need anything help with it give me a shout

http://www.staffords.co.uk/dddt.htm