Can anyone advise me.  This morning whilst sitting at kitchen table, my pug was on the chair opposite me watching my teacup, just incase she got lucky.  all of a sudden she threw her head up and backwards and went ridgid and screamed out. i ran round table and caught hold of her, her legs were stiff and she looked dead, she was not shaking,   about thirty seconds later she came round,  she was back to normal in half an hour.  I have written down what she was doing prior to this happening, for the vet.  is it a fit, and does anyone else have these problems, and will it happen again.  please if you can give me any info i would be greatfull.
Mollie

Well, a message board is certainly no equivalent to seeing a vet. I'd see one ASAP. It certainly sounds like a convulsion of some sort.

Here, check this site out on pugs.

http://www.pugs.com/medprobs.htm

Let us know how it all goes. I hope your dog will be ok. Good luck.

Carrie

Im inclined to agree with you Carrie, but if a vet has checked her out and cannot find anything wrong, and you are asked to record any other incidents then thats what you do. my dog apears healthy and has shown no sign of illness.  maybe a silly message board isnt the answer. was i that wrong to ask for a little suport from other dog owners who just might of had a similar experience. im sorry i botherd.

I realise you must be desperately worried about your dog Mollie, but I don't think there is any cause for you to throw a strop. Carrie gave a link to help you and you didn't mention that you'd already seen the vet about this, just that you had written down details for him. I assumed as I'm sure Carrie did too that this was the first time anything like this had happened to your dog and that you hadn't seen a vet yet.
As for support, Carrie did say at the end of her post that she hoped your dog would be OK and wished you luck. That is support is it not? For the record I hope your dog will be OK too.

Yes Mollie,

My intent was not to belittle your appearance on this message board for support. Support, you've got 100%. My concern... and that's truly what it was, was that you were replacing the use of a trained, schooled veterinarian with a silly message board. If anything ever appears like a medical emergency or a dog seems seiously ill, my meaning was that a vet would be the one to go to for the dog's health. A message board like this one is a great place to come for support and comfort when something is wrong with our dogs. I appololize if I offended you with my suggestion and the link to an informative site on Pug related health problems. I did see something in there about neurological issues which could possibly produce the signs you described.

Carrie

Thank you Harriette. Mollie is probably frantic about her dog. That kind of episode would freak me out too. My dog had head tremors twice and that freaked me out. Then to come to find out, they're not anything to worry about apparently. Yes, I didn't know that she HAD already been to the vet with the dog. Thanks for clearing things up for me. Hopefully it will turn out to be nothing much.

Carrie

I do apologize, i did not mean to upset anyone. i am frantic with worry, one minute shes fine the next im told that i have to wait and see if she has any more episodes, and keep an eye on her.  i just wanted to know if anyone else had been put through this and if so what was their outcome.  shes asleep on my pillow tonight and im wide awake imagining the worse. 

How long has it been since the first episode and how many has she had? You say that she seems normal after an episode. Watch and see if she goes into what's called the post ictal stage. That is after a seizure she may be exhausted (every muscle has been in contraction) and staring off into space like she's not completely here. That can last for quite a while.

Has the vet seen her or is he just talking to you on the phone? Can you call your breeder and see if she knows anything? Or another Pug breeder? I would try to get in to see a vet as soon as you can. I guess perhaps if it hasn't happened a lot, your vet just wants to see if there's a pattern. But if it has gone on for an uncomfortable time (for you) then maybe another vet would be an idea. I would think there would be some kind of tests to do, blood chemistry. I don't know if they do things like EEGs on dogs and it would probably be very expensive. But something to measure brain activity is what I'm getting at. Maybe there's some anticonvulsent that would be prescribed. I know from my medical experience and from my daughter having febrile convulsions, that one convulsion or seizure here and there is not harmful in and of itself. (just keep the patient from falling down and hurting themselves) But when it happens quite often or repeatedly, the brain gets into the "habit" of doing this and it becomes a vicious circle. Then it does become harmful. So, maybe that's what the vet wants to wait and see....if there is developing a pattern. I wouldn't wait through too many episodes before seeking some diagnosis and remedy from another vet if this one doesn't do anything.

I know this must have you terribly worried. Just keep her comfortable like you're doing and keep her on the floor where she won't fall off of anything should this happen again.

I'm so sorry you're having this trouble. It really sucks when our animals are sick or in pain. One thing....I don't believe she's in any real pain from this.

I am watching my Lab go downhill and not be able to do what she use to do as she's getting old. It's hard to see her have pain in her joints. But of course, it's different when you're talking about an old dog who's had a good life and young one just starting out. But it's still sad.

I do send my thoughts and prayer to you and your little dog. Do let us know what you find out and how she's doing.

Carrie

Hi Carrie
yes she has seen the vet recently, this was the first time anything has happend to her.  i was awake most of the night with her as she kept twitching and being unsettled, i tried her in her own room with the others,  but she just wanted to nuzzle me.  at about 5.30 this morning she had another, this time she wet as well. she does seem to be very quiet.  I have taken her back to the vets this morning and they seem to think it is a form of epilepsy, again i have been told to just watch her and moniter her.  they do not want to start running test and put her on medication untill they are sure it is going to be an ongoing thing, i have been told if the episodes last for longer than a couple of minutes im to go in with her as an emergency if nessersary.  they have given her diazipam to calm her, one in the morning and one at night for the next two days.  then im to visit again for blood test if she continues to have them after tuesday.
thanks for your advice, my vet has always been brill and has a soft spot for my pug, im sure he will do right by her.  as you said its just very very upsetting and worrying for their mummys

Hello Molly, What a scare you must have had with your dog fitting! My sisters neighbour had a Border Collie 'Sally' who used to have a lot of fits just like that! Sally was given medication by the vet which made her a little drowsy at times (similar to epilin which humans take) but she was ok most of the time. The vet advised if she did have a fit to keep her warm and leave her to recover quietly, during fits she used to wet herself and was confused afterwards.  She had hardly any fits when on the medication , her owner had two little girls and did not work so was mostly at home. When her owner was out Sally used to stay with my sister, she was a great dog and everyone loved her. The family moved away to the lakes but I understand Sal lived to a good age :-)

Mollie, I cried when I read your post. I hope your dog does OK and she gets the medication to keep her safe. Please keep us posted on how things are going.

Thanks everyone for your concern. Twinks is eating and seems back to her normal self. i gave her the diazipan saturday am and night and sunday am and night. yesterday she was cuddly and this morning shes back to bouncing all over the place. she has a chewee stick and will not let anyone near her, id say shes made a full recovery.  i spoke with my vet, and he doesnt want her to go onto medication just yet, but im to keep a close eye on her.  im home all day so its not a problem.  hopefully this wont become a regular occurance, but i am a little more clued up thanks to you all.

Hi Molly, So glad Twinks is better, with a bit of luck the fit may have been a one off. :-D.
Would like to know how she gets on.

Hello Molly

How old is your pug ? most epilepsy seem to show itself at around 2 years old - we had a dog who had quite severe epileptic fits these started at around 2years old- he would drop to the ground thrash his legs wildly and lose control of his bowels. After several visits to the vets he was put on Phenobarbitone which stabalised him and we eventually lost him at the age of 14. For most of his life ( once he'd started the medication) he used to get little 'absences' when he would stare into space for a few seconds then snap back and be absoloutly fine. apart from that he lived a full active life until he died eventually (of kidney failure).

Epilepsy is horrible to see and very worrying and upsetting when it's first diagnosed BUT it does'nt have to be the end - many breeds seem prone to it and some lines within breeds are particularly affected. Ask you pug's breeder if there has been any other instances of this in her breeding. Breeders need to be very honest if we are to reduce this horrible illness. Good luck with your little boy.

sorry - little girl !!!