Serious twitching problem with Labrador, very worried ?

My Lab has started violently twitching really badly, she cant even stand up properly because she is twitching so much. It comes and goes and now nothing is happening, I have rang my vets and they are seeing her at 4pm..in three hours time.Has anyone experienced this before ?????She is ok now but it comes and goes every ten minutes or so?

Hi,there are a few reasons why it would twitch uncontrollably, it either has injury to its brain which is causing the seizures...however it can also be a sign of Disease.Can be signs of canine distemper.. it is highly contagious, and infects unvaccinated dogs and puppies. virus normally localizes in the brain, intestinal tract and upper respiratory tract.if your dog has a high fever it's usually the first sign of infection, along with a cough, sneezing, and discharge from the nose. Then it affects the intestinal tract, causing vomiting, and dark, tar colored diarrhea. Finally the virus travels to the brain and spinal cord, causing seizures and uncontrollable twitching.or Focal Seizures...can be caused by epilepsy, poisoning, brain injury, heat stroke, kidney failure...but yeah having your vet check it out will give you a more clear and concrete answer than my possibilities...really hope she is okay, good luck and god bless

Sounds as if she is having seizures.I would call your vet and tell them you are on the way as the symptoms are coming every 10 minutes.If she is actually having seizures and are coming every 10 minutes it is referred to as cluster seizures which is very dangerous.If they are lasting 5 minutes immediately medical attention is needed !There are many causes of seizures, Epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in a dog, other causes include liver disease, kidney failure, poisoning, thyroid dysfunction, infection, head injury and brain tumors.Write down the time of day, how long it lasted and what exactly happened to your dog each and every time in detail. I would also have a camcorder charged and ready so that when and if it happens again you can video it and show it to the vet as it would be very beneficial for the vet to actually see what is going on with him.If she is having seizures they can be very mild to very strong, just staring into space, drooling, stiffing of the legs, tremors, paddling of the legs and feet, loss of bodily functions and unconsciousnessIf a dog is having seizures, and is having more than 1 a month, or if the seizures intensify at all, the vet would put him on a medication, more than likely Phenobarbital. This would have to be taken for the rest of her life. Seizures can be controlled by medicationsGenerally the medication recommended by vets is Phenobarbital. Keep in mind that once the medication regiment starts that it will take about 1-2 weeks for her to become regulated to the medications. During this time she will be a little out of sorts.You should not give the medication right after a seizure as it can take some dogs only a minute to recover while others can take hours. After a seizure some dogs act like their old selves while others can seem groggy and confused. Give the medications at the same time every day... Speak with your vet.As to how to help ....During a seizure dim the lights and turn off any noise, such as radios and the TV. You want to keep everything as quiet and calm as possible. You can gently pat the dogs sides and abdomen while speaking softly to your dog.During a seizure.. Although very emotionally draining on the owner to watch, the dog is in no pain and after he has recovered will not even know that anything has happened. It is the same when a person has a seizure, until someone tells them they had one they have no idea one has occurred.Also while your dog is having a seizure you can pour some karo syrup down the dogs throat or rub some on the dogs gums... it helps to bring the dog out of the seizure and to recover sooner. This is for smaller breeds that are apt to be hypoglycemic.While the dog is having a seizure you can place an ice pack on his lower back.. it helps so that the seizure is not that strong and that the dog will come out of it sooner and recover quicker ... here is a link to help http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/icepack.htmWhen your dog has come out of a seizure and can eat ....you can give 1 tbsp of Haagen Daz vanilla ice cream in case the dog was hypoglycemic.. the ice cream will help the dog recover sooner. Haagen Daz Ice cream has no preservatives which is best for the dog as it is all natural. The reason why it works in a dog that may be hypoglycemic is that the sugar crystals are frozen and slowly dissolve at different intervals to bring the sugar level back to a safe level.Here is some information about seizuresThere are 3 phases of a seizures:1) The pre-ictal phase, or aura, is a period of altered behavior in which the dog may hide, appear nervous, or seek out the owner. It may be restless, nervous, whining, shaking or salivating. This amy last a few seconds to a few hours.2) The ictal phase is the seizure itself and last from a few seconds to about 5 minutes. During this period, all of the muscles of the body contract strongly. The dog usually falls on its side and seems paralyzed while shaking. The head will be drawn backward. Urination, defecation, and salivation often occur. If it is not over within 5 minutes, the dog is said to be in the status epilepticus or prolonged seizure.3) During the post-ictal phase, there is confusion, disorientation, salivation, pacing, restlessness, and/or temporary blindness. There is no direct correlation between the severity of the seizure and the duration of the post-ictal phase.Some dogs can come out of this phase in a few minutes and other can take hours.The epilepticus - pro longed seizure I mentioned in #2 is a serious and life threatening situation. It is characterized by a seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes. When it occurs, the dog's life is endangered. Unless intravenous medications are given promptly, the dog may die. If this occurs, you should seek treatment by a veterinarian immediately. You could also ask the vet for valium that you can give rectally with a cathedra if the dog’s seizure last 5 minutes or longer to help stop the seizure. If valium I used you have to get the dog to the vet whether or not it helped. Valium is only to be used for prolonged seizures as if given to often the body builds up an immunity and needs higher dosages to be effective and may not work at all.Remember that seizures can be controlled if given their medications and can live long happy lives.

It could be several causes so you need to wait till you have seen a vet. If she does it again try and video it on your mobile phone if you have one so you can show vet. If she starts twitching and doesn't stop for a long time call the vet urgently to be seen right away in case it is a fit.