Heart palpitations and muscle spasms in dogs

[Athena]

Yesterday morning we noticed that our dog's jaw was trembling/vibrating every time he would start to open his mouth. At first, we thought it was because he had just eaten his breakfast and maybe got something in his teeth. But it happened again, later in the morning, and we thought he might be having a seizure or something.

We took him to the vet, who checked him over(heart beat, lungs, temperature), and said that he was having heart palpitations and that he was not getting enough oxygen.{Maybe Belibaste can give a bit more info as I only understood about 45% of what was said}

The vet then gave Sebastian(our dog) a cortisone injection to bring down any inflammation and help relax/expand his lungs and (I assume) to relax his heart.
He was then given a prescription for Candilat {Vincamine and Papaverine} at 24cp x 2 pills per day and Cardisure{Pimobendan} at 5mg twice a day.

We are also supplementing with the following "Cocktail" which Laura found on the internet:

Ubiquinol (reduced CoQ10) - 100mg per day.

D-Ribose - 1 tsp. per day

Cod liver and its oil, pureed and mixed with his meds(he is a master at eating around even the tiniest of pills!)

We plan on adding(still figuring out dosing):

L-Carnitine

L-Arginine

Magnesium mixed with vitamin C


His diet consists of finely ground chicken carcasses/meat, a bit of bone broth, and a bit of leftover bacon rinds from breakfast.

He seems to be doing okay now. This morning when I got up to give him his meds his jaw trembled but not as pronouncedly as yesterday. His energy levels seemed normal(very happy to see me, doing his "give me attention dance" :) ) I noticed that he became very lethargic after taking his prescription meds yesterday and again this morning - he napped most of yesterday and is doing the same today.


Sebastian is a sheltie who is slightly large for his breed, will be 12 years old in October and is our baby boy.

Any suggestions or tips will be most welcome.

 

[Meg]

:( I hope he gets better. Hugs to you all there

Some holistic recommendations:

Herbal treatments can go alongside your vet's advice

Hawthorn reduces stress on the heart, lowers high blood pressure and normalizes heart function by either stimulating or depressing its action. It is also a great cardiac tonic, helpful for heart failure or weakness, and palpitations. Acting as an anti-inflammatory and mild diuretic, hawthorn can be used as a tea or in tincture form, long term.

Motherwort strengthens the heart and provides a sedative action on a heart rate that may be stressed by anxiety and tension. It improves blood flow to the heart and inhibits clot formation.

Diuretic herbs can prove helpful

Heart disease can increase fluid retention, especially in the lungs, and diuretic herbs can help eliminate this excess fluid.

Dandelion also supports the liver, and is a rich source of potassium, replacing the amount eliminated in the urine. Many diuretics deplete potassium from the body which proves harmful, especially to the heart muscles.

Cleavers, motherwort, yarrow and parsley are other useful herbal diuretics.

Traditional Chinese Medicine's view of heart disease in dogs

In TCM the heart is seen as the centre of consciousness, thoughts and feelings. It houses the spirit of "Shen", the soul or spirit. A dog that has an imbalance of the heart "Shen", can show this with hysteria, seizures, wildly pacing or barking, or biting out of fear.

Useful acupressure treatments for early heart imbalances are aimed at restoring the balance between the heart and the spleen/pancreas and kidney. The acupressure points that may be helpful are SP6, HT7, CV12, BL15.

Nutritional supplements that are recommended (depending on the size of the dog) include Vitamin C and bioflavonoids (500-1000mg twice daily), Vitamin B Complex (quarter -half adult dosage), Vitamin E (50-400 IU daily), essential fatty acids, lecithin granules, seaweeds and Co-enzyme Q10.

It is also very important to give your dog regular daily exercise to maintain healthy circulation, and provide a calm, stress-free home environment.

Sources:
Kidd R, Dr Kidd's Herbal Dog Care, Storey Books, 2000
Goldstein M, The Nature of Animal Healing, Alfred A> Knopf, NY, 1999
Schwartz C, Four Paws Five Directions, Celestial Arts, Berkeley, 1996

_https://suite101.com/a/natural-remedies-for-your-dogs-heart-disease-a337645

Rich But Low Sodium Food

Another integral part of this treatment is regular supervision of his food. The pet canine should be offered food that is rich in nutrients but low in sodium. Nutrients like calcium, Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, Taurine and L-caritine are important for a dog suffering from cardiovascular problem. These nutrients can be easily found in fish or sea food.

Herbal Supplements

Hawthorne is a good herbal supplement for your pet canine suffering from these major problems. Herbal supplements are another holistic treatment dog heart disease that can help to develop walls of the heart's artery.

_http://www.drbeckersbites.com/holistic-treatment-dog-heart-disease

 

[Gaby]

A dose of L-carnitine is 30mg/kg, taken from here:

_http://www.fasebj.org/content/21/13/3756.full

Here is a vet that lists some doses:

_http://www.charlesloopsdvm.com/supplements

Arginine (L–Arginine) – I recommend 500mg. to 1500mg. daily added to food.

The dose of vitamin C is from Luis' research:

_http://www.health-matrix.net/2013/02/18/a-scottish-terrier-miraculous-recovery-from-bladder-cancer/

In her book “Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats and Dogs”, Cheryl Schwartz, DVM, suggests the following dosages for health maintenance:

– Puppies and Small Dogs: 250 mg daily
– Medium-sized Dogs: 500 mg daily
– Large Dogs: 750 mg daily
– Senior Dogs: 500-1,000 mg daily per 40-50 pounds of body weight

For specific health problems, she suggests:

– Arthritis: as high a dose as possible with diarrhea being the limiting factor, up to 5,000 mg/day.
– Ear Infections: 125 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250-500 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 500-1,000 mg twice daily for large dogs.
– Teeth/Gum Diseases: 125 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 1,000 mg twice daily for large dogs.
– Upper Respiratory Problems: 125-500 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250-1,500 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 500-1,500 mg twice daily for large dogs.
– Skin Allergies: 125 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250-1,500 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 500-1,500 mg twice daily for large dogs.
– Bladder and Urinary Tract Infections: 125 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 500 mg twice daily for large dogs.
– As Immune Booster: 500 mg twice daily for small dogs; up to 1,500 mg twice daily for medium dogs and large dogs.

Although there are other sources that suggest slightly higher doses, the right indicator is:

Quote

If your dog develops diarrhea, adjust down the dosage until the stools are firm again.

The diseases gives an idea of how much more Sebastian could tolerate.

Magnesium seems to be 10mg/Kg:

_http://www.justanswer.com/dog-health/2uc2f-dosage-magnesium-give-12-year.html

Again, he will have diarrhea if it is too much.

Maybe others have a better idea, but the equivalent of those prescription drugs for humans are something that I would think twice before giving them:

Candilat {Vincamine and Papaverine} at 24cp x 2 pills per day and Cardisure{Pimobendan} at 5mg twice a day.

Hopefully in a few days they can be removed.

I think the supplements will be very helpful for Sebastian. They seem to cover all angles and should help with recovery. Lots of hugs for Sebastian!

 

[Z...]

does he have any wounds?
fever?
i suggest keep a close eye on him over the next few days - and if his symptoms worsen especially if you notice cough, breathing difficulty, muscle spasms provoked by loud sounds, sudden movement or touch rush him to the vet and ask her to give him tetanus serum.

This is quite rare but he is a good candidate being outdoor dog and once I had a case which started exactly like you describe.

Pimobendan is used for congestive heart failure- what did she diagnose and how? Just by listening? Any imaging? Did she take BP?
To me personally her approach and therapy choices sounds very strange - especially steroid if he indeed has CHF - that is contraindicated - but perhaps Pierre has more info.

Poor Sebastian - he is such a good dog :(

 

[Laura]

does he have any wounds?
fever?

No. The shaking of his head is like a really exaggerated Parkinsonism. And when he is lying down being petted, it continues, but on a regular rhythm: every three minutes. It seems pretty clear it is neurological, but not a seizure because he doesn't "seize". He continues to wag his tail, doesn't foam at the mouth or anything.

i suggest keep a close eye on him over the next few days - and if his symptoms worsen especially if you notice cough, breathing difficulty, muscle spasms provoked by loud sounds, sudden movement or touch rush him to the vet and ask her to give him tetanus serum.

We are watching. He was checked over pretty thoroughly and there are no wounds.

This is quite rare but he is a good candidate being outdoor dog and once I had a case which started exactly like you describe.

Pimobendan is used for congestive heart failure- what did she diagnose and how? Just by listening? Any imaging? Did she take BP?

To me personally her approach and therapy choices sounds very strange - especially steroid if he indeed has CHF - that is contraindicated - but perhaps Pierre has more info.

Poor Sebastian - he is such a good dog :(

Well, he's almost 12, too, and he's had a couple of serious traumas, like that sickness he wasn't supposed to survive, and when he did, he wasn't supposed to live very long after it, but he did.

I wondered about the steroid too.

Right now, we will give him the meds for ten days AND the supplements and then stop the meds and see how he does.

 

[Z...]

Yes I was thinking usually Erlichiosis effect stay for life and take toll on the organs.

My only worry is the therapy - in my experience when you start the dog on heart medication its just downhill from there...
Plus something doesn't add up here...will wait for more input

Hugz for good old Sebastian

 

[Gaby]

Perhaps a way to see if it is a Parkinson-like problem, is to supplement with a natural precursor for dopamine. Probably better when he is more stabilized with the supplements and off those prescription drugs. More info here:

How I Reversed My Parkinson's Disease Symptoms
_http://www.marsvenus.com/blog/john-gray/how-i-reversed-my-parkinsons-disease-symptoms

A study printed in the International Journal of Internal Medicine was done with 254 Parkinson’s patients who were newly diagnosed, with no previous treatment, and those who were diagnosed more than 20 years before and had tried many other medical treatment options. It showed that these supplements were helpful in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

Tyrosine is an amino acid that can be converted into L-dopa. Another way to increase dopamine levels is with the use of B vitamins. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant that can help regenerate glutathione.

Breathing New Life into Cora (Tyrosine for dogs)
_http://www.wordwitlox.com/dogblog/tag/l-tyrosine-for-dog/

 

[Z...]

Did she do a blood panel? -liver malfunction can cause the seizures and given his erlichiosis history this is quite plausible

 

[Nancy2feathers]

Sorry to hear about Sebastian.
When our little Yorkie, Trixie, who was 16 when she passed, had serious health issues due to her teeth, we gave her oral DMSO. Within hours we could see a difference in her ability to get up and walk around, eat and do her business outside. Trixie wasn`t healthy enough to undergo anesthesia to have her teeth cleaned, so the plaque build-up, gingivitis. must have entered her bloodstream .DMSO seemed to help her with inflammation/pain. She would never chew on bones to help clean her teeth.

I know DMSO shouldn`t be given with certain drugs, but I thought I would mention it. Maybe others can chime in on oral DMSO and ailments in dogs.

 

[Keit]

No. The shaking of his head is like a really exaggerated Parkinsonism. And when he is lying down being petted, it continues, but on a regular rhythm: every three minutes. It seems pretty clear it is neurological, but not a seizure because he doesn't "seize". He continues to wag his tail, doesn't foam at the mouth or anything.

Hmm...the connection between the shaking and heart palpitations (the lack of oxygen, to be exact) is interesting, because if it was so, Sebastian's symptoms would be rather lightheadedness or fainting.

After searching and looking around, Sebastian's symptoms look more like something called "focal seizure" (and that's considering that biochemistry blood test rules out any possible deficiencies, liver or kidney problems, including checking T3 and T4 functions). Focal seizures are different from full blown seizures, because they are much shorter, localized in a specific region, and doggie continues to be in full consciousness during the episode.

Here is a description: _http://voices.yahoo.com/focal-mini-seizures-dogs-11082172.html?cat=53

"Rena, look! He's doing it again!" called Mom. I looked up from reading to see Hugo, our powderpuff Chinese crested, nodding his head shakily again and again for seemingly no reason. He then stopped and acted as if nothing peculiar had happened (in other words, he began begging for a treat.)

In the 13 months since we've had Hugo, he'd nod like this about once every other month. Fortunately, Hugo already had an appointment at the vet for his annual check up. I mentioned the head-nodding to my vet and he said it could be focal seizures - also called partial seizures or mini seizures. Since Hugo had so few episodes per year and was not showing any symptom of brain damage, the vet said that I should keep track of Hugo's episodes, but nothing needed to be done right now.

What Do Focal Seizures Look Like?

Any uncontrollable twitching of the body may be a focal seizure. Hugo nods his head in a shaking fashion. Another dog may have one leg move rapidly for no known reason. Yet another dog may move her head from side to side - as if watching an invisible tennis match. This only lasts for a few seconds or minutes and the dog does not lose consciousness.

And here is a video as an example:
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqHmao9WAeo

Here is another, more detailed explanation: _http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/partial_focal.htm

PLEASE NOTE: The following is a "textbook" definition of partial/focal or petite mal seizures. Since every dog is different and every seizure can be different, we have added descriptions from various Guardian Angels so that you can get a better idea of exactly how our own dogs look and act during seizures. Those descriptions follow immediately after the source information for the formal definition. We hope this is helpful to you.

Partial seizures: Partial seizures are also called focal seizures and as the name indicates, the electrical storm is affecting only a part of the brain. A partial seizure may stay localized or it may expand to the whole brain and cause a tonic-clonic seizure. Because the seizure starts in only a part of the brain, an underlying disease or injury is highly suspected. A partial seizure may remain localized or spread to other parts of the cerebral cortex producing a sequential involvement of other body parts.

Partial seizures are classified as simple focal seizures when consciousness is preserved and as complex focal seizures when consciousness is altered. Any portion of the body may be involved during a focal seizure depending on the region of the brain affected.

In a simple partial seizure, the area of the brain that is affected is the area that controls movement. Usually the face is affected, resulting in twitching or blinking. This is usually limited to one side of the face. If the seizure spreads, other parts of the body on that same side will be affected. The dog is usually alert and aware of his surroundings.

A complex partial seizure will originate in the area of the brain that controls behavior and is sometimes called a psychomotor seizure. During this type of seizure, a dog’s consciousness is altered and he may exhibit bizarre behavior such as unprovoked aggression or extreme irrational fear. He may run uncontrollably, engage in senseless, repetitive behavior or have fly-snapping episodes where he appears to be biting at imaginary flies around his head.

Cash WC, Blauch BS: Jaw snapping syndrome in eight dogs. JAVMS 175:179, 1979
Parent JM Seizures, Small animal medicine 735:741, 1991
Thomas WB: Idiopathic Epilepsy in Dogs. Vet Clinics of N. Amer. Small Animal Practice 183:206, 2000

There are many possible reasons for such seizures, and Idiopathic Epilepsy is one of them. Especially since apparently Shelties are predisposed to it. But the onset of epilepsy is from 1 to 5 years old, so that's probably not epilepsy, though probably still something neurological.

And here's Dr Becker video on the topic, in case it may be useful.

http://<iframe width="560" height="...qE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Keit]

Did she do a blood panel? -liver malfunction can cause the seizures and given his erlichiosis history this is quite plausible

Dr Becker in her video talks about liver impairment leading to toxins accumulating in the body and crossing the blood brain barrier, and then causing condition called "hepatic encephalopathy", which can lead to toxic based seizures. Here are the possible symptoms: _http://www.doglivershunt.com/hepatic-encephalopathy.html

 

[SeekinTruth]

Sorry to hear about Sebastian. Hope he gets better soon.

 

[hesperides]

I´m happy Sebastian shows some recovery and hope all your care will be fruitful at the end. Eleven isn´t that old for a dog, and also he is enjoying the most healthy space and menu "à la carte" any dog could possibly be dreaming of (deducing here from his photos and video).

Weird how you just mentioned Sebastian right the day before he started showing health symptoms, like you were already smelling something in the air:

Quote from Laura: 1st March

Our old guy was in so much pain, he could hardly get up and walk and he was constantly licking his bad leg until it was completely discolored. Now, he actually will chase his ball now and then and run to the mailbox. He's 12 years old this year. So, yeah, raw meat saved his life.

 

[Laura]

Did she do a blood panel? -liver malfunction can cause the seizures and given his erlichiosis history this is quite plausible

Dr Becker in her video talks about liver impairment leading to toxins accumulating in the body and crossing the blood brain barrier, and then causing condition called "hepatic encephalopathy", which can lead to toxic based seizures. Here are the possible symptoms: _http://www.doglivershunt.com/hepatic-encephalopathy.html

Now that you mention this angle, all the dogs were wormed about 10 days ago. I wonder... so, we'll be adding NAC and Milk thistle.

 

[Keit]

Now that you mention this angle, all the dogs were wormed about 10 days ago. I wonder... so, we'll be adding NAC and Milk thistle.

Were they dewormed with Ivermectin? Because it can cause seizures in Collies and Shelties.

Added: It's toxic for them due to the MDR1 gene mutation (both with Collies and Shelties). Apparently this gene encodes a protein that is responsible for removing certain drugs and toxins from the brain. Here is a link that explains it, and also includes a list of other pharmasuticals to be avoided.

_http://www.sheltie4me.com/info/display?PageID=5258

The most commonly prescribed drug on the list is ivermectin, a wormer used in many canine heartworm preventative treatments including Heartguard, Iverhart, Tri-Heart and Advantage DUO. Dogs in the affected breeds should use milbemycin oxide (Interceptor) for heartworm preventative instead of ivermectin as it’s generally considered a safer alternative. Ivermectin can also be found in many livestock wormers (dogs should be kept away during and for several days after livestock worming), and in home and yard insecticides (under the names avermectin or abamectin).

Other frequently used drugs on the list include loperamide for diarrhea (most commonly sold as Imodium); morphine; butorphanol for pain and cough suppression; and acepromazine (prescribed as Ace, ACP, or Atravet) for tranquilizing, calming, and anesthesia use.

By the way, acepromazine is sometimes used as a premidication prior to anesthesia, or in combination with other drugs. So just in case you'll ever need it, remember to ask what drug will be used in premedication and ask for another.