[greencode]

Harry is a 5 year old boxer in good health.

On the 21 December he had an odd moment. Took him for a walk, about 30 mins after getting back he started wobbling, twitching, flinching off I put my hand near him and dribbling urine. All signs led to a toxin and the vet gave gas him in overnight. Did some bloods (nothing) and gave him liquid charcoal. He came home the next day okay.

On the 29th December a similar thing happened. An hour after getting back from his walk (walked in a different area as I was aware he may have picked up something from the place I originally walked him) and he started going wobbling, twitching and flinching (no urine dribbling this time but did vomit). Vet took his temperature and checked eyes, gums and gave him more liquid charcoal. He was then okay again the following day.

Just got back from a walk today (walk and run from 12:15 - 1pm on 2 January) and the same happened, not quite as bad and I’m currently just lying here with him to keep him calm and he does remain very chilled and calm with all of this. Not at all in any discomfort.

Update: 2pm on 2 Jan: He’s just been sick. Now he’s resting again.

It doesn’t appear to be fits (not that I know) but just incredibly odd, where he is absolutely fine and then randomly after he gets back from a walk he has this moment.

Any ideas, thoughts or help would be much appreciated

 

[Kaco Boxers]

I would be requesting a referral for a cardiologist. Was any blood work done?
When it happens again, check his gum colour. If pale or white, it’s 100% heart related.

 

[greencode]

I would be requesting a referral for a cardiologist. Was any blood work done?
When it happens again, check his gum colour. If pale or white, it’s 100% heart related.

Thanks for replying. Nothing to do with this but he actually saw a cardiologist last January as he has a grade 1 murmur and they wanted to run more tests I.e. cardiogram etc and everything was okay.

He had bloods done the first time happened a few weeks back and they came back okay. Liver values were slightly raised but they have been all his life.

The vets checked his gums and they were normal. I checked today and again, normal colour.

 

[[email protected]]

Did they ever run the additional tests on his heart? When my young male Boxer developed DCM from grain free dog food he had a similar episode but he collapsed and urinated acted confused and was shaking this was the first sign of DCM. An echocardiogram confirmed it but had it not a holter monitor test is needed to see if arythmias are the cause of your dogs problem being he already has a murmur I would take these additional steps if I were you it may save his life.

 

[greencode]

Did they ever run the additional tests on his heart? When my young male Boxer developed DCM from grain free dog food he had a similar episode but he collapsed and urinated acted confused and was shaking this was the first sign of DCM. An echocardiogram confirmed it but had it not a holter monitor test is needed to see if arythmias are the cause of your dogs problem being he already has a murmur I would take these additional steps if I were you it may save his life.

Hi. They did an ultrasound, x-rays, blood pressure check and ECG. He was diagnosed back in Jan ‘22 with Mild sub-aortic stenosis (SAS) with comment of “dogs with a mild increase of the trans-stenotic pressure gradient are likely to remain asymptomatic and live a normal life”. Obviously things can change though and its definitely worth me mentioning what you’ve said to my vet.

I’m going to closely monitor him over the next few days and make an appointment to see the vet on Thursday (as his regular vet is away until then).

 

[[email protected]]

I think that’s a really good idea because these sound like arythmias happening particularily since it happens right after some exercise not trying to scare you but if that is what’s happening your dogs heart can stop. They have medications that can help so I urge you to look further into this. All is not terrible with all heart issues, I have a friend who has two Boxers with the inherited form of DCM and they are doing well and have been on meds for some time now I think one is 9 or 10 now with the other close behind. My dogs got the grain free dog food form of DCM which goes a lot faster my dogs were gone within 6 months of each other. You don’t use grain free dog food do you? I had a previous Boxer that had a grade one heart murmer had all the tests done they said I shouldn’t have any problems with it but they did warn that murmurs can worsen his never did he lived to be 10.

 

[greencode]

I think that’s a really good idea because these sound like arythmias happening particularily since it happens right after some exercise not trying to scare you but if that is what’s happening your dogs heart can stop. They have medications that can help so I urge you to look further into this. All is not terrible with all heart issues, I have a friend who has two Boxers with the inherited form of DCM and they are doing well and have been on meds for some time now I think one is 9 or 10 now with the other close behind. My dogs got the grain free dog food form of DCM which goes a lot faster my dogs were gone within 6 months of each other. You don’t use grain free dog food do you? I had a previous Boxer that had a grade one heart murmer had all the tests done they said I shouldn’t have any problems with it but they did warn that murmurs can worsen his never did he lived to be 10.

Thanks for the info and advice. With regards to food he is currently on grain-free (Arden Grange Sensitive Adult) whereby the ingredients list consists of:

Fresh ocean white fish (22%), sweet potato (22%), ocean white fish meal (18%), potato (18%), refined chicken oil, beet pulp, whole egg, whole linseed, fish digest, krill, yeast, minerals, citrus extracts (0.1%), prebiotic FOS, prebiotic MOS, dried elderberries (340mg/kg), dried rosehips (230mg/kg), yucca extract, glucosamine, MSM, black pepper (200mg/kg), dried blackcurrants (200mg/kg), dried blackberries (190mg/kg), chondroitin, dried blueberries (150mg/kg), dried raspberries (150mg/kg), curcumin (100mg/kg), dried cranberries, nucleotides.

I was about to change over to Raw (Paleo Ridge) but just halted this whilst I try to get to the bottom of this issue. He's down to his last few days of food so I'm now unsure as to what to purchase as a replacement?!

Although the episodes happen after exercise it doesn't instantly seem to me that it is necessarily heart related. His main - go a bit mental and run around a lot with his doggy mates - walk is in the morning after his breakfast. The lunchtime walk/run is a much light run around with me only so he doesn't get as stimulated and excited. Also, I have checked his gums when he's having these issues and they appear okay. It doesn't look as though he's going to pass out, just can't keep his balance. On episodes 1 and 2 when I took him to the vet they did check his heart on both occasions and that was normal and his heart murmur remained the same as previously diagnosed.

However, I am aware that until I can get further tests done I want to reduce physical exertion just in case and I've also got him booked into the vet to see his regular vet tomorrow morning so I'm writing down a lot of notes from yours and other people's thoughts on this issue so I can run by everything with him.

 

[Joeponds]

If it was me I would run a holter monitor 24 hours, just do your regular routine. that would be the tell as for any heart issues. If not look else where, the walk could it be environmental ?

 

[hayesmoore]

Harry is a 5 year old boxer in good health.

On the 21 December he had an odd moment. Took him for a walk, about 30 mins after getting back he started wobbling, twitching, flinching off I put my hand near him and dribbling urine. All signs led to a toxin and the vet gave gas him in overnight. Did some bloods (nothing) and gave him liquid charcoal. He came home the next day okay.

On the 29th December a similar thing happened. An hour after getting back from his walk (walked in a different area as I was aware he may have picked up something from the place I originally walked him) and he started going wobbling, twitching and flinching (no urine dribbling this time but did vomit). Vet took his temperature and checked eyes, gums and gave him more liquid charcoal. He was then okay again the following day.

Just got back from a walk today (walk and run from 12:15 - 1pm on 2 January) and the same happened, not quite as bad and I’m currently just lying here with him to keep him calm and he does remain very chilled and calm with all of this. Not at all in any discomfort.

Update: 2pm on 2 Jan: He’s just been sick. Now he’s resting again.

It doesn’t appear to be fits (not that I know) but just incredibly odd, where he is absolutely fine and then randomly after he gets back from a walk he has this moment.

Any ideas, thoughts or help would be much appreciated

Has the Vet evaluated him for siezures?

 

[[email protected]]

Looks like the food you are using doesn’t contain peas, lentils and legumes which are thought to be the cause of DCM in dogs but they still don’t have a solid reason this is happening to so many dogs. If you do go raw with him make the transition very slowly maybe one of the members who use the raw diet will chime in on this I don’t use it myself. I hope you will let us know what the findings are from further testing it can only help other people when things like this happen I have found all kinds of useful info on this forum. I still think the holster test would be very helpful.

 

[Koa1013]

is Lyme disease common in your area? some types are detectable in bloodwork.

 

[greencode]

is Lyme disease common in your area? some types are detectable in bloodwork.

Not that the vet has mentioned. His bloods were done and they were all okay (with the slight elevation with his liver but he's had that since a pup and has never changed value).

I took him in this morning with the list of ideas from this and a few other forums I've posted on. They are going to send off the details to a neurologist to get their opinion and we'll take it from there. I'll report back when I know more.