Corgis having seizures

[Michael Romanos]

Without doubt, the importance of calcium for dogs cannot be understated. Up to the maximum recommended quantities for puppies and at least past the minimum recommended quantities for adults and seniors.

The needs of humans and canine is ever getting closer alligned as science progresses. Just a few weeks ago there was a proclamation that humans can and do suffer permanent damage from consuming too much calcium - especially women - and there was the chart for maximium daily intakes. That's the kind of thing that AAFCO has already produced for its standards on puppy, adult and senior dog food requirements.

[glencorgi]

The topic here has nothing to do with minimum daily requirements or AAFCO's recommended requirements in foods. The topic here is seizures and possible causes of them.

Debbie

[Michael Romanos]

Calcium or the lack of it/insufficient daily quantities, was mentioned as a possible reason for seizures.

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

Calcium or the lack of it/insufficient daily quantities, was mentioned as a possible reason for seizures.

I got that. But for such insufficient quantities to be causing seizures, a cause for the insufficiencies needs to be investigated whether that be a medical cause for the chemical imbalance or something environmental. The label from a bag of dog food and the obligatory "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that XXXXX (brand) provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages." isn't the issue here.

Debbie

[Kris L. Christine]

Bear99, I have more information for you to research:


You might want to do an online search for "canine hypocalcemia" or just "hypocalcemia". This link Canine Eclampsia... Hypocalcemia... Puerperal tetany... Milk Fever in Dogs .... Chinaroad Lowchens of Australia will take you to an article on this subject in which it states that the signs of low calcium levels (hyocalcemia) are: "Muscle tremors, restlessness, panting, incoordination, grand mal seizures and fever as high as 106."

Further, the above articles thats a one of the possible causes: Poor Nutrition - "Home brewed" diets usually are at fault. The owner innocently may be adding too much unbalanced meat to the bitch's diet, thinking the extra protein is beneficial. What's really happening is the calcium to phosphorus ratio is out of balance because the amount of useful calcium in the food is actually reduced! The ideal contains a ratio of calcium to phosphorus of 1.2 to 1. (Many organ meats such as liver have a ratio of calcium to phosphorus of 1 to 15!! Liver is great for dogs but if it comprises a large part of the diet, the calcium/phosphorus ratio of the diet will be improper.)

Kris L. Christine
Founder, Co-Trustee
THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND

The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at Special Report .

The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at About AAHA .

[Michael Romanos]

The issue of sufficient or insufficient ratios of calcium regarding puppies, adults and seniors is very relevant and that the AAFCO organisation has set minimum and maximum calcuim standards for puppies, adults and seniors irrespective of the product, is also very relevant - take away the product and you have acceptable min and max standards for daily calcium intake.

Kris seems to make a lot of sense.

[glencorgi]

Kris makes absolute sense, although the dog in question is neutered male and so eclampsia is not the reason here. We Breeders are very in tune to how we deal with calcium intake during a pregnancy and the work of Myra Savant Harris has been very enlightening and beneficial in that area.

Drawing the connection between the chickens (and their manure - which even from a gardening standpoint one knows fresh manure is too hot to use as it will leach out other vital minerals and nutrients from the soil that plants need for healthy growth) and the timing of the seizures was an excellent place to see if any dots could be connected.

Debbie

[rme147]

My husband and I just got our Corgi yesterday, so I can't say I have much experience with them yet, however, we also have two mini daschunds (weiner dogs) and our female who is 4 years, has seizures almost daily. She has them when she gets too excited, or stressed and her blood sugar plummits. When she goes into seizure, her whole body just tenses and she wabbles like she is drunk, until she can't stand, then she forces herself to lay down. It's really hard to watch, but those seizures aren't fatal. To help, when she is in the middle of a seizure, we give her about a tablespoon of carro syrup (more like we have to open her mouth and make her lick it) to raise up her blood sugar and within 30 seconds or so, she is out of it. Then we give her a bit of milk. Perhaps this may help. Watch your dog, does it usually happen when someone comes over, or after he's been barking at something? I hope this can help!

~Robin