Samoyed - Unexplained Syncope Symptoms

Hello, I have an 8 year old neutered Purebred Samoyed that has been displaying signs of a seizure, but without the convulsions. No medications No allergies No past medical incidents No flea Control Diet is Orijen Dryfood, (1 cup morning), and 1 cup evening with Cooked Chicken and rice I first noticed this 2 years ago when running him around and the behaviors he displayed then, are the same behaviors when it happens today 1) Sits down and raises his left paw 2) Left side of the face is droopy (seizure like) 3) Loss of balance on Left side. He needs to lean against something or sit entirely. 4) Once Face drooping returns to normal, he seems "out of it" for the remainder of the episode. More recently (6 months), this is all accompanied by crying and wincing. I originally attributed all of this to heat stroke, or over exercise / excursion, but what Ive found is, this only happens after he BARKS aggressively. Not violently, but aggressively enough to get his whole body into it. In the past month, these episodes happen almost every time he barks a few times (everyday). The episodes last about 2-3 minutes, and afterwards, he is a totally normal and healthy dog. I took him to our vet and they ran a complete blood, urine, fecal panel, (i have results if needed), and EVERYTHING is pointing to normal. Worms (all kinds) were tested for and all negative. No tick born illness. Nothing.... I have an appointment with him to a neurologist, but wanted to reach out here to see if anyone has ANY idea... Any advice is appreciated.

Hello!  One of the interesting things about neurological presentations is how wildly different they can be and we're happy to hear that you will be seeing a neurologist - they sound like the right person to take such a case forward. In my understanding of a 'grande mal' seizure, there is typically full collapse as well as urination, as the brain loses complete control.  It sounds as though what you describe is something that may only affect certain nerves, and one side of the face and leg in particular.  A neurologist will combine their knowledge of which nerves go where with your knowledge of the signs and symptoms, which will often go a long way to recognising the part of the nervous system that is affected (the spine?  The outer - peripheral - nerves?  The brain?  The neck?)  Knowing where to look, may give them a lead as to how to identify the problem. Space occupying lesions - cysts, tumours, pooling blood etc can sometimes be responsible for such signs, impinging on the space normally occupied by neurological tissue.  What is interesting however is that the nerve function appears to recover again, so I wonder if the incidents are pressure related?  We look forward to hearing what the specialist finds and what can be done. Recording everything you remember about each incident at the time can often prove useful when it comes to the consultation. Best of luck and we look forward to hearing how you get on.

Liz, Thanks for your reply. Yes it is quite bizarre. I know that Sammie's are predisposed to a genetic heart condition, which I havent ruled out yet, but our vet checked his heart and didnt hear murmors....but not EKG yet. When the episodes happen, he does NOT urinate, defecate, vomit, or completely pass out. Literally lasts 2-3 minutes, and he snaps out of it. I will let you know what happens after the Neuro visit on Monday