Seizures due to brain tumor?

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Anna. I am so sorry to hear that Malish is not doing well. While it is hard for me to comment accurately without actually seeing Malish I can give you my ideas on what you have written.

While epilepsy CAN possibly start at 9 years of age we usually start seeing seizures at a much younger age if a dog has epilepsy. This means that there is likely another cause other than epilepsy.

When we see an older dog who has a seizure we often do think of a brain tumor as a possible cause. Another possible cause is a serious issue with the liver or kidneys. But, the bloodwork doesn't show us any obvious liver or kidney issue. I have occasionally seen dogs who have liver or kidney cancer and don't have major elevations in bloodwork.

The bloodwork that you have given me shows what I would call mild dehydration. However, your vet has the capability of doing a physical exam and can determine if the dehydration was more severe.

Do we know for sure if what your dog had was actually a seizure? We can occasionally see dogs have issues with their heart that can look like a seizure. Dogs can have something called a syncopal episode which can cause either fainting or tremors or other things that look like a seizure. You may want to ask your vet about the possibility of this.

Then, there are some dogs who have a seizure once in their lives and never have another one again.

Unfortunately the only way to know for sure if there is a brain tumor is to do an MRI or CAT scan and those are quite pricey.

If this were my case, given that your dog is feeling well now I would likely monitor him for the next couple of weeks and then I would recommend rechecking his blood panel at that time just to make sure there aren't further changes. I would also recommend a urinalysis if this hasn't been done yet. Sometimes an indication of liver or kidney problems is evident on urine tests before we can see changes in bloodwork. It may also be a good idea to have some chest xrays done. This can tell us if the heart looks enlarged, and also your vet can look for evidence of cancer in the chest as some brain tumors can have metastasis (spread of cancer) to the chest.

I know it can be very scary to see your dog have a seizure. Keep a close eye on him and monitor to see if he is having more. It does sound like your vet is doing the things that I would do.

Feel free to respond if you have more questions. However, I will be heading to bed shortly and may not be able to respond until the morning.

I hope Malish (and you!) are doing well!

Dr. Marie.



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Dr. Marie replied:

One other thing. I recently (just this week) wrote an article about seizures in dogs. It may be good information for you to read. You can find it at www.askavetquestion.com/seizures.php

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

You're very welcome Anna!

There is no way to diagnose a brain tumor by looking at bloodwork. However, this is the logic that your vet is likely following: Malish is a little too old to have epilepsy...the bloodwork is not showing a liver or kidney toxicity so this is not a cause of the seizures...there is no low blood sugar so we can't blame the seizures on this. Unfortunately once we have ruled out those things there are not a lot of other things that can cause a seizure other than a brain tumor.

However, I have seen dogs that can just have a seizure for no known reason.

You may want to talk to your insurance company about Malish's situation. In most cases insurance will not cover any charges that are related to a condition that has already been either diagnosed or suggested at the time you purchase the policy. It's kind of like buying flood insurance two days after a flood has happened.

Your new vet will have to make notes on the record as to why they are doing the tests they are and as to what Malish's history is. The insurance company will likely want to see these notes before deciding whether to reimburse you.

It's worthwhile to talk to the insurance company first and find out whether or not they will cover the tests.

I really hope everything works out ok for you!

Dr. Marie.