Maltese Dogs Forum : Spoiled Maltese Forums banner

My baby Dolcina fainted

1941 Views 13 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Ladysmom
Hi everyone:wavetowel2:

This is Sammy, Dolcina's mom. I haven't been posting for quite some time:sorry:

But I have been reading your posting and keeping up to date.

Well, couple of days ago, my Dolcina fainted:smstarz: just like that, no warning sign of illness, (she is 2 1/2 years old - a Diamod girl from Mr. Tran).

I gave her a CPR for about 2 minutes while my companion called the emergency Clinic.

Finally, she showed a sign of life, I kissed her :smootch: and wrapped her in a blanket and we rushed to the clinic.

They put her in an oxigenated incubator and took some blood samples.

Everything came out that she is in perfect condition:aktion033:.

I can only conclude, as another member has mentioned in this forum dated April 15th, that it must have been an allergy reaction to Rosemary extract that is in her food (Artemis for small breed).

However, I wonder:confused: why now, all of a sudden, she would react to the rosemary extract (I have been feeding that to her for a while)
and I have been feeding the same to all my 5:dothewave: pups
and none of them except her reacted YET.

So my question to you is: do you know any GOOD brand that has small
kibbel that does not contain rosemary at all? Dolcina is about 5 lbs and I would need small kibbel because she has a tiny little mouth.

Can you link me to any article in that subject?

:ThankYou:from:

Bambolina 9, Poupetta 5, Ricky7, Lucy7 (from I love Lucy:drinkup:) and Dolcina 2 1/5. My 5 pups:cheer:

and from their mom

Sammy:wavetowel2:
See less See more
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
Wow Sammy!!!! I am glad that Dolcina is OK.

We are very particular what our boys eat. We put our fosters on this also and give the food info to new owners as a suggestion.
Because our Chase has colitis our Vet put him on Prescription Diet z/d canned, they all get some morning and evening..about 1/4 a cup or more.
They all have Royal Canin Venison and Potato dry to graze on. If I have a foster I will put 2 dishes down and just keep them filled.
Great diet! They all have wonderful poo's!!! When a rescue comes in that has been eating "who knows what" they go right on this and we have never had a problem with diarrhea.
It is a prescription diet and have to get it with a Vet's consent but well worth it.
You can go to both sites and read about them.
Just want to say that if you find a food you like, but the kibble-size prevents you from trying it... just put it into a baggie and smash it up with a mallot/hammer . I had to do that with my Missy and it worked fine! Due to her diabetes, she was put on a food that worked wonderfully for her but the kibble was too big and hard for her little mouth. BTW I did try using the food processor but that seemed to make it too 'fine/powdery' for her liking .
Before selecting a new food, I'd check out Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble or Dog Food Quick Reference Table and of course really look at out Food, Treats Section. There are some great threads in there.

Although the warning about Rosemary is true and good info to have, the number of dogs it affects is very small. From what I've been able to determine is that if you have a seizure prone dog, it can cause seizures. My two still get treats with rosemary because it's a natural preservative and they have no reactions to it. I'm just wondering why she fainted now after being on Artemis for this long with no reaction. I wonder if Rosemary can have an accumulative affect or if it was something else that caused her to faint. Or did she have a seizure?

I'm really sorry this happened. It had to be terribly frightening. I'm glad she's doing ok now.
See less See more
I think its premature to blame that food. I spoke to the Artemis folks who told me that they had never had any reported reactions to their food- did you call them to report what happened ?

I would definitely have the dog allergy tested before you assume its the scant rosemary extract. I would hate it if a great food gets a bad rap on a blind suspicion only. Food allergies generally are manifested with itching, hives or respiratory symptoms, fainting isn't a usual first symptom.

Are you sure she didn't chew a wire or eat something she wasn't supposed to- like a yard or potted plant?

Usually allergies are something new, food or exposure to plants etc. Or perhaps it wasn't an allergy at all but maybe a seizure?

All of mine are on Artemis Fresh Mix Small Bites and thriving. I have tried a few other Holistic foods and they didn't eat any of them well. They have never had diarrhea or any gas or hives or untoward symptoms.

I sure hope Dolcina continues to do well and you get a better diagnosis that you can trust.

Best of Luck.
See less See more
I agree with Crystal and Cat. The chances rosemary caused her episode are very unlikely. High amounts of rosemary can trigger a seizure in dogs with a low seizure threshold (epilepsy) like my Lady. Dolcina didn't have a seizure, did she?

Have you followed up with a specialist? If she were mine, I'd want further testing done. Heart irregularities, for instances, can cause them to pass out.
Wow i'm glad she is ok!! How scary!

Did they rule out a bee sting? That makes more sense of an acute allergic reaction than a food she's been on for a while.
The problem with Rosemary is it's used as a preservative. I think it might not always be controlled in amount per bag. If Dolcina never reacted to Rosemary before it's highly unlikely she would now. I do wonder, however, that fainting isn't really a seizure per sae and there may be something else going on there.
This is Sammy again, Dolcina's mom.

Thank you all for the support and the advises. I am very grateful for all the suggestions which you all gave me to look into.

Dolcina is almost back to normal after 3 days of that episode. She still doesn't "bark"
at passers by at the front yard, so that is a sign that she is not all there yet.

I have been giving her now the Dyck Van Patten sausages that you can slice and cut in small cubes, and she ate some. She is not very strong to climb the stairs yet and I wonder why, it's been 3 days already.

But at the emergency clinic they did all kind of tests (blood and urine) and took x-ray and all came out in flying colors. So I really don't know what to think. I have had her from the breeder (Mr. Tran/Diamond Maltese) a reputable breeder, since January 2010, and this is the first time it has happened and hopefully the last.

I'll keep you informed. Thank you for your concern.
See less See more
It's good to hear Dolcina's on the mend! Hopefully she'll be 100% in no time. But I wonder what caused the fainting?
Wow...maybe I'm an over worrier, but 3 days and she's still that weak, I'd be taking her in for a 2nd opinion at my regular vet, not the emg. clinic.
Hi Sammy,

I don't mean to have you unduly worried. I am a nurse ( RN x 37 years-specialty ICU/CCU) , not a vet or a vet tech But the symptoms you are relating do not sound at all like allergy. They sound neurological or cardiac. Either the symptoms that made her unconscious were a seizure (neuro) or that oxygen didn't get to the brain and hence she passed out, another possibility ,CVA (stroke) or an arrhythmia ( irregular heart beats). Allergy is a short illness that is recovered from fast with little residual symptomatology....
Allergy would not change the dog's ability to bark or climb steps.

The symptoms you are describing are of a far more critical illness. And blood tests and Xrays can miss things. It sounds to me like she is progressing but you do not want any "repeat preformance" and thus I would seek out a specialist and get the true diagnosis.
I truly hope she continues to improve and you can get to the root of this promptly.

Hugs and nose licks,'

Cat and the girls
See less See more
Hi Sammy,

I don't mean to have you unduly worried. I am a nurse ( RN x 37 years-specialty ICU/CCU) , not a vet or a vet tech But the symptoms you are relating do not sound at all like allergy. They sound neurological or cardiac. Either the symptoms that made her unconscious were a seizure (neuro) or that oxygen didn't get to the brain and hence she passed out, another possibility ,CVA (stroke) or an arrhythmia ( irregular heart beats). Allergy is a short illness that is recovered from fast with little residual symptomatology....
Allergy would not change the dog's ability to bark or climb steps.

The symptoms you are describing are of a far more critical illness. And blood tests and Xrays can miss things. It sounds to me like she is progressing but you do not want any "repeat preformance" and thus I would seek out a specialist and get the true diagnosis.
I truly hope she continues to improve and you can get to the root of this promptly.

Hugs and nose licks,'

Cat and the girls
Cat is right. Alex has a heart murmur. His blood tests are perfect. I would seek out a specialist too.
Wow...maybe I'm an over worrier, but 3 days and she's still that weak, I'd be taking her in for a 2nd opinion at my regular vet, not the emg. clinic.
Hi Sammy,

I don't mean to have you unduly worried. I am a nurse ( RN x 37 years-specialty ICU/CCU) , not a vet or a vet tech But the symptoms you are relating do not sound at all like allergy. They sound neurological or cardiac. Either the symptoms that made her unconscious were a seizure (neuro) or that oxygen didn't get to the brain and hence she passed out, another possibility ,CVA (stroke) or an arrhythmia ( irregular heart beats). Allergy is a short illness that is recovered from fast with little residual symptomatology....
Allergy would not change the dog's ability to bark or climb steps.

The symptoms you are describing are of a far more critical illness. And blood tests and Xrays can miss things. It sounds to me like she is progressing but you do not want any "repeat preformance" and thus I would seek out a specialist and get the true diagnosis.
I truly hope she continues to improve and you can get to the root of this promptly.

Hugs and nose licks,'

Cat and the girls
I agree. I would follow up with a specialist asap if she was mine.
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top