Need Help with Strange & Concerning Behaviour Please!

[Mindy & Lucy]

I'm not even sure how to explain this but have scoured the internet, been to the vet and am now seeing an animal chiropractor but still can't seem to get to the bottom of this concerning issue.

We have a female mini Labradoodle who turned 2 in October. We got her from a breeder who got her from another breeder, the second breeder was going to use her for her own breeding but decided her frame was too small. By the time we got her, she was 4 months old and seemingly healthy. We got her spayed before she turned 1 and have been feeding her good quality kibble.

This past summer we moved from the big city to the outskirts of a smaller city, more less in the country. Our Lucy has been loving it and the new dog park we've been bringing her to as well. A few months ago, Lucy began waking in the middle of the night (she was sleeping in her own bed in our room at the time) and running around and banging into walls and our bed, acting scared. She would look around her like she was seeing things and would be hard to console. This would last a few minutes and happen a couple times a week. I should back up a bit and mention that she was on a steroid in the summer for an infection on her feet that was thought to be an allergic issue. THIS is actually when we started noticing the strange behaviour and called the vet who advised although she had never heard of this kind of reaction in dogs to a steroid, we could stop giving it to her. She seemed to slowly improve. Then it started up again. We took her back to the vet, a different fellow this time - someone who we don't normally see and doesn't really know Lucy. He didn't pay much attention to her behaviour (which was now occurring during the day as well) and focused on the allergy issue and recommended we put her on a vet prescription diet (Hill's??). We decided to switch her diet to raw and took her to an animal chiropractor who said she had adrenal fatigue (makes sense based on everything we knew up until then) and gave us homeopathic medicine for her. She did indeed improve and in fact seem to be free of this problem. Then she started throwing up. Mostly acid, no food. Just a lot of coughing and wretching. Chiropractor said she had liver issues and gave us another medicine. We started giving that to her just last week and the vomiting issue seems gone except her episodes are back worse than ever before!!

I called the chiropractor this morning but he was busy and on his way to catch a plane and will be away for a week. He told the secretary to give us another remedy, this one to calm her. Also, to watch for "triggers" of her behaviour: who's the alpha in the house? Are we making her sit before she goes outside or is she allowed to jump everywhere? Does she jump all over when it's meal time or does she wait quietly for her food? Does she have these episodes when we're ignoring her (for attention)? I just don't understand what this has to do with anything. She will be fine and then all of a sudden crouch close to the ground while skootching around and hovering close to walls, cabinets, or our legs. She will paw at the air, her face/eyes/ears and look around her like she can see something that's not there. I once thought it could be an ear infection or eye issue but it doesn't seem to be the case. Also thought of dementia but she's only two years old!!

I'm at a complete loss. Just don't know where to turn. Anyone have a similar experience or have suggestions? We're running out of money with all the raw food, regular chiropractic visits and remedies...we don't mind spending money on our precious pooch but want to do it for something that will actually help her and get to the root of this issue.

I've attached a video of how she acts just before an episode, you can see a bit of it in the clip as well. There is no foaming of the mouth or anything like that...I've look up seizures and this doesn't appear to be it.

Hoping for some help...thanks so much for taking the time to read!

IMG_0856.MOV

[Debbie and Toby]

I also wonder if this is a type of seizure activity. When our Toby first started having seizures 7 years ago, he would have little episodes where he was confused and scared, seeing things that completely spooked him, yet we don't know what he was seeing, he also was "snapping" at air. Now, right after a seizure he is very confused, scared and runs into walls. I agree that getting a full health exam with bloodwork and other diagnostic tests would be critical in getting a correct diagnosis and being able to treat this. It may not even be seizure related, but you do need to find out what is causing this behavior. Keep us posted. Will be praying for you and Lucy. I know how scary this can be.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I hate to add this, but you just triggered a memory of a friend's golden retriever who did that same behavior and had brain tumors....hope this is not the case here.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Ditto - find a really good vet who will do a complete work up including complete blood panel, cortisol reaction test for Addison's.  In the meantime feed her cooked rice and cooked chicken mixed together.  You can make a big batch of rice and boiled chicken, chop chicken, mix with rice and Ziploc into meal size portions.  This is a recommended diet for ill dogs, which yours seems to be.  If you have a vet school near go there.  Do this now.  Something is physically amiss.