Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog collapsing with seizures caused by pacemaker failure
By Rodríguez, L V et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2026·Hospital Veterinario Puchol, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Presumed convulsive syncopes during ventricular arrest due to pacemaker malfunction in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old Cane Corso experienced episodes of collapse, unconsciousness, and muscle jerking after having a pacemaker implanted two and a half months earlier. These episodes, which included urination and unusual body postures, were caused by the pacemaker malfunctioning, leading to brief periods where the heart stopped beating properly. The dog's symptoms were mistaken for seizures, but they were actually a rare type of fainting called convulsive syncope. After identifying the issue with the pacemaker, the dog received appropriate treatment, which helped manage the episodes.
People also search for: dog collapse after pacemaker · Cane Corso seizure symptoms · dog fainting episodes treatment
Abstract
Convulsive syncope is an unusual presentation of syncope in which it manifests with convulsive features, with or without epileptic activity on electroencephalography. This phenomenon has scarcely been reported in veterinary medicine. This report describes the clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and treatment of a 9-year-old Cane Corso, who was presented two and a half months after transvenous pacemaker implantation with episodes of collapse, unconsciousness, urination and opisthotonos, that after some seconds, turned into myoclonic jerks before regaining consciousness. Those episodes were highly suggestive of convulsive syncope and were associated with periods of ventricular arrest due to a pacemaker malfunction. This condition should be considered as a differential diagnosis for epileptic seizures in patients with potential cardiovascular disease and as a possible complication after pacemaker implantation in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41145298/