Seizures in Dogs - Dogs With Epilepsy

I recently had an email from a former client who has a dog that suffers from seizures.

Percy is a 4 year old yellow Lab with epilepsy. He has been on traditional ant-seizure medication, and is not responding very well now. He is suffering from seizures once a month, even on the highest doses of these medications.

My former client asked me if there was anything she could do at home, holistically. She wants to avoid conventional medications as much as she can.

So I sent her the information in this article. You may not have a seizuring pet, but you should be aware of the signs and possible solutions.

Seizures in Dogs

The signs of seizures vary, but they generally include some of the following symptoms.

Loss or derangement of consciousness, contractions of all the muscles in the body, changes in mental awareness (from non-responsiveness to hallucinations), involuntary urination, defecation, or salivation, or behavioral changes, including non-recognition of owner, viciousness, pacing, and running in circles.

Seizures consist of three parts:

1) The pre-ictal phase (aura) is a period of altered behavior in which the dog may hide, appear nervous, or seek out his owner. He may be restless, nervous, whining, shaking, or salivating. This may last a few seconds to a few hours.

2) The ictal phase is the actual seizure itself. This lasts from a few seconds to about five minutes. During this period, all of the muscles of the body contract strongly. The dog usually falls on his side and seems paralyzed while shaking. His head will be drawn backward. Urination, defecation, and salivation often occur. If it is not over within five minutes, the dog is said to be in 'status epilepticus' or prolonged seizure.

3) During the post-ictal phase, there is confusion, disorientation, salivation, pacing, restlessness, and/or temporary blindness. There is no direct correlation between the severity of the seizure and the duration of the post-ictal phase.

Despite the dramatic signs of a seizure, the dog feels no pain, only bewilderment. Unlike with us humans, dogs do not swallow their tongues. If you put your fingers into his mouth, you're not going to help! You will run a VERY high risk of being bitten - and bitten very badly. Do NOT place your hands in his mouth.

The important thing is to keep your dog from falling and hurting himself. As long as he is on the floor (or outside on the ground), there is little chance that he will harm himself.

If the seizure continues for longer than a few minutes, his body temperature will begin to rise. If hyperthermia (over heating) develops along with a seizure, you will have another set of problems.

Prolonged Seizure (Status Epilepticus)

Status epilepticus is very serious. It is characterized by a seizure that lasts more than five minutes. When this occurs, your dog's life is in danger. Unless intravenous medication is given quickly, death can occur. If your dog is in this state, you should IMMEDIATELY take him in for emergency veterinary care.

Causes of Seizures

There are many, many causes of seizures. Epilepsy is the most common reason and of least consequence to the dog. The other extreme includes severe diseases such as brain tumors. Fortunately, most seizures are due to epilepsy.

Possible Solutions

When a seizure occurs, we begin by taking a thorough history concentrating on possible exposure to poisonous or hallucinogenic substances or history of head trauma. We also perform a physical examination, a basic battery of blood tests, and an electrocardiogram (EKG). These tests rule out disorders of the liver, kidneys, heart, electrolytes, and blood sugar level. A heartworm test is performed if your dog is not taking heartworm preventative very regularly.

If these tests are normal and there is no exposure to poison or recent trauma, further diagnostics may be performed depending on the severity and frequency of the seizures. Occasional seizures are of less concern than when the seizures are becoming more severe and frequent. In this instance, a spinal fluid tap and fluid analysis may be performed. Depending on availability, specialized imaging of the head with a CAT scan or MRI might be performed. Fortunately, these additional tests are usually not needed.

To The Veterinarian:

We generally prescribe 1-2 weeks of anticonvulsant therapy. If there are no more seizures during that time, the anticonvulsants are gradually discontinued. The next treatment is determined by how long it takes for another seizure to occur. That may be days, months, or years. At some point, many dogs have seizures frequently enough to justify continuous anticonvulsant therapy. Since that means that medication must be given every 12 to 24 hours for the rest of the dog's life, we do not recommend that until seizures occur about every 30 days or unless they last more than five minutes.

It is important to avoid sudden discontinuation of any anticonvulsant medication. Even normal dogs may be induced to seizure if placed on anticonvulsant medication and then abruptly withdrawn from it. Your veterinarian can outline a schedule for discontinuing the medication.

Hypoallergenic Diet:

There are reports that show a link between diet and seizures in dogs. Every seizuring pet should at least try a commercial hypoallergenic diet for 12 weeks. You can also make your own elimination diet.

Melatonin:

This has been used an anticonvulsant for some dogs. Many dogs only have seizures at night.

Homeopathic:

Cicuta virosa. This can be given to control seizures.

Serenity:

Many pets with epilepsy will seizure in response to certain stimuli, such as loud noises or bright lights. Get to know what triggers your pet's seizures, and avoid these situations.

Try the above solutions to see what works for your dog. Note how I mention diet as a possibility: if you are not feeding your pet a quality premium NATURAL food, make the switch NOW. This will help with more than just seizures - this will help in almost all areas of disease. Do what you can!

Become a member of my Inner Circle and stay up to date with ways to treat your dog at home. See the link to my site, theonlinevet, below.

Until next time...

Dr. Andrew Jones, a practicing Veterinarian, has a special interest in alternative, natural pet remedies. Visit his sites: http://www.veterinarysecretsrevealed.com and http://www.theonlinevet.com

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Information Regarding Seizures In Dogs And What They Could Mean

Seizures, also known as fits, are episodes of excessive and abnormal neurological activity that take place in the brain. In humans, the fits can have a number of different effects from loss of awareness and fainting to uncontrollable thrashing and muscle spasms. Seizures in dogs occur in a very similar manner and can be caused by a number of things. However, due to the unspecific and numerous symptoms of the fits they can be understandably difficult to notice in a canine so it is crucial that owners ensure their dogs are seen by a vet after exhibiting any and all odd behaviors.

Just as with human patients who suffer from seizures, canines with recurring convulsions and blackouts are often diagnosed with epilepsy. However not all dogs who suffer from seizures are epileptic. Only one to two percent of dogs will experience a seizure during its lifetime and roughly half of that number actually have epilepsy. It is still important, however, to ensure your pet receives medical treatment immediately.

Signs of a pet's impending seizures can include periods of whining or growling. The dog may appear to be frightened or stressed and attempt to receive comfort from its owner. Other signs include trouble urinating, pacing, and shaking. Once the animal has progressed into an epileptic fit, it may pass out, become uncontrollably agitated, begin convulsing, or appear to be in an altered state of mind.

A number of different factors can cause seizures in dogs as well as influence the likelihood of future ones. These include the dog's age, genetic history, and breed. The type of fit a canine experiences can usually accurately predict the type and severity of subsequent attacks.

Because seizures are a brain disorder, any sign of one that you witness in your pet should be taken very seriously. An appointment should be made immediately with your vet who will likely run a battery of tests on your dog, depending on its age. If your dog is ten years or older you should be prepared to hear that managing the pain, rather than treating it, is your best option.

In most cases the exam will consist of blood pressure tests, blood work, X-rays, CT-scans, and vision checks. And despite the numerous types of epileptic episodes, the symptoms are usually very similar. In most cases, the tests and lab work will reveal either tachycardia, kidney failure, low blood pressure, swelling of the brain, infectious disease, or a weak pulse is present.

It is very important to remember that just because your beloved pet has received a diagnosis of neurological fits doesn't necessarily mean it will die. With proper care and treatment, most forms of epileptic seizures are fairly manageable. In fact, the sooner that the condition is diagnosed, the better the prognosis will be.

Make sure to consult your veterinarian the moment you begin noticing any new behavior in your pet as he or she will have the tools and the information needed to come up with the best possible course of action.

I have more information about seizures in dogs at my Website. You may also be interested in reading my article on stages of seizures in dogs.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.