Pet First Aid: Epilepsy

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

12 Oct 2006 12:43 PM

Epilepsy is one of the main causes of seizures in dogs. It is a neurological disorder characterized by sudden attacks of muscular or sensory malfunction that may come with loss of consciousness or convulsions.

There are two types of seizures that may come with an epileptic episode. A grand mal seizure is a severe, widespread cramping of skeletal muscles, resulting in body movement. A petit mal seizure is a less severe type of seizure where brain activity is only mildly disrupted -- the pet may still have some control of movement.

What you may see if your dog is having a seizure:

• Your dog may stagger without warning
• Facial muscles and eyelids may spasm
• Jaw muscles may spasm, like his teeth are chattering
• Breathing will become forced
• Your dog may drool or produce saliva foam
• The dog may collapse onto his side
• Legs and neck may become rigid

If this is your pet's first seizure, call your veterinarian immediately. Your vet will probably do blood and urine tests to try to determine the possible causes -- low blood sugar, brain tumors, and head injuries can cause seizures that look like epileptic seizures. Most of the time, nobody knows why the seizures come; this is known as idiopathic epilepsy.

Most cases of epilepsy can be controlled with medication. Phenobarbital is perhaps the most common medication used to treat epilepsy in dogs. Valium and potassium bromide are other options for managing epilepsy. You do have to be faithful about making sure your pet gets his medicine; missing one dose won't necessarily trigger an episode, but ignoring dosage directions or stopping abruptly will probably see the epileptic episodes return.

Another type of epileptic episode that is very dangerous is known as status epilepticus. This is a seizure that lasts longer than ten minutes or a series of seizures that happens so quickly that the pet cannot regain consciousness between them. The body temperature will continue to rise, prompting more seizures and a serious risk of brain damage. Bring your pet to the veterinarian immediately if your dog is in status epilepticus.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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