Canine Epilepsy
What is Canine Epilepsy?
My dog was about twelve years old when he had his first seizure. It only lasted about a minute but it was the longest and most frightening minute of my life. He fell to the floor on his right side and his body began shaking violently. His eyes had a blank stare, all four legs were stretched out and stiff. At first, I didn’t realize what was happening. By the time I figured it out, he had stopped. Remarkably, he got up, shook himself, and went on as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, I was very shook up. I called the vet, but she said if it was over, there is nothing else to do but monitor him and if it happened again to bring him in. Thankfully, he didn’t have one for another year and he only had three in his lifetime. However, some dogs aren’t so lucky. They can have seizures that are recurrent and fierce. It is a terrible thing to watch your pet go through this and not be able to do anything. If they get to the point where they can’t be controlled, your veterinarian may even suggest euthanasia.
Unfortunately, canine epilepsy can be found in any dog, mixed breed or purebred. Some purebreds may have a genetic factor but you never really know. There are various types of epilepsy. True epilepsy can begin between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Secondary epilepsy is epilepsy that is caused by other factors, injury, genetics, disease, infection, trauma and degenerative conditions, which the vet thought was the case with my dog.
If your dog does experience a seizure, it’s important that you write down exactly what happens so that you can give the vet as much information as possible. There are different types of seizures.
Generalized Seizure (Mild or Grand Mal)
The dog falls, loses consciousness, has rigid limbs and they can last 10 to 30 seconds (this is the one that my dog experienced)
Petit Mal Seizure
rare and may last only seconds
Partial Seizures
restricted to one part of the body; for example, facial twitches or one limb only.
Complex Partial Seizures
may include more bizarre behaviors, like running, chewing, vomiting, diarrhea
Cluster Seizures
a number of seizures in a short amount of time
Status Epilepticus
the worst, one seizure can last for thirty minutes or more. In essence, you need to work closely with your vet; only a professional can diagnose and provide the appropriate treatment for your dog if he is experiencing seizures. We love our pets so much. Good health care will give your dog the very best quality of life possible.
Written By Beth Stewart, a Canadian dog loving freelance writer
170 total views, 1 today
