Epileptic Dogs By Kelly Marshall At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Though epilepsy is a well known seizure disorder among humans, dog owners are often surprised to find out about canine epilepsy. Epilepsy is reported to be present in up to 5 percent of dogs. By being more aware of the signs of the condition you can better protect your pet and get him, or her, the treatment needed.

What is canine epilepsy?

Canine epilepsy is a mostly genetic disorder that causes unprovoked seizures in your pet. No dog breed is immune from canine epilepsy although the condition is more common in certain breeds such as German shepherds and beagles. Epilepsy in dogs just as with humans is a burst of activity in the brain, signaling nerve transmissions and interfering with coordination. Epilepsy typically shows up within the first two years of your dog's life but symptoms can even occur in dogs older than 5 years of age.

Epilepsy Symptoms and Stages

Behavioral changes often occur once a dog develops canine epilepsy. He may be more likely to act aggressively, run around in circles, become angry and have muscle spasms and twitches. Your pet may become more nervous before an attack occurs and seek you out for comfort. Your dog may then begin to tremble and become unaware of his surroundings unable to respond to your commands. After becoming unresponsive dogs may become stiff and fall over. They may then salivate and clench their teeth as they go through convulsions and may lose control of bodily functions. Often the dog may not appear to be breathing during this stage. As the dog recovers from the episode he may seem disoriented, appear out of breath and need to sleep for a while, some dogs are even temporarily blind from the seizure.

What You Can Do

When your dog has a seizure remain calm, take note of how he behaves before, during and after the seizure to report this information to your veterinarian. Take note of your dog's temperature, if any symptoms occur on only one side of the body, exposure to toxins, past traumas, vaccinations, diet and other information that will help your veterinarian form a proper diagnosis.

Make sure your pet is not near stairs, hard objects or other items where he could fall against or ram into and injure himself. While your pet is having a seizure, you should not attempt to place your hand in his mouth, dogs have very sharp teeth and during a seizure, your pet will be unable to control his body motions and can inadvertently bite you. Most seizures do not require immediate medical attention, especially if they are already receiving treatment. If your pet has a seizure that lasts for more than 20 minutes or has seizures one after another, this could be fatal and you should contact emergency pet services.

It can be hard to treat epilepsy in your dog especially when other conditions in dogs can often resemble a seizure. Middle ear infections can cause your dog to lose its balance. Respiratory diseases can also leave a dog breathless and cause fainting. Consuming poisons, developing heart worm disease or being hit by a car, can also cause seizures. After receiving the proper diagnosis for epilepsy, treatment will include oral medications to help prevent seizures.

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