26 Feb Epilepsy and Seizure in Dogs and Their Treatment

A neuron is an excitable tissue that is constantly under control. When this permanent inhibition is removed from the neuron, it may lead to seizure in dogs. A dog’s seizure can be mild, short-term, severe, and long-lasting. You can often quickly diagnose and treat it with the help of prescribed drugs. This article explains the types of seizures, their symptoms, and treatment in dogs. Stay tuned to learn more.

Types of seizure in dogs

Clinically, seizures are divided into two types.

General seizure 

Generalized seizures are the most common form in dogs and involve the brain extensively, causing loss of consciousness and tonic and clonic muscle contractions that cause flapping-like movements. This form of seizure usually lasts between 30 seconds and 3 minutes and is followed by a variable course of post-seizure clinical symptoms followed by complete recovery.

Local seizure 

Localized seizures are called non-generalized ones. In this case, the dog can move, and his consciousness isn’t lost. Local (partial) seizures are divided into two groups:

• Simple local (partial) seizure
• Complex local (partial) seizure

The type of clinical symptoms in localized ones depends on the location of the seizure center in the cerebral cortex. It includes various degrees of abnormal sensory or motor behaviors without loss of consciousness.

Epilepsy in dogs

In terms of etiology, seizures in dogs are divided into primary and secondary epilepsy.

Primary epilepsy (unknown)

Primary epilepsy is the leading cause of seizure in dogs and occurs in approximately 25-30% of them with this disease, but it’s less common in cats. This type of epilepsy is characterized by periods of seizures without any cause being found. This type of seizure usually begins between 6 months and three years of age, although some dogs may not develop until five years of age.

Secondary (acquired) epilepsy

In acquired epilepsy, an edematous, traumatic, toxic, metabolic, and vascular cause involves a part of the neurons and causes them to undergo electrical discharge on their own and cause seizures. This type of epilepsy can happen at any age, sex, and dog and cat breed. A complete and accurate history should be taken on any dogs with seizures to diagnose their type and cause. After that, detailed physical, eye, and neurological examinations should be performed. Standard screening tests ( CBC, serum biochemical tests, and urinalysis) should be performed if necessary.

Causes of seizure in dogs

The first thing to do to diagnose a seizure in dogs is to identify its symptoms. Dog seizures can be mild and short-term or even severe and long-lasting. Seizure symptoms are generally the same, and you can often easily recognize it, but it isn’t always easy to determine the cause of seizures in dogs. Sometimes, rarely, dog seizures will cause other diseases when the dog is suffering from them. Therefore, from identifying the symptoms of stroke and its type, veterinarians and you should look for the cause of the seizure together. The leading cause of seizures in dogs is epilepsy. Epilepsy can be caused by shock, fear, injuries, sexual excitement, pain, or stress (after surgery or childbirth) in dogs and cats. The lowest typical age of this disease is two to six months when puppies start teething, especially when they are heavily infected with roundworms and tapeworms.

It seems that the most challenging and persistent epileptic seizures often have no known cause and may be hereditary or the result of brain damage caused by head trauma. Overfeeding with the liver and sudden temperature changes can also cause a sudden attack. Of course, dog fainting is also a face of nervous distemper. As a first treatment, put the dog in a completely dark room, cover it with a blanket, then leave it alone.

Seizure symptoms in dogs

Abnormal electrical currents in the brain cause seizures. It will typically occur in four stages. During the early stages of a seizure, your dog will usually experience one or more of the following symptoms. These symptoms include:

• Very angry
• Excessive salivation and unusual drooling
• Changes in behavior and mood (a few days before the seizure)
• Hiding
• Mild aggression
• Irascibility

The initial events observed during a seizure can only happen for seconds or minutes. Usually, it will give the following symptoms, which are known as ictal. Ictal symptoms include:

• Fainting
• Biting
• Sudden paralysis of the dog
• Flowing saliva and drooling
• Body shaking
• Muscle cramps
• Closing eyes
• Loss of bladder and bowel control
• Unusual sounds
• Involuntary movement of the dog’s legs

After ictal symptoms, your pet will go through a recovery period during which he will likely make mistakes and drink or overeat.

Seizure diagnosis

After you notice the percentage of seizures in your dog, make notes of his behavior before, during, and after the seizure. Also, write down all the foods you ate before the seizure and the number of its attacks. This information will help the veterinarian diagnose the cause, type, and result of different seizure conditions and their intensity. After recording the data, take your dog to the vet immediately. The veterinarian will check all signs of general damage to the dog’s health and will also take tests such as blood tests. These tests will help to identify abnormal chemicals or even unusual chemical levels in the blood and can play an essential role in diagnosing the causes of the disease. Your vet will likely run several additional tests if the blood test is inconclusive.

Tests necessary to diagnose seizure in dogs

• Cerebrospinal fluid test
• Brain imaging
• Urinalysis

Of course, the tests performed by the veterinarian will depend on the initial examination of the sick dog and the blood test results and are used to provide more information about the cause of the dog’s seizures. Once the cause of the dog’s seizure is diagnosed, you and the veterinarian should work together to develop a treatment plan. You can address the cause of the seizure directly, as it will reduce side effects and associated complications in the future.

First aid during seizures

• When you notice seizures in your dog, you need to help him not to hurt himself during the attacks.
• First, remove all sharp and dangerous objects and prevent the dog from hurting himself by placing soft pillows around it.
• The dog may bite you, So don’t touch his mouth and body.
• It would be best to try to discover the causes and duration of the seizures so the vet can diagnose their type.
• If you suspect your dog has been poisoned or heat-stroked, you should see a veterinarian immediately.
• Make sure the seizure dog is away from stairs and other pets.
• Don’t try to pull the dog’s tongue out to prevent it from swallowing.
• Keep your dog calm and relaxed.
• Turn off the lights and make sure there’s no loud noise.
• Try to remember the duration of the seizure and inform the vet.

Eye seizure in dogs

There are several reasons why dogs’ eyeballs rush. The eye moving back and forth quickly can signify a more severe problem. Because the dog may have an eye seizure, it can significantly impact health. One of the leading causes of seizures is the brain receiving too many nerve signals. During a seizure, the dog shakes violently. Especially in the area of the head and eyes, it moves back and forth quickly, and finally, the pressure on the dog’s eyes causes epilepsy.

Breeds prone to eye seizures

Some breeds are more susceptible to this disease, including:

• German shepherds
• Dachshunds
• Collies
• Poodles 
• Beagles
• Golden retrievers

Symptoms of eye seizures in dogs

There are many symptoms of this disease, the most common of which are the rapid eye movements that occur in a relatively short period. But these movements are so abnormal that they make the owner suspicious. So go to the vet immediately and prevent the disease from progressing. This disease also affects the dog’s behavior so that the dog seems more nervous than usual, and his behavior changes and becomes strange. So he experiences strange anxiety and restlessness.

What is more bizarre is that the dog secretes saliva abnormally more than ever, and it flows from his lips. He may clench his teeth. Finally, the dog becomes unconscious. In the more advanced stages of the disease, the dog experiences uncontrollable tremors, and his eyes experience seizures more intensely and longer than before, as well as confusion.

Other causes of eye seizures 

This type of seizure can also be caused by epilepsy, like other seizures. But the only reason for this type doesn’t end with one reason. Other reasons that eye seizures occur in dogs include:

• Onset of blindness
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma ( cataracts glaucoma )
• Eye inflammation
• Brain tumors

If you see the symptoms of this disease in your dog, the best possible thing is to take him to the vet for treatment as soon as possible.

To wrap up

Seizures in dogs are one of the most common neurological diseases. This disease refers to a temporary involuntary disturbance in the brain’s brain’s brain’s brain’s brain’s brain’s brain’s normal functioning, usually accompanied by uncontrollable muscle activity. Epilepsy is a term used to describe recurrent episodes of seizures. You can prevent the disease and have a healthy dog in this case. To have a healthy and lively dog, you must pay attention to nutrition, exercise, health, grooming, etc. In all these steps, you can count on the specialized team of MishkaGrooming. Our experienced and precise groomers have carefully and accurately groomed your dogs so they count the moments for the next session.