How to help a dog that has developed epilepsy?
What Diseases Can Happen to a Pet Dog, and Which Ones Do Dog Owners Fear the Most? One of Them is Epilepsy in Dogs.
In most cases, it is impossible to prevent the disease in a pet dog. However, with close cooperation with a veterinarian, a suitable treatment can be found after thorough diagnosis.
What is Epilepsy in Dogs?
This disease is a brain disorder characterized by abnormal electrical discharges. This leads to recurring seizures. These seizures can manifest in various ways since the altered impulses can vary in duration and intensity. Epileptic seizures or epilepsy in dogs can be partial (focal epilepsy) or affect the entire body (generalized epilepsy).
What Can Cause Seizures in Dogs?
Many conditions can contribute to the onset of epilepsy in dogs. To get to the root of the problem, each dog must be tested step by step. It is worth exploring this topic to understand what may be behind the concerning behavior of a pet. Epilepsy can be caused by intracranial or extracranial diseases. Intracranial causes include seizures that are secondary to serious conditions developing in the brain, such as congenital defects, heart attacks, hemorrhages, as well as inflammatory processes and even cancerous growths.
In contrast, there are numerous extracranial diseases. Inflammations can be located in different parts of the body. Canine epilepsy is a secondary problem, meaning that besides seizures, there are also other symptoms related to the underlying disease. The first group of extracranial inflammations includes heart disease, vascular changes, and hypertension. Another issue is inflammation of the nervous system, which can be caused by various pathogens or, for example, heatstroke.
How to Treat Epilepsy in Dogs?
Physical trauma often contributes to the development of epileptic seizures. Sometimes, a dog that has just survived a car accident may have seizures. It can also happen that months or even years pass before the first symptoms appear after an accident.
In young animals, developmental changes may cause problems. In puppies, genetic defects related to the structure of the brain or spinal cord are the most common background. Another example is the improper nutrition of nerve cells. Identifying these changes requires special studies and significant commitment from the caregiver. Many epileptic seizures are caused by metabolic disorders. Low blood sugar levels, liver and kidney diseases, portosystemic shunt, thyroid hormone changes, and even poisoning are just a few problems that, along with characteristic symptoms, can further contribute to an epileptic seizure.
Another large group of diseases that can lead to seizures is neoplastic changes developing in the brain and spinal cord. These are very dangerous cases, most commonly affecting middle-aged animals. Diagnosis is difficult, but with proper involvement, the exact location of the tumor can be identified. The examination may reveal that it is a metastasis from another part of the body, so treatment must consider multiple tumor sites.
The last cause in this group is degenerative brain changes, affecting middle-aged and older dogs with characteristic age-related changes in the nervous system. In many cases, despite attempts, the cause of epileptic seizures cannot be identified. These animals are usually younger than five years. It sometimes turns out that other puppies from the same litter or their parents have similar issues. If further tests do not reveal a cause, such epilepsy is diagnosed as idiopathic.
What Could Be Causing Problems in a Puppy?
There are many issues that can trigger epilepsy. In puppies, the list can be somewhat narrowed down. For young animals, idiopathic epilepsy, as well as epilepsy caused by developmental disorders, inflammation, or poisoning, is typical. Don’t forget about the various accidents young dogs may experience.
Canine Epilepsy in Adult Dogs
Adult dogs are at greater risk of developing epilepsy than puppies, due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, inflammation, and metabolic changes. Intracranial causes also come into play. In older animals, additional degenerative changes should be considered. Despite the more or less likely causes of canine epilepsy, a veterinarian must consider all possibilities when making a diagnosis. Although some diseases are more common in specific age groups, living organisms often surprise us with exceptions, something that always needs to be remembered.
How to Recognize an Epileptic Seizure in a Dog?
The symptoms of epilepsy in dogs can vary greatly. Sometimes the disease manifests only as muscle tremors: this can be observed as uncontrollable movement of a paw or ear, or rhythmic blinking of the eyelids. Sometimes the dog’s behavior changes. In such cases, sudden aggression, barking, or howling should be noted. Other times, the symptoms are quite unusual, originating from the digestive tract, causing vomiting or sudden diarrhea. These symptoms are classified as focal epilepsy. In more severe cases, the disturbances affect the entire body.
A generalized seizure can be divided into four parts. Initially, the first phase occurs—the animal noticeably changes its behavior, becoming more agitated. This state can last for several hours but may continue for several days. Just before the attack, the aura phase occurs. During this time, the dog becomes restless, cannot find a comfortable spot, is distracted, and at the same time seeks closeness with people.
The third phase is the actual epileptic seizure, which varies in intensity and duration. The animal loses consciousness, shakes, with tense muscles, or makes involuntary paddling movements. The dog may also drool, defecate, or urinate—immediately after the seizure comes the post-ictal phase. The dog regains consciousness but is still disoriented from the attack, seeking a quiet, calm place to rest.
When Should You Run to the Vet?
An epileptic seizure is never pleasant—neither for the dog nor its owner. If such a situation occurs even once with your pet, it is necessary to inform the veterinarian as soon as possible. Not all seizures in dogs are epilepsy, so the veterinarian will ask about all the details of the seizure, examine the animal, and take initial blood samples or recommend further testing. The diagnostic process will help determine the underlying cause of the seizure. In such cases, it is important not to delay consulting a veterinarian, even if the seizure was short and the dog seems to feel fine afterward, as it is unknown when the next attack will happen. Seizures can strain the body, and if left unchecked, they can lead to brain swelling, nerve cell damage or death, or overheating.
How Can You Help a Dog With Epilepsy?
Initially, the veterinarian will instruct the owner on what to do in the event of a future seizure and prescribe medications to prevent further seizures, helping restore the dog’s normal function. Such medications should always be on hand. Once the underlying cause of the problem is identified, the veterinarian will work to eliminate it. However, this is not always possible. If seizures occur more frequently than once a month, that is a sign that daily medication should be started.
Can You Help a Dog During an Epileptic Seizure?
Epilepsy treatment should be conducted conscientiously, regularly, and under careful medical supervision. Medication schedules and regular check-ups must be followed. When it comes to helping at home, it’s essential to ensure that someone is always with the dog. An epileptic seizure that occurs in the absence of the caregivers can be very serious. During the seizure, it’s important to be careful and protect the dog from unnecessary harm. Make sure there are no chairs or tables nearby. You can also lay the dog on a soft mat to keep it comfortable during the seizure.
