Help! My dog is having an epileptic seizure!
What is epilepsy?
Brain cells communicate with each other by sending electrical signals through connections/nerve fibers. Excessively strong electrical signals are weakened and directed in the right direction. In epilepsy, there is abnormal electrical activity in a dog's brain: the electrical signals are not weakened or too many signals are sent in a short time... This causes a dog to have an epileptic seizure during which the animal loses control over its body.
Epilepsy can be hereditary, but the condition can also be caused by a structural 'fault' in the brain or by unknown causes.
Epileptic seizures can be divided into different types:
- A generalized seizure involving the entire body.
- A localized seizure involving only a part of the brain.
- Clustering, where several seizures occur in quick succession. Also, when a dog has more than one seizure in a day, this is considered clustering.
- A psychomotor seizure is an epileptic seizure during which a dog behaves differently than usual. For example, the animal may be more vocal than normal, such as howling a lot. But the animal may also snap at its own tail or at imaginary insects.
- Status epilepticus is a seizure that lasts longer than 10 minutes. Contact your veterinarian immediately if this happens!
What does epilepsy look like in dogs?
During an epileptic seizure, a dog has no control over its body. The animal often suffers from muscle cramps/muscle contractions; as a result, the animals often lose control of their bowels. Furthermore, a dog may foam at the mouth during a seizure. In most cases, dogs are (partially) unconscious.
When a dog has an epileptic seizure, it progresses in three phases:
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- The onset, also called the pre-ictus or aura: this phase can last several minutes or even hours. During the onset, a dog may be very restless or very calm, clingy, and/or anxious.
- The seizure, also called the ictus: during this phase, the animal usually loses consciousness and falls over. Then uncontrolled muscle contractions occur. During an epileptic seizure, a dog may also have more difficulty breathing. An epileptic seizure often lasts a few minutes; however, if a seizure lasts longer than 10 minutes, it is important to contact the veterinarian!
- The period after the seizure, also known as the post-ictus: after the seizure, a dog will regain consciousness. The muscle contractions stop and breathing returns to normal. A dog is often confused after a seizure, so always handle your dog calmly and carefully after a seizure.
During an epileptic seizure, a dog has no control over its body. The animal often suffers from muscle cramps/muscle contractions; as a result, the animals often lose control of their bowels. Furthermore, a dog may foam at the mouth during a seizure. In most cases, dogs are (partially) unconscious.
What are the causes?
An epileptic seizure can have various causes. There can be primary epilepsy or secondary epilepsy. Primary epilepsy is hereditary and often occurs in certain dog breeds; this form of epilepsy is often seen in animals older than 1 year. In this form of epilepsy, the seizures have no identifiable cause. In secondary epilepsy, the seizure is a result of another health problem, such as trauma (accident), a tumor, infections, congenital defects, severe liver or kidney diseases, or poisoning.
The treatment of epilepsy
If there is an underlying problem causing the epileptic seizures, this underlying problem is treated. However, this is not always possible; in these cases, a dog will receive medication.
It is important to know how often a dog has an epileptic seizure. Often, an animal only receives medication for the condition when seizures occur more than once a month.
Treatment of epilepsy consists of the medication Phenobarbital or Pexion. Bromide is also a commonly used medication against epilepsy.
With good treatment of the condition, the period between seizures will lengthen, the severity of the seizures will decrease, and the duration of the seizures will shorten.
Dog breeds that are prone to epilepsy
Any dog breed can develop epilepsy. However, certain breeds are more sensitive to the condition. These breeds include: poodles, schnauzers, basset hounds, collies, and cocker or springer spaniels.
Important points
It is not possible to stop an epileptic seizure in your dog. Keep in mind that your dog has no control over its body, so be careful.
Important points during a seizure are:
- Stay calm, no matter how difficult it is. The best thing you can do is carefully observe your dog and wait for the seizure to end.
- Try to keep track of the duration of the seizure.
- Make space for your dog if there are furniture or other objects nearby. This way, you can prevent your dog from injuring itself on furniture or other objects.
- Try not to hold your dog during a seizure.
- Does the seizure last longer than 10 minutes? Then contact your veterinarian!
If your dog has an epileptic seizure for the first time, it is best to contact the veterinarian after the seizure. You can then schedule an appointment to have your loyal four-legged friend examined. This way, it is possible to rule out or confirm secondary epilepsy.
