What Can Give Rise To Dog Seizures?

A dog is one of the most widely cared for pets. Considered as man's best friend, a dog owner would treat it like a true family member. He would spend money, time and effort in ensuring the well being and happiness of the dog. And as such, if a dog gets sick, the owner would do all that it takes to make it well.

One of the most dreaded sights for dog owners is his pet having seizures. But in order for one to handle the situation properly, he has to be prepared. To effectively manage this condition, one should be educated with the causes of dog seizures so that appropriate precautions and treatments can be applied.

There are many reasons why canine seizures occur. One of the most common is epilepsy which is a chronic neurological disorder, marked by recurrent seizures. Another cause is canine distemper which is a viral disease that normally occurs in young dogs. This viral disease can worsen and reach the nervous system, thus resulting to the weakening of muscles, loss of basic motor skills and seizures. But if your dog has received distemper vaccination, most probably this is not the reason for such condition.

Another reason why seizures in dogs can occur is toxin ingestion. Dogs may be exposed to household products like pesticides which can be poisonous as well as toxic substances in trash, that can all lead to seizures. Lead poisoning is regarded as a common factor in toxin related canine seizure. If you have lead based paint at home, this should be stored securely to prevent it from causing health risk.

Other reasons why seizures occur are brain tumor, head injury and metabolic problems. Brain tumor can cause seizures because the abnormal growth in the brain disturbs that normal brain functions. A head injury can damage the dog's cranium and consequently the brain tissues resulting to incidents of seizures. Metabolic problems such as low blood sugar level can also trigger canine seizures.

An understanding of the causes of seizures is essential in effective management of the condition. In all circumstances, a pet owner should be calm so that he can clearly plan his actions. One should be quick to move anything that can harm the dog while it is having seizures. He should not try to interfere with the seizure, much more open the dog's mouth as he could be injured.

Causes of Dog Seizures

In England they often call them "fits" - what happens when the brain loses control of the body. In America, they are more commonly called seizures. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief summary as to some of the many causes of dog seizures.

EPILEPSY. The primary cause of dog seizures is epilepsy, but it is important to make the distinction that not all seizures are attributable to epilepsy. The most common form of epilepsy was made known to the world by a group of idiots walking through the woods one day and they all found themselves on the same path, and collectively observed a wolf in a clearing doing the hokey-pokey. They reported this unusual sighting to the forest rangers and the term "idiopathic epilepsy" was coined. Well, that's not exactly true, but the scientific reason is a bit more boring and doesn't make any more sense. In short, the term "idiopathic epilepsy" is a catch-all for when the experts just don't know what is causing a dog to have seizures.

TOXINS. Unfortunately for dogs, there are all kinds of toxins in their environment, many of which can cause seizures. These toxins range from poisons to get rid of rodents or slugs to flea powders or chemicals that are actually meant for dogs to wear as collars. Antifreeze, insecticides and paint products are also known toxins which can not only induce seizures, but can kill the unwitting animal that ingests them. With early treatment and intervention, most animals have a good to fair prognosis of making a full recovery if they have a seizure as a result of an environmental poisoning.

BRAIN TUMORS. Obviously, one of the easiest things to rule out, as a cause of dog seizures, is whether there is an abnormal growth in the dog's brain. Growths cause pressure on the brain tissue, which in turn can cause seizures and other neurological abnormalities. Fortunately, there are diagnostic tests (MRI or CAT scans) that can determine if that is the problem; however, only a very small percentage of dog seizures are caused by tumors or head injuries. In either case, anti-epileptic drugs would not be effective for dogs suffering from seizures caused by either of them.

TICK INDUCED DISEASES. The bite of the bloodsucking arachnid known as a tick can cause Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, both of which can cause dog seizures. If the tick is discovered within the first 24 hours after it has attached itself to the dog, the chance of infection is greatly reduced. There are antibiotics that can kill Lyme Disease, and most dogs respond quite well in general to antibiotics.

DISTEMPER. Distemper, in which a fever develops, then diarrhea and dehydration, can cause seizures in dogs, especially puppies, when they lose their maternal antibodies at about the age of 3 months. Only through the use of vaccinations can this debilitating disease be prevented, and once a dog has acquired it, they have a fight ahead for their very lives.

Sandra is the author of Cory's Story, the wonderful, true tale of how a particular canine beat canine seizures. Pay a visit to her Website at www.corysstory.com to discover her incredible secret to just how she cured Cory's epilepsy.