Unfortunately for dogs, epilepsy can either be inherited or it may even be caused by the preservatives in the food that they eat. There are certain breeds that are more likely to experience this condition than others. There are three different types that may possibly present in a canine. Most animals affected by canine epilepsy can be treated by a change in their diet and with proper medication and monitoring.
A certain genetic basis for seizures has actual been proven in the breeds of Beagles, German Shepherds, Dachshunds, Belgian Tervurens and Keeshonds. There is some evidence that suggests that the English Springer Spaniel may also be predisposed genetically. The condition is quite common in dogs and even when not inherited, they may develop it over the course of their lifetime. Seizures have been linked to conditions related to the thyroid as well and this should be tested initially at diagnosis.
Changing the dogs diet is going to be the first and one of the best courses of treatment to avoid preservatives that are likely to be causing the problem. For breeds that are at particularly high risk anyway, foods that contain preservatives should be avoided from the beginning to eliminate the development of the condition. Check labels closely regarding preservatives in food; it will be clear on packaging.
The three various type of epilepsy that may occur with canines are reactive, secondary and primary. Seizures labeled as reactive involve the metabolic system. These are always related to either low blood sugar, kidney failure or liver failure.
Secondary is also known as symptomatic and can be caused by problems such as stroke or tumors in the brain. Trauma is also known to bring on this type of epilepsy. This type is labeled due to a particular known cause.
Primary or idiopathic seizures are labeled as such due to having no known cause. This diagnosis is reached when all other probable conditions have been completely eliminated. These are likely to begin in dogs that are in the age group of one and three.
There are several types of seizures that may occur lasting from momentary periods to repetitive occurrences. Petit mal are mild and may only be staring for a brief period of time. Grand mal are moderate and may last for as long as three minutes with the animal losing consciousness. Status epilepticus and cluster seizures can both be life threatening and it is difficult in some cases to differentiate between the two; lasting up to more than ten minutes with a loss of consciousness and repeating.
Several excellent medications can be used for treatment including potassium bromide, Phenobarbital and Valium. Phenobarbital is often the first drug to be administered, but the liver function must be closely monitored to prevent damage. Should damage occur, the patient is then changed to potassium bromide for further treatment. Valium is often used for the more serious seizures described and it can be given rectally, orally or injected. There are over the counter treatments that can benefit the pet after a seizure has happened due to canine epilepsy to speed up recovery time and this should be discussed with the veterinarian.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
How To Handle Seizures In Dogs
Having to watch seizures in dogs can be a very frightening and traumatic experience. If you own a dog, then it is important to know the simple steps to take should your dog have a seizure. Knowing how to respond can be very important during this difficult time for your pet.
As in any frightening situation, what you need to do is stay calm. Watching a loved pet have a seizure can send anyone into a panic, but your dog can sense this. Knowing that you are nervous or in state of panic can further agitate the dog. Try and remain calm through out the whole situation.
When your pet is experiencing a seizure, he will fall to one side. While the convulsions are happening he can be hurting his head on the floor. Because of this, its important to place something soft underneath his head. You can use a blanket or even a towel that can hold his head. Remove any hard objects such as toys away from your pet. If he is near a wall move him away from it. Removing him from hard surfaces can help him or her from further hurting themselves during the seizure.
Do not reach into your dogs mouth to hold its tongue. During this time your pet is not aware of what he or she is doing and can clench their jaws on your hand. This can be pretty painful and can cause severe damage to your hand. Do not worry about him choking on his tongue, he will not swallow it.
Once you have taken care of all these steps, you should sit down with your pet and talk to him in a soothing way. Let your dog feel that you are there and it is not alone. You should also encourage your pet to remain lying down even after the convulsions have stopped.
Try to keep track of when the seizure started as well as how long it lasted. This information is important to your vet when you take your dog in. If your dog has had seizures before then you should know that you do not need to take your pet in every time he has one. Your dog should be taken to the vet if he is having continuous seizures within 5 minutes.
One of the main causes of the seizures is low blood sugars. You should feed your pet one to two teaspoons of vanilla ice cream after the seizure has stopped. Do not give too much as this can also be bad. Follow it with some dog food so that your pet can maintain its sugar levels.
There are many causes for seizures in dogs, so it is important that you take your pet to the vet when it first happens. Take mental note of everything you feel is important during this time, so you can tell the veterinarian. Knowing these simple steps can help you remain calm and your pet get through the seizure.
As in any frightening situation, what you need to do is stay calm. Watching a loved pet have a seizure can send anyone into a panic, but your dog can sense this. Knowing that you are nervous or in state of panic can further agitate the dog. Try and remain calm through out the whole situation.
When your pet is experiencing a seizure, he will fall to one side. While the convulsions are happening he can be hurting his head on the floor. Because of this, its important to place something soft underneath his head. You can use a blanket or even a towel that can hold his head. Remove any hard objects such as toys away from your pet. If he is near a wall move him away from it. Removing him from hard surfaces can help him or her from further hurting themselves during the seizure.
Do not reach into your dogs mouth to hold its tongue. During this time your pet is not aware of what he or she is doing and can clench their jaws on your hand. This can be pretty painful and can cause severe damage to your hand. Do not worry about him choking on his tongue, he will not swallow it.
Once you have taken care of all these steps, you should sit down with your pet and talk to him in a soothing way. Let your dog feel that you are there and it is not alone. You should also encourage your pet to remain lying down even after the convulsions have stopped.
Try to keep track of when the seizure started as well as how long it lasted. This information is important to your vet when you take your dog in. If your dog has had seizures before then you should know that you do not need to take your pet in every time he has one. Your dog should be taken to the vet if he is having continuous seizures within 5 minutes.
One of the main causes of the seizures is low blood sugars. You should feed your pet one to two teaspoons of vanilla ice cream after the seizure has stopped. Do not give too much as this can also be bad. Follow it with some dog food so that your pet can maintain its sugar levels.
There are many causes for seizures in dogs, so it is important that you take your pet to the vet when it first happens. Take mental note of everything you feel is important during this time, so you can tell the veterinarian. Knowing these simple steps can help you remain calm and your pet get through the seizure.
Friday, February 11, 2011
A Safety Home For Dog Epilepsy
Dog epilepsy can cause a series of seizures. If it is the first time it happens to your pet, it can be frightening and you may feel helpless. A dog who has epilepsy can have seizures at any time, which is why it is important to dog proof your home. Make it safe for your loved pet to be in even when you are not around.
One way you can keep your dog from hurting himself when you are away is to leave him in a crate. Make sure the crate is padded enough for a bed so he can be comfortable while you are away. Remove any dog collars or leashes while your dog is crating. Should he have a seizure during this time, he can choke with it on. Do not leave any toys or sharp objects in the crate, this can hurt your dog during the seizure.
If you do not feel comfortable leaving your dog in a crate for a long period of time while working, you can create a doggy room. Have a room just made for your dog with padded walls and soft flooring. When your dog has a seizure he will fall to his side, therefore you do not want him hurting his head on a hard floor. It is recommended that you do not put windows in the room where your dog will be in.
You want to make sure that there are no objects left in the room while you are away. If your pet lands on these hard or sharp objects he will not be able to move away from them. These objects can cause further harm to your pet while he is having a seizure.
If you own more than one dog, it is recommended that you keep the other dogs away from the pet who suffers from seizures. When your dog is having a seizure, your other dogs can trigger a pack attack instinct against the pup who is having a seizure. This should be done even if you feel all your dogs are close and loving of one another.
Placing baby gates on your stair well can also be very helpful. This can be helpful even when you are inside the house. These seizures can happen without warning. You do not want your pet to have a seizure while he is walking by the stairs and fall down.
A surveillance camera can also help when you are away from home. You can place this camera in the doggy room to keep an eye on your pup while you are away. There are special cameras that you can zoom in, change direction of the camera and even watch all from your cell phone. This would be ideal to keep complete track of your dog should he have a seizure. This video can also be shown to the veterinarian when you take your dog.
Dog epilepsy is something your dog will have to live with. You can help make it safer for your pup should he have a seizure. Making your home safe for your dog can prevent him from further hurting himself even when you are away.
One way you can keep your dog from hurting himself when you are away is to leave him in a crate. Make sure the crate is padded enough for a bed so he can be comfortable while you are away. Remove any dog collars or leashes while your dog is crating. Should he have a seizure during this time, he can choke with it on. Do not leave any toys or sharp objects in the crate, this can hurt your dog during the seizure.
If you do not feel comfortable leaving your dog in a crate for a long period of time while working, you can create a doggy room. Have a room just made for your dog with padded walls and soft flooring. When your dog has a seizure he will fall to his side, therefore you do not want him hurting his head on a hard floor. It is recommended that you do not put windows in the room where your dog will be in.
You want to make sure that there are no objects left in the room while you are away. If your pet lands on these hard or sharp objects he will not be able to move away from them. These objects can cause further harm to your pet while he is having a seizure.
If you own more than one dog, it is recommended that you keep the other dogs away from the pet who suffers from seizures. When your dog is having a seizure, your other dogs can trigger a pack attack instinct against the pup who is having a seizure. This should be done even if you feel all your dogs are close and loving of one another.
Placing baby gates on your stair well can also be very helpful. This can be helpful even when you are inside the house. These seizures can happen without warning. You do not want your pet to have a seizure while he is walking by the stairs and fall down.
A surveillance camera can also help when you are away from home. You can place this camera in the doggy room to keep an eye on your pup while you are away. There are special cameras that you can zoom in, change direction of the camera and even watch all from your cell phone. This would be ideal to keep complete track of your dog should he have a seizure. This video can also be shown to the veterinarian when you take your dog.
Dog epilepsy is something your dog will have to live with. You can help make it safer for your pup should he have a seizure. Making your home safe for your dog can prevent him from further hurting himself even when you are away.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Foods that Can Cause Seizures in Dogs
I believe that commercial dog food is a culprit for many illnesses in a dog, and that it contributed to or may even have caused my dog's seizures. Cory, my dog had seizures and they gradually lowered in occurrences once I ceased feeding him kibble and canned dog food; then, five years ago, they stopped completely and I never once put him on any anti- epileptic medications, that is why I have come to this conclusion. But, did you know that there are other foods that can harm your dog?s health, even causing seizures? A few of these foods were shocking to me!
*Chocolate is an absolute no-no. Almost everyone knows that chocolate can cause seizures and even death in a dog. One day Cory got into Jayson?s stash of Halloween chocolate. Before my son caught him, he had eaten a lot. Cory was very happy to have been eating chocolate as was evidenced by how hard his tail was wagging. Immediately, Jayson called poison control and followed their instructions to pour hydrogen peroxide down Cory's throat, which in turn, induced vomiting. Lucky for us, I had a bottle of the stuff in the first aid cupboard! Jayson took Cory outside for this messy task. Cory is fortunate that my son caught him eating the chocolate in order to get it out of him in time. If you suspect your dog has consumed chocolate and you are not sure when it happened, call your veterinarian immediately. If you do indeed, catch your dog in the act of eating chocolate, you should use the Hydrogen Peroxide treatment. Dark chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate.
* Onions or Products Containing Onion Powder. Onions have disulfides and sulfoxides in them that can lead to the destruction of red blood cells, which makes dogs anemic.
* Raw Fish. Distinctly if you are located in the Pacific Northwest, you should know that, if eaten raw, salmon and other fish often carry a fluke and that fluke carries a bacteria that is known to cause seizures and even death in canines. Once you have cooked the fish first, the danger is eliminated, even though you need to be careful and make sure you remove all the bones before allowing your dog any of it. I am no scientist and don't have the specific formula, but I have heard it said that if you freeze the fish at a certain temperature, the extreme cold will kill off the fluke and destroy the bacteria, thus eliminating the problem, you'll have to do the research for length of time and the required temperature before you try this.
* Foods Containing Nutmeg Not that it ever occurred to me to sprinkle nutmeg on Cory?s chow, but apparently it can cause tremors, seizures and death. Be sure not to give your god pieces of a treat that might have nutmeg as an ingredient, and this one is easy to follow.
* Foods Containing Mushrooms There are mushrooms out there, especially the ones found in the wild, that contain toxins that have been shown to cause problems for canines. Because I have this knowledge, I know to keep Cory away from the mushrooms when we go on our walks. The "Leave It" command is among the first commands your dog should learn.
* Food Made for Cats Poor Cory, he loves to lick the plate clean after our kitty's done eating, and now that I found out about this one, he won't be able to anymore. Basically, cat food contains too much fat and protein for a dog's digestive needs. You might still let your dog eat the crumbs left over from your cat, but you should not replace your dog's food with cat food.
* Apple Seeds are specific no-no's. Apple seeds and other pits from fruit contain the poison cyanide, which can cause seizures.
* Raisins and Grapes When I first learned that grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs it was at the same time I was reading a training book for dogs that actually advocated giving raisins as treats! I called the person who wrote the training manual to discuss this and she dismissed my issues because she said she has fed her dogs raisins for as long as she has been training them. All I can say is be aware of the risks and do more research before giving grapes or raisins to your dog.
* Egg whites. feeding your dog the entire egg is not a problem, the issue comes with the splitting of the whites and the yolk, the whites of an egg contain a protein named avidin, and it actually depletes your dog's body of the essential B vitamins. The good news is that the yolk contains the antidote to this protein, and so serving the egg in its entirety is nothing to concern yourself over.
*Chocolate is an absolute no-no. Almost everyone knows that chocolate can cause seizures and even death in a dog. One day Cory got into Jayson?s stash of Halloween chocolate. Before my son caught him, he had eaten a lot. Cory was very happy to have been eating chocolate as was evidenced by how hard his tail was wagging. Immediately, Jayson called poison control and followed their instructions to pour hydrogen peroxide down Cory's throat, which in turn, induced vomiting. Lucky for us, I had a bottle of the stuff in the first aid cupboard! Jayson took Cory outside for this messy task. Cory is fortunate that my son caught him eating the chocolate in order to get it out of him in time. If you suspect your dog has consumed chocolate and you are not sure when it happened, call your veterinarian immediately. If you do indeed, catch your dog in the act of eating chocolate, you should use the Hydrogen Peroxide treatment. Dark chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate.
* Onions or Products Containing Onion Powder. Onions have disulfides and sulfoxides in them that can lead to the destruction of red blood cells, which makes dogs anemic.
* Raw Fish. Distinctly if you are located in the Pacific Northwest, you should know that, if eaten raw, salmon and other fish often carry a fluke and that fluke carries a bacteria that is known to cause seizures and even death in canines. Once you have cooked the fish first, the danger is eliminated, even though you need to be careful and make sure you remove all the bones before allowing your dog any of it. I am no scientist and don't have the specific formula, but I have heard it said that if you freeze the fish at a certain temperature, the extreme cold will kill off the fluke and destroy the bacteria, thus eliminating the problem, you'll have to do the research for length of time and the required temperature before you try this.
* Foods Containing Nutmeg Not that it ever occurred to me to sprinkle nutmeg on Cory?s chow, but apparently it can cause tremors, seizures and death. Be sure not to give your god pieces of a treat that might have nutmeg as an ingredient, and this one is easy to follow.
* Foods Containing Mushrooms There are mushrooms out there, especially the ones found in the wild, that contain toxins that have been shown to cause problems for canines. Because I have this knowledge, I know to keep Cory away from the mushrooms when we go on our walks. The "Leave It" command is among the first commands your dog should learn.
* Food Made for Cats Poor Cory, he loves to lick the plate clean after our kitty's done eating, and now that I found out about this one, he won't be able to anymore. Basically, cat food contains too much fat and protein for a dog's digestive needs. You might still let your dog eat the crumbs left over from your cat, but you should not replace your dog's food with cat food.
* Apple Seeds are specific no-no's. Apple seeds and other pits from fruit contain the poison cyanide, which can cause seizures.
* Raisins and Grapes When I first learned that grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs it was at the same time I was reading a training book for dogs that actually advocated giving raisins as treats! I called the person who wrote the training manual to discuss this and she dismissed my issues because she said she has fed her dogs raisins for as long as she has been training them. All I can say is be aware of the risks and do more research before giving grapes or raisins to your dog.
* Egg whites. feeding your dog the entire egg is not a problem, the issue comes with the splitting of the whites and the yolk, the whites of an egg contain a protein named avidin, and it actually depletes your dog's body of the essential B vitamins. The good news is that the yolk contains the antidote to this protein, and so serving the egg in its entirety is nothing to concern yourself over.
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