Understanding The Symptoms And Causes For Epilepsy In Dogs

When it comes to people having to see their best, four-legged friend have an epileptic seizure, it can be scary, frustrating and confusing to witness, especially when you feel that there's nothing you can do to help them. While epilepsy in dogs can be common, knowing the causes, symptoms and what to look for may help to make things more manageable for both you and your pet.

While not all seizures are related to canine epilepsy, the epilepsy disorder is defined by recurrent seizures. This is brought on when the brain mixes up signals or messages to the body due to abnormal brain activity triggers. As a result, this can cause convulsions, or seizures, and potentially other commonly related symptoms along with it.

Since there are many causes for seizures, canine epilepsy cannot be defined as one singular or specific disease or cause. Instead, it is more rather a category within a series of disorders, and it is divided into two different types of disorders or subcategories known as idiopathic and symptomatic disorders.

Idiopathic epilepsy, or primary epilepsy, often bearing no direct causes or abnormal brain issues; however, it is commonly suspected that certain genetics or breeds may carry the disorder, which usually starts between the ages of one and five years old. Symptomatic or secondary epilepsy is generally something that shows signs to other causes such as lesions, tumors or other health-related matters.

Generally, seizures are classified as either a petite mal or grand mal seizure, with grand mal seizures being the most common affliction. Grand mal symptoms generally entail collapsing and/or signs of uncontrolled spasm and convulsions, while other signs may include swimming or paddling in place, marching or drunk-like weaving, salivating, and sometimes urination and defecation. Petite mal seizures typically do not bear symptoms of convulsions, but may result in the loss of consciousness or collapsing.

Common beginning phases of a seizure may be where the dog acts oddly such as pacing, salivating, hiding, overly affectionate, whining or restless. During the actual seizure, you will note uncontrolled muscle spasms, vomiting, running in circles and so forth. After a seizure, symptoms usually result in the dog appearing disoriented, lethargic, uncoordinated and, in some cases, may suffer temporary blindness.

Whenever you see your pet having a seizure, it's important to keep an eye on them and to calm them as much as possible. However, since the dog will be disoriented, it's best to avoid touching them directly in case they bite by accident. In most cases, comforting the pet at the end has the most benefit, since they may not be aware of your efforts during the fact.

If you feel that epilepsy in dogs is part of the problem, or if you're seeing signs of poor health or seizures, it's always important to seek professional help from your veterinarian, so that they're able to give a proper diagnosis. They will generally perform lab tests, x-rays, a neurological and physical exam in order to gain a diagnosis, as well as ask you about any previous health issues or history. While there are no exact tests to determine epilepsy, certain exams can help to determine the cause for the seizures themselves. They may be able to prescribe treatment or medication to help manage these fits, as well advise you properly on how you and your dog can cope with them in the future.