Things You Should Know About Seizures In Dogs

Pet owners and people whose job it is to look after and work with animals should know about seizures in dogs. It helps to understand them if you know what they are and if there are different types. You will then be able to tell if one is going to occur and how you can help that animal through it. They may need some special care whilst recovering and there could be long term care options which you will find out about after you visit your veterinarian.

Lasting anything from a few seconds to an hour it is important to know what causes it and the Vet should be contacted if they last for more than five minutes. Sudden activity in the brain or a change to the brain that happens rapidly and is unusual can be the trigger to such an occurrence. This is quite a shock to human witnesses and they may find themselves unsure of what to do, particularly as the dog can loose consciousness.

There are two types, the generalized which affects the whole body and makes the body stiffen with possible twitches and other involuntary movements. Dogs may make unintentional noises whilst experiencing a seizure. The second type is focal and is localized, the focus being on one set of muscles or one area of the body. This may be experienced as a repeated leg twitch or uncontrollable mouth movement.

Both before and after you will witness a period of unusual behavior. Your dog may appear unusually worried or frightened and you may not be able to determine the cause. Afterwards there will be a period of adjustment for your canine where it will seem tired and confused.

Whilst your animal is experiencing the full body rigidity and localized twitching you need to make sure that they are unable to hurt themselves on anything around them. Try to move things they could injure themselves on, or things which might fall on them if they knock the base. Make sure they can't fall down any near by stairs. If this is the first occurrence then contact the vet so that a diagnosis can be made and a suitable treatment provided.

As you might have witnessed before the incidence there will probably be some unusual behavior and you may find that they don't want to be cuddled or fussed. Talking calmly and in a low and reassuring voice may help to give them a better sense of where they are. They may want to sleep or be left alone and any unusual behavior, as well as the length of time that has passed should be noted down for later conversations with the veterinarian.

Your vet may recommend a course of treatment or one that is more long term and that will have to be administered regularly at home. If it occurred as a result of injury or tumor there may be a need for an operation. The vet will determine the severity and whether or not medication is needed. It could take some time however to find a medication which suits the animal.

You now know what a seizure is and the types there are, you know some of the signs that one might occur and what to do if it does, not to mention the aftercare. The best thing you can do for your dog is have them checked out at the vets surgery and give them the details you noted down for their diagnosis. This could help them to decide on whether or not they need medication.