All about dog seizures

With all dog seizures you need to seek immediate veterinary care

Dog seizures are due to abnormal electrical conduction within the brain, that results in a loss of consciousness (in most cases), and various physical signs that can be associated with the seizure.

Physical signs of dog seizures

• Falling over to one side

• Legs "paddling" or generalized trembling/twitching

• Jaw "chomping"

• Salivation

• Urination

• Defecation

• Eyes "rolled back"

• Vocalizing

Most dogs will seem anxious, seek out the owners prior to the actual seizure, when the above signs can be seen.

Most dog seizures usually last between 30 seconds to 2 to 3 minutes. 

Then your dog will often seem disoriented, and "drunk" in appearance, sometimes behaving blind, stumbling about, poorly responsive to his/her environment. This last phase of disorientation with dog seizures can last from as little as 10 minutes to several hours.

If your dog should be unlucky enough to suffer from a seizure, place thick cushions, blanket, etc. between your dog's head and any hard furniture. Be very careful to avoid handling your dog's head directly, since this has often resulted in a biting injury to owner's hands.

With a seizure your dog will be unaware of his/her surroundings when seizuring, and may bite down very hard on your hand and not even realize it.

If dog seizures last for longer than 5 minutes they may be turning into "status epilepticus" which essentially means a constant state of seizure activity, and if the seizures are not stopped, this can lead to life threatening consequences.

This also can cause some temporary or permanent damage of the brain tissue. If a seizure climbs towards 5 minutes, get your dog to a vet immediately. 

If your pet has more than one seizure in a 24- hour period, this is considered a "cluster" of dog seizures. You need to seek veterinary care once he or she has the second seizure, since this indicates a rapid succession of dog seizures and may require anticonvulsants be started to control these. A "cluster" will often precede "status pilepticus", as indicated above.

Make a record 
Make sure to pay close attention to what you are witnessing. Record in notebook the following: Time the length of the seizure, and record Time the length of the "disoriented" phase that follows the seizure, and record -document exactly what signs were seen (from above list) was it associated with any events eg: exercise, eating, drinking, etc ... date and time of seizure.

By keeping a journal, it helps you to know how often your pet is suffering from dog seizures, and are these getting longer, or more violent? This information is important for you vet to help him treat the seizure(s).

The first time your dog has a seizure, your vet may take blood and x-rays to be assessed for any systemic problem that may cause the seizure, as well as, examine your pet for any abnormal neurologic or cardiac signs.

Patterns of dog seizures 
Some dogs have been known to have one seizure in their lives, while others develop serious repeated dog seizures. Your pet may never seizure again, or may continue to have dog seizures. You play an important role in the diagnosis and proper treatment of your pet's seizures, by providing an accurate history, and seeking veterinary help when indicated.

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