Causes, Types and Symptoms of Dog Seizures and Plans for Treatment

Seizures in dogs can be a very serious, even life threatening situation in certain circumstances.

It's certainly not a pleasant experience to have to go through, not for the animal experiencing or for you having to see your animal going through that trauma. Much about the treatment of dog seizures is still unknown and is still a work in progress, however there is a good deal known about the different types of seizures in dogs.

"Types of Dog Seizures"

Dog seizures can be classified in numerous different ways, and there are a handful of main or common forms. The most common or typical is what you probably think of or picture in your head when you think about seizures in dogs, or seizures in people as well.

This is called a generalized seizure, and it involves uncontrolled movements and spasms throughout the entire body. Usually the dog will fall to the ground stiff-legged before beginning to have spasms in the legs, along with potentially the facial muscles and jaw.

This form of seizures in dogs is also known as a Tonic Clonic seizure for the two phases that occur. The first phase is Tonic, where the animal falls and has its limbs extended straight, and is generally motionless and unaware. The next phase is the Clonic phase which is the spasms and the uncontrolled movements.

Altogether this type of seizure may last for between 30 seconds and several minutes. If your dog experiences a seizure quickly followed by another and even a series of multiple seizures with just small breaks in between them, the condition is known as cluster seizures. Alternatively, if one single seizure occurs and lasts for over five minutes at a time, a Status Epliepticus occurs. Clusters and Status Epilepticus can be difficult to differentiate between one another for many people, but both can be very serious conditions.

There are three main phases of the basic seizure to be familiar with. Seizures in dogs begin with the pre-ictal phase, which can last for seconds or up to hours at a time. This is noted by a period of anxiousness, nervousness and other abnormal behavior in the animal, as if perhaps he feels something going wrong with his body. Then the seizure itself is known as the ictal phase, and the period that follows is the post-ictal phase, where more abnormal behavior such as disorientation and confusion are common.

Another type of dog seizures to be familiar with is the partial seizure, in which only one part of the body has uncontrolled spasms, such as one limb, or only the facial muscles. They are also known as focal seizures because their focused on one area or one kind of action, for example spastically biting or snapping at the air.

Finally there are complex partial seizures, which are also known as behavioral seizures. These are cases where the dog does not undergo what you might imagine is a typical seizure but instead takes on a series of uncontrolled and often repetitive actions and behaviors that seem completely out of the ordinary. These include running around in circles, biting or gnawing at itself, trying to hide and other desperate or unusual behaviors.

"Why do Seizures in Dogs Occur?

Dog seizures can occur for any number of reasons, and it may be hard to narrow down the causes. Severe and sudden dog seizures can occur from poisonings or allergic reactions (Canine Allergies in Dogs)to other substances. Certain infections and illnesses can cause seizures in dogs, problems with metabolic processes and the levels of certain minerals and nutrients in the blood stream can be the cause, or there could be a brain tumor or some kind of structural condition or abnormality.

There is not much you can do while dog seizures are taking place besides trying to provide a safe environment for yourself and the animal. Following a seizure make the dog comfortable, avoid loud noises and bright lights and so forth. Try to write down what happened, how long it lasted and anything else that you witnessed to help the vet make a proper diagnosis and evaluation.

Obviously poisonings (Dog Food Poisoning) and allergic reactions can be dealt with specifically and immediately but ongoing or unexplained seizures and idiopathic epilepsy can be hard to treat. Some drugs can be given and must be continually maintained in order to produce results. These include drugs such as Phenobarbital, potassium bromide and Valium.

Nobody wants to have to deal with dog seizures but they can be extremely serious as well as frightening and unsettling. Learn about the types of seizures and what may take place along with possible causes and treatments to be as prepared as possible.

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