5 Reasons Your Dog May Have a Seizure

5 Reasons Your Dog May Have a Seizure

5 Reasons Your Dog May Have a Seizure

People in England use the term "fits" to describe what happens to a person when their brain loses control over the body. In the U.S. these fits are more often called seizures. This article is going to help explain and summarize the reasons why dogs have seizures.

EPILEPSY. The primary cause of dog seizures is epilepsy, but it is important to make the distinction that not all seizures are attributable to epilepsy. The definition of epilepsy was discovered by some people who were on a walk in the woods and happened upon a wolf that was throwing fits, looking as if he were doing some odd dance on a path in the woods. This group told the rangers and since the group was considered a group of idiots, the term used to describe this type of seizure is idiopathic epilepsy. So this story is not completely true, but it sure is more exciting than the real scientific story about how the term was created. The truth is that the experts use the term "idiopathic epilepsy" to describe a situation when a dog is having seizures and they don't know the actual, true cause.

TOXINS. There are a lot of different types of toxins that dogs can become in contact with or ingest that will cause them to have seizures. Some of these toxins include poisons that are used for insect or rodent control, flea or slug powders - even the chemicals that are typically used on collars for dogs to get rid of ticks or other pests. Other things that are toxins that can bring about seizures, include paint, insecticides and antifreeze, which are also products that can be fatal. With early treatment and intervention, most animals have a good to fair prognosis of making a full recovery if they have a seizure as a result of an environmental poisoning.

BRAIN TUMORS. Obviously, one of the easiest things to rule out, as a cause of dog seizures, is whether there is an abnormal growth in the dog's brain. Tumors cause pressure to build upon the brain tissue as they grow, causing neurological abnormalities such as seizures. There are tests, like an MRI or CAT scan, that can detect tumors, but it is important to know that most dogs do not get seizures due to tumors, so it is just a possibility. A tumor or a head injury that causes seizures cannot be treated with medications, so that is why it is important to rule these causes out.

TICK INDUCED DISEASES. Aside from inflicting a painful bite on your dog, ticks can cause a dog or human to contract Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme disease, both of which can cause a dog to have seizures. If the tick is discovered within the first 24 hours after it has attached itself to the dog, the chance of infection is greatly reduced. There are antibiotics that can kill Lyme Disease, and most dogs respond quite well in general to antibiotics.

DISTEMPER. This condition is generally marked by symptoms such as a fever, diarrhea and dehydration, all of which can lead to seizures in dogs, and is seen most commonly in puppies once they reach the age of 3 months and lose the antibodies they received from their mother. This is why it is vital to get your dog vaccinations as soon as possible, because vaccinations are the only way to prevent this disease - unfortunately once a dog gets it, it is in many cases fatal.

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