subject: Does Your Dog or Cat have Seizures? [print this page] Does Your Dog or Cat have Seizures? Does Your Dog or Cat have Seizures?
Seizures in Pets
In 2/3 of the cases of an adult pet that has seizures, there is not an identifiable cause. This leads to a diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy. Idiopathic epilepsy is currently being investigated as a genetic disease. Researchers are working together to identify the gene that is responsible for the condition.
Some seizures are caused by brain disease, liver disease or even nutritional deficiencies. A veterinarian can distinguish between epilepsy and seizures caused by other things by performing a physical examination and various tests.
Seizures are very scary to witness, but it is important to remember NOT to panic.
What to do if your pet has a seizure:
Watch the clock and time the seizure and write it down. Most seizures are short, but seem like they are lasting forever.
Make sure your pet is not near anything that can fall and injure him during the seizure
Do NOT put anything in your pet's mouth, especially your hand. They will not swallow their tongue and they are still breathing
Keep children away from the seizuring pet
If the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, this is an emergency. Get to your veterinarian right away.
Stay with your pet after the seizure ends. If your pet returns to normal within 30-60 minutes after the seizure, there is no need to rush to the vet. It is important to call and make an appointment though.
Before a seizure occurs, there is a change in mental state. This change is called an aura. Service dogs are able to recognize this aura period in humans that suffer from seizure disorders, but most people don't recognize the subtle changes in their pet. Following the aura is the seizure, which usually lasts less than 2 minutes, but often seems much longer. Once the seizure activity has ceased, a post-ictal period ensues. The pet may be lethargic and less interactive than normal. This can last from minutes to hours. Grand mal seizures involve complete loss of awareness, laying or falling down, paddling, vocalization, and often loss of bladder and bowel control. This is not painful, but is very scary to watch. Petit mal seizures are not as severe, and may not even be recognized as a seizure.
Keep a good record of the seizures to share with your veterinarian. This is an important part of diagnosing and treating the seizures.
Treatment is not necessary following one or even two seizures. A seizure may be a one-time event. If we rule out the causes of a seizure and believe that idiopathic epilepsy is the appropriate diagnosis, we should wait until another seizure occurs. This may happen in a day, week, month, or even a year.
The medications that are used to treat epilepsy have side effects. The most common side effect is lethargy. This usually will lessen over time, but many pets are much sleepier than they were prior to taking the medication.
Common medications used to treat seizures:
Phenobarbital will cause lethargy and can be hard on the liver. Frequent blood tests are necessary for pets taking this medication.
Potassium bromide is often given if Phenobarbital is not controlling the seizures or if blood tests show liver problems and the Phenobarbital must be discontinued.
Valium often used as an emergency treatment to stop the seizures.
Alternative therapies are being used in many chronic conditions for humans and for our pets. In the case of epilepsy; acupuncture, massage, supplements and natural diet are 3 things that may help, but certainly do no harm. Food allergy is something that typically causes skin reactions or gastrointestinal upset, but may play a role in seizures. Sometimes an elimination or homemade diet is prescribed to see if it just might help. Taurine has been shown in studies to diminish or even stop seizures altogether in cats with epilepsy. Herbal therapies should probably only be used following a prescription by a veterinary homeopath. Without proper knowledge, many herbs can have potential side effects that may worsen the existing condition.
