All About Epilepsy In Dogs

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes sudden, uncontrolled and recurrent physical attacks in dogs, with or without unconsciousness. Sometimes these attacks can occur for unknown, idiopathic, or genetic reasons. Idiopathic epilepsy is characterized by structural lesions of the brain and is more common in males. If left untreated, the attacks can become more severe and frequent.

What are the symptoms of epilepsy in dogs?

An epileptic dog suffers from seizures. When the crisis is about to arrive, the dog will appear dazed, and can react either by seeking attention or by withdrawing. Once the seizure arrives, the dog will fall on one side, become stiff, his saliva will flow out abundantly, he will lose bladder control and evacuate, in addition he will articulate sounds. These seizures typically last between 30 and 90 seconds.

Seizures usually occur at night or at dawn, when the dog is resting or sleeping. In general, most dogs recover in the time it takes to take them to the vet for tests.

Immediately after the seizure, the dog will feel confused and disoriented. It may also skid and hit furniture or the wall. He will probably have a lot of drool on his face and also some blood from biting his own tongue. He may try to hide and he will be hungry and thirsty. Recovery from the convulsion can occur immediately after or in any case within the following 24 hours.

In the case of a focal attack, the abnormal electrical activity is concentrated in only one part of the brain. Focal seizures can cause unusual movements in one extremity or side of the body. Sometimes they only last a couple of seconds. In a dog suffering from epilepsy, these seizures can begin as focal and then become generalized.

Dogs suffering from epilepsy can suffer from seizures at regular intervals of about 4 weeks. This is particularly the case with large breed dogs.

The younger the dog, the more severe the seizures caused by epilepsy will be. However, when the onset of the disease occurs before the age of 2, medical treatment will be more effective.

In the event that your dog is suffering from an epilepsy attack, you should first try to stay calm. If your dog is near something with which it could hurt or hurt, such as furniture or the stairs, try to gently move it away from that place. 

Keep away from your dog’s mouth and head. Don’t put anything on his mouth. If the seizures last longer than a couple of minutes, the dog’s temperature could rise a lot. So turn on a fan and put cold water on his paws,  talk to him in a low voice and caress him gently. When the seizure ends, the vet should be called immediately.

Epilepsy can also be genetic. For many breeds it is quite common. There are many recessive genes in breeds such as the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Labrador Retriever. There are also recessive traits in dogs of the following breeds: Hungarian Hound, Irish Greyhound, English Springer Spaniel, and Finnish Spitz.

The characteristics associated with genetic epilepsy usually manifest between 10 months and 3 years of a dog’s life. The breeds most prone to idiopathic epilepsy are the beagle, keeshond, belgian shepherd dog, golden retriever, labrador retriever, hungarian hound, and shetland sheepdog

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Treatment

The two most important factors for diagnosing idiopathic epilepsy are the age at which the disease occurs and the pattern of seizures (type and frequency).

In general, part of the treatment is outpatient. It is recommended not to let the dog swim, to prevent it from being hit by a seizure at that moment and risk of drowning. Most dogs who take anticonvulsant drugs will have problems with overweight in the long run. For this reason it is important to monitor the dog’s weight immediately and consult the veterinarian for a preventive diet.

It is important to check the therapeutic levels of drugs in the blood. Dogs treated with phenobarbital, for example, should be monitored after starting treatment, particularly between the second and fourth week. It is recommended that blood chemistry tests be performed every 6 to 12 months.

Epilepsy cannot be prevented. Therefore, if your dog suffers from this disease, it is necessary to try to keep the seizures under control. Try to avoid salty foods for adult dogs that are treated with potassium bromide, as it can cause seizures and kidney failure.