Some Things You Should Know About Seizures In Dogs

Pet owners and people whose job it is to look after and work with animals should know about seizures in dogs. It helps to understand them if you know what they are and if there are different types. You will then be able to tell if one is going to occur and how you can help that animal through it. They may need some special care whilst recovering and there could be long term care options which you will find out about after you visit your veterinarian.

Seizures can result in reduced levels of consciousness or total loss of consciousness and are triggered by an unusual occurrence in the brain. When they occur they can be unexpected and a shock to the owner and can last from few seconds to a whole hour. It is important to contact the vet when you first witness one and particularly if it lasts longer than five minutes.

What may appear as an amusing leg twitch or an unusual mouth movement that the animals appears to have no control over may be a focal seizure. The more obvious and well known type of occurrence is the full body stiffness with some involuntary movement of part of the body, and perhaps uncontrolled barking or whining. These are called Generalized seizures.

It is sometimes possible to see when a seizure is going to occur with the presence of unusual behavior. Your pet may appear worried or frightened by an apparently imagined reason. Once the incident is over you may find that your animal has still not returned to its usual self and there may still be some behavior which seems out of place, they might appear lost and confused.

If this is the first time you have experienced a seizure in your animal you should contact your veterinarian, this will allow them to determine the severity and possible cause of the incident. Whilst the seizure is happening remain calm and move things that might hurt the dog out of the near vicinity. Although it is a worrying experience try not to go near your dog, the involuntary movements can result in an injury to you. If they are near stairs try to block the entry way to them to prevent the canine from falling down them.

Whether your canine seems sleepy and grumpy or disorientated and lost your best response is one that is calm and controlled. Talk quietly to your dog and reassure them, allow them to decide where they want too be but try to keep an eye on them. Make some notes about what happened, such as the length of time it took for the dog to be conscious again.

Your vet may recommend a course of treatment or one that is more long term and that will have to be administered regularly at home. If it occurred as a result of injury or tumor there may be a need for an operation. The vet will determine the severity and whether or not medication is needed. It could take some time however to find a medication which suits the animal.

You now know what a seizure is and the types there are, you know some of the signs that one might occur and what to do if it does, not to mention the aftercare. The best thing you can do for your dog is have them checked out at the vets surgery and give them the details you noted down for their diagnosis. This could help them to decide on whether or not they need medication.

I have more information about canine epilepsy at Cory's Story.