When veterinary patients are known to be predisposed to seizures, their owners will benefit from being provided with information that helps them to understand, know what to expect, and what to do.

Cause of Pet Seizures

Seizures (ictals) are:

• A serious neurologic abnormality occurring within the brain
• Caused by atypical electrical activity
• Most common at the site of the cerebral hemisphere, but may span out into other areas such as the midbrain

Types of Pet Seizures

Grand Mal Seizure

• Signs of a grand mal seizure may include:
  • Aura, a period of altered behavior that occurs before the seizure (pre-ictal phase), when the animal will:
    • Be restless or seem anxious
    • Cry out
    • Demand attention or seek isolation
  • A seizure (interictal phase) commonly lasts less than two minutes, and animal will often:
    • Collapse with legs rigid and extended
    • Lose consciousness
    • Stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds
  • Further behaviors may include:
    • Rhythmic leg jerking
    • Chomping, drooling, chewing
    • Urinating
    • Defecating
  • Once the dog regains a level of consciousness it enters a post-seizure (post-ictal) state and may:
    • Appear disoriented and confused
    • Stumble around, walking into walls or objects, and appear to be blind
    • These symptoms may last for minutes to hours

Focal Motor or Partial Seizure

• Often indicative of a specific brain injury, such as:
  • Scarring
  • Tumor
  • Abscess
• Symptoms include:
  • Jerking or twitching that is limited to a specific part of the body
• Seizures of this type are associated with:
  • Brain injury
  • Encephalitis
  • Heat stroke
  • Brain abscess
  • Brain tumor
  • Stroke
  • Poisoning
  • Kidney failure
  • Liver failure

Postencephalitic Seizure

• Occur within weeks after onset of encephalitis
• Animals diagnosed with distemper will show symptoms that begin with:
  • Chomping
  • Tongue chewing
  • Foaming at mouth
  • Head shaking
  • Blinking
• Following the start of the symptoms, the animal will appear dazed

Additional Medical Causes of Seizures

• Low blood calcium levels
  • May occur following whelping
• Hypoglycemia
  • Commonly caused when diabetic dog receives too much insulin
  • May occur in:
    • Newborn pups diagnosed with cardiopulmonary syndrome
    • Improperly fed puppies

Non-Medical Causes of Seizures

• Common poisons
  • Strychnine
    • Found in animal and rodent baits
  • Ethylene glycol
    • Antifreeze
  • Lead
    • Occurs in dogs who ingest lead through such things as:
      • Lead-based paint chips or dust
      • Lead shot
      • Toys
      • Certain types of insulation
  • Organophosphates
    • Occurs through exposure to insecticides
    • Contact is often made through exposure to sprays, dip, or a type of property or house treatment
    • Symptoms include periods of drooling and muscle twitching prior to the seizure
  • Chocolate
    • One of the most common causes of dog poisoning

What to Do in Case of Pet Seizures

Providing clients with the following directions will help to ease their feeling of helplessness in situations when their animal is having a seizure.

• Do not move animal unless it is in a dangerous location
  • Disturbing the dog either during or after the seizure may potentially trigger further seizures
• Regardless of what they have heard about wedging a spoon in the mouth of a seizing victim, do not put something between the dog’s teeth
• A dog can’t swallow its tongue, so do not pull their tongue out
• Note the start and stop time of the seizure
• As soon as the seizure ends, contact the veterinarian
• Expect to bring the animal to the veterinary clinic

Also, educate clients on the following emergency conditions that will require immediate veterinary contact and medical intervention:

• Seizures that last longer than five minutes
• Cluster seizures
  • When several seizures occur, one right after the other, without the animal regaining consciousness

It's important for patients to know that one seizure does not always mean their pet has Epilepsy. Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizure activity. There are three types of Epilepsy in dogs: reactive, secondary, and primary. Reactive epileptic seizures are caused by metabolic issues, such as low blood sugar or kidney or liver failure. Epilepsy attributed to brain tumor, stroke or other trauma is known as secondary or symptomatic Epilepsy. Primary, or idiopathic, Epilepsy has no known cause and is typically diagnosed after ruling out the other two types. It is also important to note that idiopathic Epilepsy in dogs is often genetic and found in certain breeds.

Knowing what to expect and what steps to take when their pet is having a seizure will help clients to remain calm in order to properly attend to their animal when they are having a seizure. If interested in additional tips that help to educate clients, contact your Covetrus representative at 855.724.3461.

Sources:

canine-epilepsy.net

http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/news/pet-news/spring-months-can-trigger-seizures-in-dogs/389