Pawrenting: Signs and causes of seizures in dogs

You may have witnessed a dog having a seizure, and it is not a pleasant sight.

A seizure in a dog is characterised by a sudden fall, followed by violent jerking spasm of the four legs, frothing at the mouth and sometimes losing control of bladder and the bowel, followed by complete loss of consciousness.

Track frequency and severity

If you witness such, keep off the area around your dog’s mouth to avoid being bitten. You may want to hug the dog or comfort it by stroking its head but doing so could be dangerous. Minutes to hours after the seizure, the dog could still be demented and disoriented and can turn to be aggressive. So you need to be careful during an episode and afterwards.

It would help if you also tracked how often the seizures are occurring, how long they last and their severity. This history will be helpful when you go to the vet.

It is advisable to rush a dog to the vet if it has been seizing for five minutes. If it stops midway to the doc, you can watch it for a bit and decide if it needs medical intervention or not. 

The vet can also give you a drug that you can administer to the dog when they get an attack. 

Pushing on the dog’s eyes

There are also a few exercises you can do to lessen the duration and severity of the seizure.

The exercises are done when you notice the signs of an impending attack. Some of them are gently pushing on the dog’s eyes, with closed eyelids for about 10 seconds to a minute.

This can be done every five minutes, and if you get good at it, you can stave off an attack.
There are many types of seizures, but the most common one is epilepsy. Its origin is unknown as it does not originate from infections, drugs or toxins. A diagnosis of epilepsy is made when all the other types of seizures have been ruled out. Remember, the first time your dog gets an attack, remain calm, stay safe and time the length of the attack and after they recover, call your vet and see how soon you can visit them. Record the ordeal as the video will help the vet know if it was indeed a seizure or a cardiac event as the two are very similar. A cardiac event is softer than a seizure and lasts a short while. It is more like fainting for the dog, and it recovers faster.
Do not be alarmed when your dog gets a seizure; it may be a while before they get another attack, and if the attacks become frequent, your vet will come in handy. 

Maryanne is a pet owner. [email protected]