| Recognizing
Epilepsy
By Deanna Mather Larson |
|
Because you have an "at risk" breed doesn’t mean your pet will inherit epilepsy, only that its chances are increased. Mixed breeds aren’t exempt. Any dog can have seizures. A single seizure doesn’t mean your pet is epileptic. For a diagnosis of epilepsy, Holliday explains, "The first requirement is that there be recurrent seizures." Recognizing the symptoms of a seizure and the treatments available will help your pet survive epilepsy. Causes Other causes of epilepsy are brain tumors, birth injuries, a blow to the head or accidents such as near drowning, entanglement or near strangulation, and exposure to a poisonous substance such as lead or mercury. Some experts suspect exposure to insecticides, snail bait and flea dips may cause permanent brain damage. Infections or diseases such as kidney failure, distemper, tetanus, hypoglycemia and some types of parasites or conditions such as malnutrition and dehydration can put your pet at risk. Signs "There isn’t a single definition of seizure," says Dorothy W. Gietzen, Ph.D. and research scientist with the UC-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She explains, "It’s the coordinated firing of lots of neurons that aren’t supposed to work together." You’ll notice a change in your pet’s mood or behavior hours or a few days prior to a seizure. Just before the seizure your dog may whine, pace restlessly, snap at invisible flies, drool, follow you closely or hide. Sometimes a pet growls or exhibits unfounded aggression during this time. When the seizure strikes, there will be a sudden stiffness in limbs followed by collapse and unconsciousness. Muscle contractions will imitate running or walking. Jaws will clamp and there’s a possibility of incontinence of bladder and bowel. "A seizure is an alarming thing for an owner to see if they’ve never witnessed it before," says Holliday. "It seems like it goes on for hours, when in most cases it’s only a few minutes." A seizure may last up to ten minutes. Afterward your pet may remain unresponsive for a few more minutes. Holliday advises, "Don’t try to feed it or water it until it’s up and walking around." After your dog is fully alert, a spoonful of honey may help regain lost blood sugar and may alleviate depression. Danger "A single seizure, you don’t worry about brain damage," states Holliday. "When they start having them and don’t recover consciousness between seizures, it’s absolutely necessary to get help." If your dog’s seizure activity calms, but he doesn’t get up or respond when his name is called, and then starts thrashing again, contact a veterinarian right away. Holliday continues, "If the dog wakes up, then a half an hour later has another seizure, that’s time to get going too." Seizures can look painful. Injuries can occur if a dog’s head or limbs strike something hard or sharp. The dog can bite its lips or tongue. It’s likely that the seizure itself doesn’t cause pain because, as Gietzen explains, "Human epilepsy patients don’t report pain." Helping Talk soothingly and stroke your pet. Don’t try to restrain movements; pad his head. Protect him from dangerous obstacles such as swimming pools or stairs. Keep other dogs away, as they may not understand and may attack a dog during a seizure. An old towel under his rear quarters will protect your rug. "During a seizure there isn’t a lot you can do," Holliday says. He doesn’t advise inserting anything into the dog’s mouth because "the danger of the dog biting its tongue is minimal, and isn’t worth the risk of you getting badly bitten." Diagnosis After your dog has had more than one convulsion take him to your vet. Then Holliday recommends a blood chemistry to rule out liver disease, blood sugar problems and toxicity. Further testing may involve MRIs, CT scans, electroencephalograms or spinal fluid analysis. Most veterinarians do a general chemistry work-up then question the owners about the nature of the seizures and the possibility of exposure to toxic substances before continuing tests. Holliday says, "In dogs five years and older, we’re more anxious to go ahead with imaging. You don’t want to miss the chance of a dog having a brain tumor." Onset of inherited epilepsy is usually before the dog’s second year. Some dogs may go five or six years before their first seizure. With an accident, or other causes, onset can occur immediately or weeks later. Often seizures go unnoticed because the symptoms aren’t recognized or no one is around to observe them. Treatments Holliday advises, "Phenobarbital is the primary anticonvulsant. We’re using a lot of potassium bromide too." The most common medications are phenobarbital, primidone, diazepam and potassium bromide. Phenytoin, or dilantin, is no longer considered effective. Be patient, it will take time to find the correct dosage. Follow your vet’s instructions. A pill dispenser will help you keep track and alert you if medication was missed. Make pill time as unstressful as possible. Try hiding it in a bite of the dog’s favorite soft food.Medication is usually given twice a day. It’s more beneficial when it’s twelve hours apart (this keeps blood serum levels even). You may notice some sedation in your dog, but the effects usually diminish after a few weeks of therapy. It will take time before you see a reduction in seizures. Do not ever stop medication without consulting your veterinarian first. A sudden halt could induce seizures. Alternatives "I always try a hypoallergenic diet," says Susan G. Wynn, DVM, of the Greater Atlanta Veterinary Medical Group and a director on the board of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. "Acupuncture can be very helpful in some dogs," continues Wynn. Another treatment is gold bead or gold wire implants. Supplements such as B6, magnesium, manganese, folic acid, zinc, taurine, and some Chinese herbs are meeting with success. Always consult with a specialist to ensure the correct combination for your dog. If a dog is on drugs, Wynn says, "I don’t change drugs. What I do is add in." She explains, "I’ll do acupuncture, and another thing some people are experimenting with right now is magnets." Our Luci had a second seizure and was started on primidone. Her seizures persisted and potassium bromide was added. Then we began to see some relief. We take heart in Holliday’s assurance that when seizures are controlled life expectancy is good and "quality of life is good, too." With regular treatment most dogs will have one or two seizures a year. Some dogs can become seizure-free. Others may experience a 50 percent or greater reduction in seizure activity. But with love and care, your epileptic pet can live a long, enjoyable life.
This article taken from Dog and Kennel http://www.dogandkennel.com/articles/epilepsy.shtml |
|
|