My Dog Had A Seizure. What To Do If Your Dog Has A Seizure.

I was awoken in the middle of the night at 2:45am to a loud banging noise, the noise sounded like a washing machine that is to full and starts to bang against the wall. In my sleepy state I sat up in bed to look around my bedroom and realized to my horror that it was my little Molly having a seizure.  I jumped out of bed and flipped the light on, ran over to her and saw her in this terrible state. Her little body was convulsing and  I knew not to lift her and just pet her gently and talk softly to her until this seizure passed.  It was the longest minute of my life.  The poor little baby had no idea what was happening to her. After this happened  she come out of it and just looked at me like, “what are doing here with me in the middle of the night?’  She appeared a little disoriented but she came out of it fine.  I was hoping this was just an isolated incident and finally went back to sleep. In the morning, I was sitting having my coffee and telling my husband the events from last night and there she was again HAVING A SEIZURE AGAIN!!!!!!  Now, I am REALLY upset.   After a minute the same thing , she was fine.  I called my veterinary  Carolina Pets Animal Hospital  and explained to them what was happening,  they told me to come in and have Molly checked out.  I was there in 10 minutes with Miss Molly. After much talk about seizures and blood work up, the Doctor told me this could very well be an isolated incident  or it could happen again.  The only thing we can do is to keep an eye on her and record when this seizures happen and for how long they last.   If a seizure comes on and happens to last for more than 5 minutes we must RUSH her to the emergency clinic and call them on the way so they could be ready for her when we arrive.  The reason being is that any seizure that lasts more than 5 mins could be life threatening.!!!! Later that evening my family and I were sitting watching TV and my daughter looks at Molly and said “I think Molly is having another seizure”  Sure enough she had a very minor one.  The seizure was for about 5 seconds.  However it was still a seizure and I marked it on her list.  I am really praying that this does not continue.  It is so scary to see your dog go through this because there is NOTHING you can do for them except stay by their side and comfort them. If your dog does continue to  have seizures the veterinarian can put her on medication to control them. So there is a way to help her get through this…. Below are a list of some things that can cause a seizure…. Thanks to PetMed.com for the info below…

Status Epilepticus in Dogs

Status epilepticus, or epilepsy, is a neurological condition that results in recurrent seizures in dogs. Symptoms and Types   There are several different types of seizures or epilepsy that can affect dogs.

• Epilepsy is used to describe recurrent or reoccurring seizures that originate from the brain
• Idiopathic epilepsy describes a form of epilepsy that does not result in brain lesions or damage to the brain
• Symptomatic epilepsy is used to describe primary epilepsy resulting in structural lesions or damage to the brain’s structure
• Probably symptomatic epilepsy is used to describe suspected symptomatic epilepsy, where a patient has reoccurring seizures, but where no lesions or brain damage is apparent
• Cluster seizure describes any situation where an animal has more than one seizure in consecutive 24-hour periods
• Status epilepticus involves constant seizures, or activity involving brief periods where there is inactivity, but not complete relief from seizure activity.

The more seizures a dog has, the more likely there is to be damage among the neurons in the brain, and the more likely the animal is to seize again. Researchers generally classify all seizures as focal seizures, generalized seizures, and focal seizures with secondary generalization. A focal seizure will affect only a small part of the brain. Generalized seizures tend to affect both sides of the brain. Signs of an impending seizure may include a period of warning, where a patient will experience what is called an aura. During this time a dog may appear worried, stressed, or frightened. It may experience visual disturbances or seek help from its owner. The dog may experience contractions in its limbs or in its muscles, and may have difficulty controlling urination and bowel movements. The dog may also experience an altered mental status before progressing to a seizure, as well as develop other neurological symptoms.

Causes

Many different factors, including the pattern of seizures, can influence the development of future seizures. For example, how old a dog is when it first develops a seizure may determine the likelihood that it will develop future seizures, reoccurring seizures, and the frequency and outcome of those seizures.

 Diagnosis

Physical symptoms may include tachycardia, muscle contractions, difficulty with breathing, low blood pressure, weak pulse, fainting, swelling in the brain, and obvious seizures. Some dogs will exhibit mental behaviors that are out of the ordinary, including symptoms of obsessive and compulsive behaviors. Some will demonstrate shaking and twitching. Others may tremble. Still others may die. Laboratory and biochemical tests may reveal the following:

• Low blood sugar
• Kidney and liver failure
• A fatty liver
• An infectious disease in the blood
• Viral or fungal diseases
• Systemic diseases

 If your pet has a seizure please remember that seizures can be scary things. Just be careful handling the pet at all during an episode as they are not in control of their thoughts during that time and could bite you. Make sure that you’ve cleared anything out of the area that could harm them (ie sharp objects, furniture etc), turn down bright lights and remain calm.

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