Illinois Ag Connection - Watchful Care Makes Epilepsy Manageable in Dogs

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Watchful Care Makes Epilepsy Manageable in Dogs
Illinois Ag Connection - 09/26/2016

Seizures are scary to witness in humans, but they can be just as alarming to see in your pets. Many owners don't realize that dogs can have seizures until the event happens. When a dog has two or more seizures, this disorder is called epilepsy.

Dr. Samantha Vitale, a veterinarian completing a residency in neurology at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, is currently doing preliminary research on epilepsy, comparing serum levels of trace nutrients in epileptic dogs with serum levels in healthy dogs.

According to Dr. Vitale, epilepsy falls into two main categories.

"Primary epilepsy is due to an unknown cause, probably of genetic origin. This is diagnosed in dogs between one and five years old that have no particular reason for their seizures," she explains. "Secondary epilepsy is due to an underlying problem, like a brain lesion, metabolic disease, or toxins."

Any breed of dog can get seizures, although some breeds are genetically predisposed. This list is considerably long, so Dr. Vitale recommends talking to your veterinarian if you're concerned about your dog's breed predispositions.

Some dogs may experience focal seizures that alter their mental state for a brief time. These dogs might lose consciousness, they might "zone out" for a while, or they might have tremors of the face or display a repetitive action such as snapping at invisible flies.

"When a dog is having a generalized, also called a grand mal seizure, typical manifestations include full body convulsions, loss of consciousness, salivation, paddling of the legs, urination, and defecation," says Dr. Vitale. She also explains that seizure frequency and severity can vary drastically based on the patient and the underlying cause. In patients with an increased frequency, anti-convulsant therapy is recommended, with the goal of decreasing the frequency and severity of the seizures by at least 50%.

Seizures that last more than five minutes are considered dangerous because they can lead to serious brain damage and might make future seizures more likely to happen. A dog's body temperature can get dangerously high during a long seizure, which leads to many health complications, such as organ failure.

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