Epilepsy in dogs [emergency first aid]: treatment and prevention

Epilepsy in dogs is a common, chronic neurological disorder that causes the animal to experience sudden, uncontrollable, repeated seizures. Epileptic seizures (fits) can occur with or without loss of consciousness. The first seizure can frighten an owner who has never seen seizures in dogs. Don't be afraid - this is not a death sentence! But there is no need to relax - the disease must be diagnosed and treated in time. From our material you will learn why there is no need to be afraid of seizures, what the owner should know about epilepsy. Learn how to stop seizures and help your pet. This knowledge will help you react correctly to your pet’s condition and provide your dog with competent assistance in a timely manner.

First aid

The most important thing an owner can do for his dog is to remain calm and sober. This is the first and main point in our memo. During an attack, a dog has absolutely no control over itself and its behavior; it can injure itself. The owner must be nearby to protect the pet from possible bruises and injuries.

Reminder - what to do during a seizure

The most important thing is to remain calm and not touch your pet during a seizure. Some owners try to move the animal, they want to put it in a safe place. This is mistake! When the seizure begins, leave the dog in the place where the seizure occurred .
The only case when you can shift the dog is if the seizure overtook him on a high staircase. The risk of falling must be eliminated.
Move furniture and other furnishings that your pet could hit. Your task is to ensure that the dog does not injure itself.
Create silence and darkness in the room where the sick animal is located. There is no need for the whole family to crowd around the pet.
Provide fresh air into the room. Open the vents, windows, doors.
There is no need to try to calm your pet with words and gestures - this can provoke an increase in neurotic reaction.
Do not touch or hold the dog . The only thing you can do is gently turn her head to the side.
Do not try to open your jaw with your hands or objects . An animal may bite you. To prevent the tongue from sticking, the animal must be on a flat floor with its head turned to one side.
To help your veterinarian make a diagnosis, time the start and end of the seizure. It will be very good if you manage to film the attack on video and keep a special diary for recording seizures.
When the seizures end, contact your veterinarian, tell him about the symptoms, duration of the seizures. If the seizure lasted for a long time (more than 5 minutes), invite a doctor to your home.

Important!
Forget the common advice of inserting a spoon between the animal's teeth to open the jaws. This is a wrong recommendation. This can injure the dog.

Memo to the owner

There is no cure for epilepsy, it is impossible to completely cure the disease, this canine diagnosis is for life. Attacks can occur once a month, twice a year, and in the secondary form up to several times a week. The more severe the course, the higher the likelihood that the dog will not survive another attack. But this does not mean that the pet should die; not a single veterinarian will advise euthanasia, without the presence of significant conditions.

As an exception: a symbiosis of epilepsy and a concomitant disease, malignant neoplasms with metastasis to vital organs.

Help with an epileptic attack:

Isolate strangers, other family members, and animals.
You cannot carry the dog; make sure the area around it is as safe as possible.
Keep your head on the side and do not put fingers or objects in your mouth.

There are medications that keep your pet’s body in a stable state. But during an attack they do not use traditional medicines, tablets, or solutions. Medicines during the “X-hour” are strictly contraindicated!

Convulsions during epilepsy stop within 2-5 minutes; if this does not happen, epistatus is observed; a veterinarian should be called immediately.

If during an attack a “trouble” occurs (involuntary discharge of urine or feces), the dog is not scolded. This is uncontrollable, and reproach has a detrimental effect on the nervous system, worsening the course of epilepsy.

Classification of epilepsy

Epilepsy in dogs is divided into structural (acquired) and idiopathic (congenital).

Structural (secondary) epilepsy

The root cause of this type of epilepsy is some kind of brain pathology. Seizures occur against the background of abnormalities in brain development, injuries, infectious pathologies, and neoplasms in the brain.

Idiopathic epilepsy

This is the most common type of epilepsy in dogs. This diagnosis is made if the underlying cause of the seizures cannot be identified. The disease usually affects young animals from six months to 6 years.

It is generally accepted that idiopathic epilepsy occurs as a result of a combination of genetic predisposition and negative external factors. The disease is lifelong; the dog requires lifelong observation and supportive therapy.

What problems may arise

A pet with epilepsy will have to be on anticonvulsant medications for the rest of its life. This leads to the animal's dependence. If you skip taking medications or replace the medications with others, your dog may have a severe attack (sometimes with serious consequences affecting the mental state).

The complexity of such treatment lies in the fact that pharmacies dispense medications for epilepsy according to prescriptions that can only be prescribed by a specialist with a narrow focus. But it is not always possible to find a competent doctor who can correctly diagnose the problem and select the right treatment.

Not everything is so simple with the examination of the animal. Not every hospital may have a complete set of necessary equipment.

Causes

Epileptic seizures occur for a number of reasons. Some of them are hereditary, some are acquired.

Congenital causes

Degenerative pathologies of the brain.
Head injuries received at birth.
Infectious diseases during a dog's pregnancy can cause epilepsy in puppies.
Unfair breeding of purebred animals with defective genes and closely related individuals.

All congenital causes can only be identified after in-depth diagnostic studies.

Acquired reasons

Traumatic brain injuries sustained in childhood and adulthood.
Neoplasms of benign and malignant nature in the brain.
Viral and bacterial infections.
Toxic effects of lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxic substances.
Hormonal imbalance due to endocrine pathologies.
Exhaustion due to prolonged fasting or poor diet.
Severe fear, stressful situations.
Serious pathologies of internal organs and systems: urolithiasis, heart failure, kidney and liver pathologies.
Infection with helminths.
Poisonous snake bites.
Electric shock.
Deficiency of vitamins and minerals necessary for the functioning of the nervous system: magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, vitamin D.

Important!
The causes of acquired epilepsy are often identified too late. Since several years may pass between an attack of epilepsy and the cause that caused it.

Dog Breeds Prone to Epilepsy

Idiopathic epilepsy is a genetic disorder in some dog breeds. Dogs of these breeds should be tested for epilepsy and not allowed to breed if pathology is detected.

Breeds in which epilepsy is most often detected:

beagle;
Golden retriever;
Labrador Retriever;
Belgian Shepherd Tervuren;
dachshund;
collie;
Sheltie;
Irish Setter;
Bernese Mountain Dog;
Finnish Spitz;
Irish Wolfhound;
Hungarian Vizsla;
Keeshond;
miniature schnauzer;
English Springer Spaniel.

How to prepare your child for a dog seizure

Children treat animals with great love. They worry when their pet is sick. An epileptic seizure will be a real shock for a child. So that the impressionable little one does not get scared, he should be prepared in advance for such a phenomenon.

The child is explained why this happens to his pet. They assure that the dog is not dying, but is simply sick and needs rest.

As soon as the animal begins another attack, children must be removed from the room or asked to move away if the action takes place on the street.

Treatment

Idiopathic (true) epilepsy cannot be treated. Only the root cause that caused the pathology can be cured.

Therapy in the case of epilepsy consists of anticonvulsant treatment, which is aimed at stopping seizures, reducing their frequency, and achieving long-term remission. The task of the owner and veterinarian is to improve the quality of life of a sick animal. With timely administration of antiepileptic drugs, long-term remission is achieved in 15-30% of dogs.

Dogs with idiopathic epilepsy who experience 1 to 2 seizures per year are not prescribed treatment.

When does a dog need medication?

Drug treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian based on diagnostic studies and analysis of the nature of the attacks based on the diary kept by the owner.

Therapy is prescribed in the following cases:

the animal has more than 1 seizure per month;
the duration of each attack is more than 5 minutes;
convulsive seizures are repeated one after another after a short period of time;
the severity of the seizures increases, the dog’s condition worsens.

Such animals are prescribed lifelong treatment under constant veterinary supervision. To select the correct dosage and monitor the pet’s condition, the doctor must check the pet’s health and do a blood test.

Important!
Do not neglect regular preventive examinations in order to promptly identify possible negative consequences of antiepileptic therapy or epilepsy attacks.

Medications

The list of veterinary drugs used in the treatment of epilepsy is insignificant - this is due to their high toxicity.

Domestic and foreign veterinarians use the following medications in antiepileptic therapy for dogs:

Phenobarbital

An effective anticonvulsant and sedative that has been used for a long time. Reduces the dog's excitability, increases resistance to stressful situations, and prevents epileptic seizures. Available in the form of injections, tablets and syrup. The medicine is dispensed from the pharmacy with a prescription. Strict adherence to the dosage prescribed by the veterinarian is required.

Recommended starting dose: 2.5-3 mg/kg 2 times a day.

Contraindications : chronic liver diseases.

Side effects:

sedation (drowsiness);
polyphagia (gluttony);
partial or complete loss of coordination of movements (ataxia);
thirst and increased urination.

Imepitoin

The new generation drug has been used in veterinary practice since 2013. Recommended for identifying idiopathic epilepsy. Has fewer side effects. Available in tablets.

Recommended initial dose: 10-20 mg/kg 2 times a day.

Contraindications : weight below 5 kg.

Side effect : gluttony (polyphagia).

Potassium bromide (KBr)

It is used in veterinary medicine only as an adjuvant in complex therapy with anticonvulsants. Improves control of seizures. It has many side effects and must be taken under constant veterinary supervision.

Recommended dosage: 15 mg/kg 2 times a day.

Contraindications : kidney and liver pathologies.

Side effects:

drowsiness;
voracity;
loss of coordination of movements;
hind limb weakness;
vomiting and nausea.

The first two drugs are first-line drugs. The veterinarian may prescribe your dog either Phenobarbital or Impetion, a new generation anticonvulsant drug.

Potassium bromide is prescribed additionally if therapy with first-line drugs does not produce the desired effect. Combination use of drugs is possible. The type of drugs and their combination, as well as the dosage, is chosen by the attending veterinarian. Self-medication is unacceptable for this serious pathology.

Important!
Never give dogs epilepsy medications from a human medicine cabinet.

Diet for epilepsy

Proper diet plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of dogs with epilepsy . Your veterinarian may be able to create a new diet for your sick dog to help control seizures.

The main rule is to be consistent. Frequent changes in food can trigger attacks.
Follow feeding standards - do not overfeed, and do not keep your pet on a starvation diet.
Give meals at the same time, stick to the schedule.
Do not give your dog hot or cold food - only warm food is allowed.
Include in the diet of dogs on a natural diet: sardines, legumes, white cabbage, boiled carrots and millet. The amount of animal proteins needs to be reduced. Avoid salty foods.
Ready-made feeds should contain sufficient amounts of magnesium, B vitamins and manganese.
Naturally fed pets must be given vitamin and mineral complexes as prescribed by a veterinarian.

Alternative Treatments

Traditional medicine is not used for epilepsy. Only vitamin therapy and acupuncture are allowed for dogs. Acupuncture is carried out on 10 sensitive points, in sessions of 20 minutes. within 30 days. Vitamin therapy is aimed mainly at replenishing the deficiency of B vitamins.

Important!
These methods do not replace traditional medicine; they are prescribed as part of complex therapy along with anticonvulsants.

Status epilepticus: life-threatening for the dog

The intervals between attacks last several weeks or months. Seizures can strike a dog at any moment - while eating, sleeping or playing. It’s good if the seizure started at home.

But the disease can also manifest itself during a walk. Having started to rush about at the aura stage, the pet becomes detached from its surroundings and does not realize where it is moving. As a result, he may end up under the wheels of a car.

Epistatus

Short-term seizures are not dangerous for a dog.
But if the attacks cascade one after another, they speak of status epilepticus. A generalized seizure lasts more than 30 minutes and is characterized by the animal repeatedly entering the ictal phase without regaining consciousness.

Epistatus is a clear sign of progressive brain damage. The longer a pet takes to regain consciousness after a seizure, the more likely it is that it will die.

What should the owner of a sick animal do?

The tablets should be given at the same time every day.
It is important to follow the prescribed dosage.
It is unacceptable to interrupt or stop treatment without a veterinarian's prescription.
Do not resort to traditional methods of treatment. They are not effective for epilepsy.
Keep a diary in which you note all epileptic seizures and describe their duration and symptoms.
Visit the clinic every 3 months to have blood drawn and see a neurologist.

Important!
Long-term use of antiepileptic drugs can lead to the development of anemia in the dog. Get your blood tested regularly.

Risk group

An epileptic seizure can strike any dog, regardless of age or breed. But some breeds have a predisposition to genetic epilepsy:

Lagotto Romagnolo;
Labrador Retriever;
Irish Wolfhound;
Beagle;
Belgian Shepherd;
Golden retriever;
Dachshund;
Collie;
Bernese Mountain Dog and some others...

Not all dogs of these breeds will have epilepsy. But the likelihood that it will appear between the ages of 6 months and 6 years is greater than in other breeds.

How to know if treatment is helping

Antiepileptic therapy is considered successful if seizures stop completely or their number is reduced by half. If a 50% reduction in the frequency of attacks cannot be achieved, the doctor may prescribe additional medications or increase the dosage of monotherapy.

How to detect epilepsy attacks

To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment, it is important to keep a diary and note all recorded cases in it. For the convenience of owners of dogs with epilepsy, an application for smartphones, RVC Pet Epilepsy Tracker, has been developed, in which seizures can be noted and described in detail.

You can also use the PetPace smart collar, which can detect seizures when your dog is home alone. The collar records all indicators (pulse, temperature, breathing rate) and can send the owner a message on a smartphone when a seizure is approaching.

How long do dogs with epilepsy live?

It all depends on what type of epilepsy and when the dog was diagnosed. With timely diagnosis and lifelong therapy, dogs can live to a ripe old age.

Life expectancy is affected by:

the age of the dog at which the first seizures appeared;
severity of epileptic seizures and their frequency;
the dog’s reaction to therapy, the presence of side effects;
type of epilepsy and cause of seizures;
whether the animal receives or does not receive treatment.

Factors causing the disease

Epileptic crisis is the result of a neurological failure. Scientists distinguish primary and secondary forms of the disease.

The primary, or genetic form, appears in the puppy from birth. It is inherited from their parents, so they try to exclude such individuals from breeding. The secondary, that is, acquired form, is associated with the influence of external factors on health.

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The hereditary disease is diagnosed in four-legged animals from 6 months to 3 years. How this form is transmitted from ancestors to offspring has not yet been established.

The reasons why a dog develops an acquired type of disease are very diverse:

poisoning with dangerous toxins (lead, strychnine, arsenic);
severe metabolic disorders (low blood sugar levels, deficiency of necessary enzymes);
liver, kidney failure;
skull injuries;
infectious lesions of the body (distemper, piroplasmosis, toxoplasmosis);
bites of poisonous insects, snakes;
intoxication due to internal parasites;
a large lack of magnesium, potassium, and certain vitamins;
a brain tumor.

Epilepsy in dogs occurs regardless of their age and breed. With a genetic disease, neurological outbreaks often occur for the first time in young dogs. In individuals over five years of age, the disease is likely to be a consequence of the above factors.

Symptoms

The dog owner needs to be able to diagnose an approaching seizure in order to have time to provide help to the pet. To do this, you need to know the symptoms of the pathology. An epileptic seizure occurs in several stages (phases), each stage has its own symptoms.

Prodromal (early) . This period passes without significant symptoms. Duration: from several days to 2-3 hours. The animal may be worried and show increased anxiety.
Aura (preliminary phase) . Lasts from 1 to 30 minutes. The dog shows anxiety, whines, trembles, and drools. There may be a slight loss of coordination. Sometimes the aura manifests itself as complete immobility of the animal.
Seizure (ictal phase) . Direct epileptic seizure. Manifested by muscle cramps and arching of the body. The dog may fall, lose consciousness, suffer from hallucinations, and jerk its legs randomly. The head is thrown back. The body becomes partially numb. Increased salivation, chattering of teeth and chewing appear. Involuntary emptying of the bladder and bowels is possible. Lasts from a few seconds to 5 minutes.
Postictal phase (recovery period) . The animal is lethargic, disoriented, with confused consciousness. The dog does not recognize the owner, gets scared, and may be overly restless. The period of recovery from a seizure can last from several hours to 3 days.

In each specific case the picture may be different. It is important to note all this in your observation diary.

Diagnostics

To make a correct diagnosis, it is important to carefully study the history. Your diary entries and descriptions of the attacks will help the doctor with this. A veterinary neurologist makes a diagnosis based on an assessment of the age of onset of epilepsy and the frequency and duration of seizures. In addition, the clinic conducts a number of diagnostic studies.

Diagnostic methods

Collection and study of anamnesis.
Primary visual examination, palpation.
General urine analysis
General and biochemical blood test.
Determination of residual nitrogen in urea.
Ultrasound of the abdominal organs.
Radiography.
CT scan.
Fecal analysis for helminths.
Measuring blood glucose levels.
Electroencephalogram.
Cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
Measurement of lead and calcium concentrations in biological fluids.
Cardiogram.

When diagnosing epilepsy and identifying genetic predisposition, special attention is paid to studying the dog’s pedigree. The final diagnosis is made only after studying and summarizing all the tests.

Prevention

An effective preventive measure for dogs with idiopathic (congenital) epilepsy is the creation of a safe living environment at home. In rooms where sick pets live, all sharp corners should be covered, there should be no clutter of furniture or high stairs. It is advisable to have someone with the dog at all times.

The second thing that owners of sick dogs should remember is that stress and anxiety can trigger a seizure. There is no need to overload the dogs with grueling walks and training, take part in exhibitions and shows with them, or take them on trips.