Dog Seizures, What To Do? What Are They? What Causes Dog Seizures?
Dog seizures have a number of causes and not all of them are true Canine Epilepsy. Below you'll find the most common pet medicines prescribed for dog seizures and their side effects, plus a much better pet medicine with natural ingredients & no side effects.
Among dog breeds, the Golden Retriever is highly susceptible to dog seizures. Other dog breeds that seem more susceptible to dog seizures are Collies, Poodles, Beagles, Keeshunds, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherds.
Does a friend or family member's pet have a problem with dog seizures? Do them a huge favor they'll thank you for...............Email Them This Page! You'll find a cute little animated envelope below.
Dog Seizure Information and The Types Of Dog Seizures
It is important to seek medical care for your dog if he/she has more than one seizure per month, has changed behavior in between the seizures, or becomes generally lethargic, has difficulty in walking, or refuses food. (Excluding the "Post-ictal" period of 24 hours directly after the seizure)
Types Of Dog Seizures
If only a portion of the body is affected, the dog seizure is called a Focal Simple Seizure, meaning the dog retains consciousness. Focal Simple Seizures often involve the muscles of the face.
If only a portion of the body is affected, and the pet looses consciousness, the dog seizure is called a Focal Complex Seizure.
Another type of dog seizure is a Focal Motor Seizure, involving a repeated twitching movement in either the face or limbs and usually only lasts a few seconds. These type of seizures may often go unnoticed especially if they involve fairly innocuous movements like swallowing.
When an area of the brain that controls the conscious process is affected, the dog seizure is called a Psychomotor Seizure. During this altered period of consciousness, the dog may show fear, aggression, hyperactivity, repetitive nonsensical behavior, gum chewing or snapping at imaginary insects.
A Grand Mal Seizure causes an acute decrease in consciousness, repeated movements of the body, excessive salivation, vomiting and often a loss of bladder and bowel control. This event may last from 30 seconds to a few minutes. This dog seizure is generally followed by a period of drowsiness, difficulty walking, difficulty seeing, lack of appetite, and changes in behavior, which can last around 24 hours.
The Causes Of Dog Seizures
In diagnosed Canine Epilepsy, the root cause of seizures is a defect in nerve transmissions within the brain.During an epileptic seizure random impulses are sent from the nerve cells of the brain to muscle tissue throughout the body. In "true" or idiopathic epilepsy the source of these abnormal brain impulses are small areas of abnormal or damaged brain tissue.
During a dog's seizure, these tiny areas of abnormal brain tissues begin sending out electrical impulses that are received by the nerve cells that surround them. This results in a chain reaction, where the surrounding nerve cells are stimulated to fire off a shower of signals of their own to various muscles of the body. These abnormal electrical signals constitute a seizure.
Secondary Canine Epilepsy frequently occurs due to non-brain events.
Examples are Overheating (hyperthermia), increased intracranial pressure, low blood glucose, fevers, intestinal inflammation, a major body organ failure, an injury to the head, ingested poisons, ingested chemicals (including BHA and BHT in dog foods), and nutrient deficiencies.
Comfort During A Dog Seizure
How Can I Help My Dog During A Seizure?
Darken the room, and keep other family members away.Remove any objects that are near your dog, so he won't injure himself.
Place your dog's head on a soft folded towel or pillow.
You can gently stroke and speak calmly and softly to your dog, but they will not know you are present until the seizures begin to subside.
You could carry the dog in a blanket to a tiled area if you're worried about their loss of bladder and bowel control.
Do not put your hands or fingers into your dog's mouth or you could be bitten.
Rarely will a dog "swallow" its tongue, but if the dog should turn bluish you can use an inverted spoon to manipulate the tongue.
If this is not sufficient and the dog is still having difficulty breathing, open the mouth by passing two towels through the mouth and pulling on them - one up, one down - to force the mouth open.
Dog Seizures are generally followed by a period of drowsiness, difficulty walking, difficulty seeing, and changes in behavior, which can last around 24 hours. Your dog may also have difficulty controlling their head motions. Eating and drinking may be very hard for them, so try hand feeding them.
One to three minute dog seizures are the most common.
Seizures in dogs that last five to ten minutes are less common.
Dog seizures that last longer than fifteen minutes can become medical emergencies since these dogs may have trouble breathing.
A Listing Of Harmful Drugs Used For Dog Seizures, and Their Side Effects
Anti-epileptic drugs such as Phenobarbital are commonly used to reduce or prevent dog seizures. I have listed the most common dog seizure drugs here for you, to inform you about how seriously harmful they are.Phenobarbitol:
The side effects of Phenobarbitol are sedation, loss of coordination, lethargic, appearance of depression, weight gain, increased thirst, increased eating, excessive urination, difficulty balancing, weakness in the rear legs, and elevations in serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) levels which is found by blood tests. Another side effect is the dog's system becomes used to the drug, and will usually need a greater dosage to maintain control. Dogs taking Phenobarbital need to have their liver enzymes tested every few months to check for possible liver damage. Phenobarbital can cause severe liver disease.
Potassium Bromide:
It is prescribed and used to lower the dose of Phenobarbital. Side effects of Potasium Bromide are vomiting, depresssion, lethargy, and extreme drowsiness.
Clorazepate:
This drug has been used in conjunction with Phenobarbital. Clorazepate is a benzodiazepine drug of the same group as Valium. Side effects of Clorazepate are sleepiness and a wobbly gait.
Felbamate:
It is often given in conjunction with Phenobarbital to lower the Phenobarbital dose. Blood samples need to be taken to check for the possible side effects of liver toxicity and bone marrow suppression.
Gabapentin (Neurontin)
It is often administered as a supplement to other anti-seizure medication such as Phenobarbitol and Potassium Bromide. My personal experience with this medication was my Mother and Sister, who have had multiple back surgeries each. Neurontin caused mental confusion in both of them, and forgetfulness. My sister nearly burned down her kitchen on Neurontin. I couldn't find any information on the side effects on dogs, but I would not recommend putting your dog on it.
Levetiracetam: (Keppra)
Used in people to control both focal and generalized seizures. Keppra has been used in dogs in combination with Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide to lower the daily dose of Phenobarbital received, and in cases where Phenobarbital was not able to control the seizures. Keppra side effects in dogs include a stiff wobbly gait, vomiting, and salivation.
Zonisamide:
Dogs taking this drug need to be their salt levels monitored.
A Much Healthier Pet Medicine Alternative, And Better Way To Treat And Prevent Dog Seizures
EaseSure is a 100% natural blend of herbal and homeopathic ingredients specially selected to treat and prevent seizures in dogs. It may be used to relieve acute seizures immediately, and may also be used preventatively for the treatment of chronic dog seizure disorders.The EaseSure Drops may be used instead of or along with your dog's conventional medication for seizures. However, it is not recommended that you discontinue your dog's prescription seizure medication without consulting your veterinarian. Also consult your veterinarian first when deciding to use EaseSure simultaneously with their prescription medication, so that your dog's progress may be adequately monitored.
When used acutely, EaseSure should take effect within minutes and you will find your dog's seizure resolves more quickly than usual.
When EaseSure is used regularly on a chronic basis you will notice a decreased overall frequency of seizures within 3-6 weeks.
EaseSure's All Natural Ingredients Are:
Passiflora incarnata (Passionflower) is an herb used widely for anxiety and stress and is also useful for calming an overstimulated nervous system. In this way Passiflora is effective in both prevention and treatment of seizures, especially when stress is a precipitating factor, as is often the case with seizures.
Scuttelaria laterifolia (Skullcap) is a well-known calmative and antispasmodic herb and will help to reduce over-stimulation that can lead to seizure occurrence. It is also helpful in lowering fever and regulating blood pressure, two further contributing precipitants of seizures in dogs.
Hyoscyamus (30C)is a homeopathic remedy valuable in the acute and long-term treatment of all seizures and tic disorders.
Belladonna (30C)is also a homeopathic remedy well-known for its usefulness in seizure control, especially those seizures associated with high fever.
Cuprum mettalicum (30C)another homeopathically prepared ingredient, controls seizures and any associated mental dullness or vomiting.
Customer Testimonials Of This Natural Dog Seizure Medicine
"[EaseSure] is an excellent product. It really works. My dog started having seizures at 5 yrs.old. They were very serious cluster seizures. He was put on phenobarb and potossium bromide. This made him both sick and extremely drugged. I came across Easesure and decided to give it a try. I bought one bottle to start, only wishing I bought the buy two get one free pkg because that is a better deal. The first two weeks I gave this product three times a day,10 drops [large dog] mixed in a teaspoon of honey. During this time I started cutting back on the vet meds. So far NO SEIZURES! My dog is on only one phenobarb a day now and two doses of EaseSure, 8 drops each. I am planning to cut that last phenobarb in half next week until he is off of it. I will keep you informed as to his progress. I highly recommend this product. I worked for 11 years in a vets office"! 
-Sandy, VA"BIG THANKS! We have a 9 week old Dockie who has been having seizures for about 3 weeks on an almost constant bases. With all due respect to our vet and the meds prescribed, she she still had seizures. I sent for your EaseSure and in 30 minutes she was up and around. She still gets some but not as often nor severe. We have since purchased other products and passed the word out to our petloving friends. Again I must say KUDOS!" -Orlando, Florida
A One Year Unconditional Guarantee
Simply try the products for at least 30 days. If you are not completely satisfied - for any reason - return the product within 1 year for a complete refund less shipping fees.
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Dog Seizures Guestbook
Not a member of Squidoo? You can still leave me a comment! Come have fun with us, and share your passions!
Aldine wrote
My dear sweet little rat terrior Roty had seizures from about the age of 2 or so.And she
was my best friend.I had her on what I thought was the best for her. My husband and I went to town and then went visiting on Sat. and when we came home my Roty had a swollen neck that looked as thought it had fluid in it and it would go up and down called the vet but he would not see her ( it was in the middle of the night) advised to watch her and if her throat swelled to much to give benadryl said not to unless we had to as benadryl would or could cause seizure. We gave her a half dose and then the next day she started having seizures so we found a doggy er and took her they gave her a steroid and some anitbiotic (Clavamox) said what we had thought that she was probably biiten by a spider.On the way to the vet she seemed to be better more alert. And then when we left she seemed just happy to be going home.. She passed away next morning. My heart is broken .. I miss her
Posted June 18, 2009
Barry wrote
I recieved some great info on how to comfort dog through siezures.
History: I have a dalmation lab mix age 11 55lbs having siezures for last 5 or 6 years sometimes 2 or 3 times a month sometimes none.. anyways
if you put an ice pack on spine a couple of inches from tail ( i guess that is where kidneys are) it helps your pup get their adrinal glands working again, cause when they have siezure it really over heats their system. also after siezure give them a spoon of vanilla ice cream.
I tried the ice the other day and my pup's siezure was over within a minute, i haven't tried ice cream. normally siezures lasted about 3 minutes
Posted May 18, 2009
vlada wrote
Our dog had three seizures and we checked worms, got rid of them and for now he seems to be OK. Everybody, please check your dog on worms, sine I know about one other case where this helped. Cheers
Posted May 15, 2009
Ask_Dad wrote...
We had a Wheaten who had Seizures his whole life at 14 he had a stroke and died. I will always wonder if the two were related. Most of his were mild and being very familiar with human epilepsy I could see similarities.
Posted April 07, 2009
Laureen33horse wrote
I have an 8 year old pug bug. He had his first seizure in February, 2008. I have had him on potassium bromide for at least 9 months and it helped for a while, but then my pug started having seizures once a day sometimes twice within 6 hours. I discontinued using the potassium as it was not doing anything for him, and was causing him to mope around. Now I have him on natural herbs and he is experiencing one every three weeks. He also has some of his energy back, like he plays with his other dog mates. I will continue with the natural herbs to see if I can get rid of them completely, hopefully!
Posted April 06, 2009
issa_doglover wrote...
great lens! thanks for sharing! I'm grateful that my dog is not experiencing one yet. =)
Posted April 05, 2009
XpectMorebizsolutions wrote...
I will defiantly favorite this lens so that I can refer back to it often. My Duck had a series of Grand Mal Seizures. She has not had another one in a long time. I know what to do for her now.
My old dieing dog had one Grand Mal Seizure not to long ago and has not had one since.
Thank you so much for this information it has been more helpful then you will ever know.
Posted April 05, 2009
Vadar wrote
Where can I purcahse EaseSure?
Posted March 12, 2009
flowergardener wrote...
in reply to papurich Thank YOU Papurich!
Yes, seizures are scary to watch, not knowing what to do to help the doggie you love. I'm glad the info seemed to be presented in a way you and may others could grasp. That's exactly what I was aimin' for :)
Posted February 26, 2009
flowergardener wrote...
in reply to Vadar Vadar, I am so glad you found my site! That fact just makes my day, knowing I could help you with more information! I hope you DO try the easesure for your schnauzer boy, it certainly will not hurt him, and just may be the answer you've been looking for. The links for easesure also contain info and the ability to contact experts in the animal medicine field if you desire. Best wishes Vadar, for a long healthy and happy life with your little schnauzer.
Posted February 26, 2009
Vadar wrote
I found this website and have been reading up a lot on dogs having seizures. We experienced our first seizure back in June of 2008 and of course immediately took him to the vet to see what was going on. Put him on Phenobartial and did well for about three months. Had another seizure and once again took him to vet. upped his level on Phenob. since then he has several cluster seizures (every 6-8 weeks). Our last cluster seizure was January 30, 2009 where we then put him on 200 mg of Potassium Bromide once a day along with two 34.4 mg pills of Phenob twice a day. My dog is a miniature schnauzer and he is approximately 3 years. I am really thinking about trying this easesure med to see if all possible that the seizures either reduce dramatically or at least do not happen but once or twice a year.
Posted February 26, 2009
papurich wrote
thank you for the info,my 3 year old beagle had a seizure today while i was at work and about scared my wife to death.your info is very straight forward and easy to comprehend.thank you again
Posted February 24, 2009
Shanamax wrote...
Hi - this is a great lens - i had a lab x kelpie (passed away now) who had seizures, several of them in fact. I willnever forget the first one he had - we had no idea what was going on, the grand mal ones. he was so disorientated when he came out of it that he got quite aggressive - but soon calmed down because we talked him around. It's terrible to watch them go through it :-( - he was on phenobarbitol for a while but it never totally got rid of them. We changed vets and we were eventualy able to get it under control with other medication. I wish we had your info back then it would have been good to know of a natural remedy. 5 stars to you :-)
Posted February 21, 2009
BabyFrog24 wrote...
My dog Blackie had a seizure about 2 months ago and it kind of freaked me out but I stayed calm and just did what I read on the internet about helping dogs through their seizure. But now I am glad to have read this lens. Thank you so much for your help and infrmation of the topic.
Posted February 18, 2009
mysticmama wrote...
great lens, very interesting, my dog doesn't have seizures, but she's 12 yrs old so I like to keep up on dog info now that she's a senior citizen, lol, thanks for the helpful lens!
Posted February 16, 2009
by flowergardener
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