Seizures can be terrifying, and if your pet suffers from these sudden convulsions you will probably need to take him or her to the veterinarian to get checked out. According to Web MD, a seizure is caused by an abnormal burst of electrical activity in the brain. Most of the time, this activity is in one of the cerebral hemispheres. The electrical activity can sometimes spread out and involve other areas, including the midbrain.
Dogs often act odd or conspicuous before they suffer a seizure. This is because their brain may already be affected by the oncoming seizure before it actually happens. This preceding behavior is normally called the aura. Dogs can be anxious, restless, or abnormally affectionate during this time. There are also times that the dog will yelp or some animals may want to seek seclusion. This odd behavior is followed with a seizure. One of the ways that you can identify a seizure is due to the way that the dog collapses and the rigid way that the canine will hold out his or her legs. After this, a dog will typically fall unconscious and stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds.
After this, the dog will start jerking his or her legs in a frantic, rhythmic way. The pet will also convulse on the ground. He or she may foam at the mouth or the pets' eyes may roll back. The display is normally terrifying, as the dog is not in control of his or her body. Dogs may also urinate while suffering a seizure, or sweat excessively. The seizures normally last for less than two minutes. Pets also tend to chomp, chew, and drool during this time. When a dog regains consciousness after the seizure, he or she will typically be disoriented and confused. The animal may stumble into walls and act as if blind. This post-seizure state will last anywhere from minutes to hours, depending on the severity of the attack.
When a seizure affects the entire body, it is called a grand-mal seizure. These are typical of epilepsy. There are also focal motor seizures which involve jerking or twitching in a limited part of the body. Most of the time a foal motor seizure will indicate that the pet has a brain lesion or a tumor that is affecting the part of the brain that operates the limb or part of the body where the seizure is taking place. This can also indicate an abscess or a tumor on the brain.
Seizures do not happen without a reason. They are normally indicative of an underlying medical complication. If your pet is suffering from seizures, it may be because he or she has encephalitis, heat stroke, poisoning, liver failure, or kidney failure. Brain injuries can bring on seizures, and abscesses, brain tumors and strokes can also indicate this. Seizures that are associated with a concussion can happen even weeks or months after the head injury.
Post encephalitic seizures will occur about three to four weeks after the pet procures encephalitis, and distemper will cause seizures that begging with chomping, tongue chewing, foaming at the mouth, blinking, and head shaking. Dogs that suffer from distemper seizures will appear dazed for hours afterwards. Some puppies will have a seizure after a vaccination. Canines can also have a seizure after a low blood calcium level or a sudden drop in blood sugar. Puppies with cardiopulmonary syndrome may suffer from hypoglycemia and this will trigger seizures. Puppies that have not been fed properly also might suffer this medical condition.
Some poisons can also send a dog into a seizure. These include strychnine, antifreeze made with ethylene glycol, lead, insecticides, and chocolate. Before you assume that your pet has suffered a seizure, make sure that the medical emergency wasn't something similar. Dogs that receive bee stings can bark in a frenzied manner and then faint or collapse. Cardiac arrhythmias can also be mistaken for seizures because the pet will go unconscious and collapse.
If your pet is in a dangerous location at the time of the seizure, then you will want to move the animal to a safe site. Don't touch the dog while he or she is having a seizure. Oftentimes dogs can bite during this time because they are disoriented. Also, handling your dog may trigger additional seizure. Make sure to make note of the length of the seizure that your pet suffers, as this can oftentimes indicate how serious it was. Seizures that last more than five minutes are emergencies. Also, cluster seizures (many small seizures in a row) can be extremely dangerous. If your pet is suffering from these then seek immediate veterinary attention.