DEALING WITH SEIZURES AND EPILEPSY IN DOGS AND CATS 

By Tess Thompson

During a seizure, a dog is not aware of what is going around him even if he is conscious. Many times the dog appears as if he is swallowing his tongue and handlers try to put their hands in to grab it. Any veterinarian will tell you that there are more instances of people other than dog owners bringing in a dog to their clinic because the owner had to go to the hospital himself.

 

It is hard to remain calm when you see what appears to be an agonizing situation for your dog - lips twisted back over his teeth, legs wide apart, body shaking like a tree in a storm and eyes staring as if looking nowhere. Remaining calm, is what is required of you in such situations because if the seizure is a first episode the dog is most likely to ebb back to normalcy as quickly as the onset of the seizure.

 

Canine and feline seizures  are as unpredictable as their cause. Canine and feline epilepsy  is the most common cause behind pet seizures. Dogs need to be handled carefully during the seizure and after the episode is over.

 

─       Keep calm and quite. The same goes for the tone of your voice when you try to comfort your pet.

─       If there are objects in the vicinity like furniture, which can potentially hurt the dog, try to remove them. If this is not possible, put some blankets on the dog or move cushions between the dog and the furniture. Remember that the dog is not aware of the surroundings during a seizure.

─       Never ever bring yourself or your hands close enough for the dog to bite.

─       Turn off all noise and that includes the television and loud music. Dim the lights and speak in a soft tone to the dog and stroke his side or hip gently if you may.

─       The dog’s muscles are most probably in a spasmodic state and his toenails and feet can harm you. Avoid trying to be on the same side of his toes. Spasms may bring forth involuntary movements of legs and feet and cause you harm.

 

While taking care of these precautions it is also very important that you keep a good watch over what the dog is going through. You will be required to give every minute detail to the veterinarian when you take him to the clinic. Make a note of the time of the day and the period in between seizures if they are recur. The duration of each episode is important because it lets the vet know the severity of seizures. Also make a note of involuntary urination or defecation, if any.

 

Your precautions will save you from injury and also provide comfort to your dog. The little details that you remember will help in proper treatment.

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References:

http://ak.essortment.com/seizuresdogsca_rfmm.htm
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061120172125AA4VBUx
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/seizures_overview.htm
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/Why.html
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/underlying.html

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1828&articleid=433