What To Do If The Dog Has A Seizure And Seizures?
When you find your dog in the throes of an epilepsy attack with seizures, the first thing you need to do is stay calm. Relax the animal, prevent it from sticking out its tongue, let it recover and then follow the recommended treatment.
Breeds most affected by epilepsy
The onset of epilepsy attacks is more frequent in certain breeds: German Shepherd, Saint Bernard, Setters, Beagles, Poodles, some Dachshunds and Basset Hounds. The first seizure in dogs often occurs between six months and five years of age. It is necessary to learn to act, as even if epilepsy does not lead to death, it certainly can cause serious side effects.
The precise steps to follow
The so-called idiopathic or essential epilepsy is a brain pathology which, in dogs, is characterized by a symptomatology similar to that shown by the people who suffer from it. At the beginning of an attack, which is unpredictable and haphazard, an energy discharge occurs in the brain, which causes the dog to move the limbs, profuse salivation, out of control urination or defecation and loss of consciousness. You have to be prepared for such a situation.
First of all, keep calm and position the animal so that it does not hit itself or fall from a raised position. You must treat it with great care, given the particularly delicate situation. Ideally, it would be best to lay it out on a soft surface, such as a mat or some pillows, so that it is comfortable and does not hurt from seizures.
There are those who recommend that the animal stick out its tongue, so that it can oxygenate itself. However, common sense suggests that a dog who sticks out his tongue can run the risk of biting it.
Once the attack has passed, let him rest in a quiet environment, as he will be exhausted. When he deems it necessary, the vet will indicate the correct treatment. This consists of a muscle relaxant, usually Valium, which you can administer rectally directly to you when the dog is subject to an epileptic attack.
Epileptic dogs and early warning attacks
Seizures can occur with greater or lesser intensity. There are some indicators that are detectable in the behavior of the animal prior to the attack, such as that it is more nervous and restless than normal.
If you can anticipate an attack, you can get some first aid, like getting the dog where it doesn’t run the risk of hitting its head or falling from a certain height. It is also advisable to lay it on a soft surface, preferably on the ground, so that it does not fall.
Duration of seizures
Although for owners they may seem like eternal moments, in reality these epileptic attacks do not last more than two minutes, after which the animal will feel disoriented and very tired. Idiopathic epilepsy is incurable in dogs and is very likely to require treatment throughout the animal’s life.
It is also not detectable through tests or x-rays and, in general, does not require emergency treatment, except in those cases where the attacks recur with a high frequency. This can be extremely dangerous for your four-legged friend and will therefore need to be treated with barbiturates.
It should be noted that, usually, the dog does not suffer during the attack, although the exact opposite seems to happen.
Useful tips
If you do identify any symptoms, it is best to see a veterinarian quickly. The treatment prescribed by the specialist must then be followed to the letter in order to minimize epileptic attacks.
In fact, seizures are a symptom of brain disease, in the same way that diarrhea suggests digestive disease. In many cases, it is possible to determine which pathology is behind the attacks: a tumor, a congenital malformation or a stroke. At other times, however, the cause cannot be established, and it is in these cases that epilepsy is defined as idiopathic.
Therefore, when a veterinarian diagnoses a disease, calling it idiopathic, it generally indicates that he is unaware of its triggering causes.
