Dog Seizures

One of the scariest things a pet owner can experience is their pet having a seizure. There are many reasons are pets can have seizures. It can be hereditary. It can be allergies, chemicals, preservatives, or artificial flavors that are put in the low quality foods. Other causes include liver and kidney disease, tumors, poisonings, and low blood sugar.

It is not as common to find cats that have seizures. The cause of seizures can include chemical toxins (which includes chemical preservatives used in many pet foods), brain tumors, feline leukemia, feline infections, peritonitis, feline AIDS, head trauma, and problems with the liver and kidneys. When there is no identifiable cause, Epilepsy is the name given to seizure disorders for both cats and dogs.

There are two basic forms of epilepsy. "Petit mal" or "partial motor seizures" is a less severe form of epilepsy, which affects only a specific group or groups of muscles. "Grand mal" or "major motor" seizures are more severe. These include a loss of consciousness and gross body movements.

You know your pet is having a seizure as they will lose all muscle control, consciousness, and/or sensation. NEVER put your hand in their mouth (in fear that they may swallow their tongue) as you may get badly bitten. They may whine, drool, urinate/defecate on themselves. They may become stiff, lose consciousness, salivate, stare and lose vision.

If your pet is having a seizure, here are some things you can do: If there is forewarning, administer honey. Give about one tablespoon. For smaller pets use 1 teaspoon. In many cases, this will lessen the severity of the seizure. Remain calm. This is so important as YOU will prolong the seizure if you scream or get upset. Turn off all lights, TV and music. Get to a quiet, dark room and hold your pet in a comforting reassuring way. If possible take notes about the seizure so that you can give details to your vet. Jot down the time of day it occurred, the length of each seizure, and the time in between each seizure if they are recurrent. Your vet will also want to know whether your pet urinated or defecated, if the seizure hit suddenly or progressed from mere body twitching, whether your pet regained consciousness, and how long it took before your pet appeared normal again. There are two ways you can treat your pet for having seizures:

Traditional types of treatment in which your vet may prescribe to control seizures are Phenobarbital, potassium bromide, primidone or valium. At times these medications can be effective, but they can also cause other side effects which can be worrisome.

Because of side effects from traditional drugs, it may be best to seek out alternative medications. Especially if the reason your pet is having seizures is due to feeding a low quality food or just may be lacking specific vitamins in their diet.

First of all, I would never recommend (especially if your dog has grand mal seizures to just take him off his medication and start experimenting. I would highly recommend that you at least talk to your vet about alternatives or go to a holistic vet like Hawthorn Vet Clinic to treat your pet.

So what are some alternative for your pet that you could look into?

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First, rule out any other health problems, i.e., thyroid, diabetes, cancer, liver or kidney disease. Hypoglycemia is a condition that is becoming more common in pets and especially pets suffering from seizures. A health problem may be triggering seizures.

Change your pet’s diet. Even if you are feeding a good quality food, there are ways to make it much better. If you are feeding a dry food only YOUR PET IS NOT GETTING ENOUGH GOOD QUALITY FRESH FOOD in their diet and you can supplement by adding fresh meats and vegetables to it. A good source (besides coming into the store) is Steve Brown’s website, seespotlivelonger.com.

Eliminate toxins in your house and in your yard. Remember, if you are walking your dog and they straying into other peoples yards, they can pick up toxins from fertilizers, bug sprays, and week control. Flea collars, flea sprays, air fresheners, carpet powders and yard control products are not recommended.

I know it can be difficult to get our pets out in the Pacific Northwest, but exercise is a key element in keeping our pets healthy. An hour of exercise daily is recommended to improve your pets overall health, muscle development, digestion. I always suggest that if you can’t get your pets out, a treadmill is a good investment. Of course if you have a senior pet, an obese pet, or one with other medical problems, you do not want to over exercise them, but to gradually work up to what is best for them.

Vitamin supplements can be added to your pets diet. Here are some that have been shown to be helpful: Choline/Lecithin, vitamin A, vitamin C, selenium magnesium and B vitamins. There is also what is called Mega Vitamin Therapy in which your pet is give increased levels of vitamins and minerals as it is unlikely that our current levels in pet foods are unlikely adequate to maintain the health in every pet.

There are herbal supplements that can be given as well: Bach flower essenes, DMG, taurine, glandulars, ginko biloba, gotu kola, kava kava, skullcap, valerian, Blue Cohosh, Black Cohosh, Blue Vervain, Lobelia, Skullcap, and Passion Flower.

There is so much information on this topic and I have only touched on a few points. If your pet is having seizures, take the time to research to find the best way to treat your pet. Because this article has become longer, than anticipated, I will leave a list here at the bottom as to what things can trigger a seizure.

Some of these factors are impossible to avoid, but are listed for your knowledge.

Hair spray - Do not spray when pet is in the same room.

Wool - Wool blankets, wool sofas, etc.

Heartworm pills - A seizure may occur 1 to 1 ½ wks. after administering heartworm medication.

Cigarette smoke.

Environmental Pollution from chemical plants.

BHA - A preservative commonly used in dog foods, read - "Additives in Pet Foods,"

BHT - A preservative commonly used in dog foods.

Sodium nitrate - Proven in research studies to cause severe seizures. Sodium nitrate is found in many foods we eat. Read the ingredient labels carefully.

Carpet powders.

Air fresheners.

Fabric softeners - If exposed to clothes that have fabric softener on them.

Dryer sheets - If exposed to clothes that have been in the dryer with the dryer sheets.

Salt, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Monosodium Glutamate - in excess.

Sugar - Sucrose, corn syrup, molasses, cane sugar.

Low quality commercial dog biscuits and treats.

Low quality dry food.

Low quality canned food.

Plastic bowls - All plastics release some undetectable fumes, especially when heated. This out-gassing means the fumes can pass into the foods that are served or stored in the bowl or container. Stainless steel or glass bowls are recommended.

Cheap ceramic bowls - Cause the same problem as described above.

Fumes from all bathroom cleaners.

Fumes from bleach.

Fumes from dusting products.

Household cleaners - Pine cleaners should be avoided.

All toxic flea products - If the product states "Hazardous To Humans And Domestic Animals", it is hazardous to your pet.

Toxic shampoos.

Toxic flea collars.

Dust - Change air filters in your home once a month, and wash curtains twice yearly.

Crabgrass.

Mold.

Eating cat or dog feces.

Stress.

Vaccinations.

Lyme vaccine.

Lyme encephalitis.

Rabies vaccine.

Head trauma.

Worm infestation.

Lead - Pets like to lick lead because it tastes sweet, and lead poisoning can result from licking or eating wood chips on which there is lead paint. This can be checked when doing regular blood work, but it must be specified that you would like a LEAD POISONING TEST which is not part of a normal blood work.

Paint fumes.

Paint chips from lead based paint.

Excessive exercise.

Overheating.

Abuse or neglect.

Rawhides - Many are dipped in a solution of salt and bleach

Cheap painted pet toys

Loud noises - Yelling, fighting, doorbell ringing

Scented candles.

Vitamins with high sodium level.

Inconsistent routine.

FALL - Research studies have shown that more seizures occur in the fall. This is due to mold and bacteria in the air.