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Gasow Veterinary Hospital Birmingham, Michigan, U.S.A. Your pet has recently experienced an epileptic seizure. If this was the first episode, it was probably a frightening experience for you and your family. It is hoped that this paper will answer many of your questions and help bring a better understanding of the disease and its affect on your pet. The word epilepsy comes from the Greeks and means seizure or 'to be seized'. Therefore, all animals with seizures have some form of epilepsy. The terms seizure, fit, convulsions, and epilepsy are used interchangeably to describe a group of disorders in people and animals that cause abnormal body movements, a loss of consciousness, abnormal behaviour, involuntary urination and defecation, or any combination of the above. These disorders are symptoms of a central nervous system (ic. brain or spinal cord) disturbance. This disturbance causes an electrical brain storm which in turn causes the seizure. You have probably heard the terms 'Grand Mal' and "Petit Mal' used to describe seizures in people. Grand Mal is a general convulsion with loss of consciousness and initially a muscular rigidity followed by the typical clonic (running) seizure. In our experience, this is the most frequent type seen in the dog. Petit mal seizures are brief, frequent attacks with blinking, nodding, jerking and loss os posture. While we see similar seizures in the dog, researchers tell us that true Petit mal seizures have not been found in the dog. There are other terms used to describe seizures in dogs, such as: 'Psychomotor", "Thalamic", 'Focal", and "Myocionic'. All of these are seen rarely in our practice. There are many causes of seizures in animals. Of course, we see some more frequently than others. We can divide the causes of seizures into two groups. The first group is ACQUIRED SEIZURES. All acquired seizures are caused by damage to the brain. Under this group we find the following: a. Viral infection (viral encephalitis) - distemper is the most common. The second group is FAMILIAL or CONGENITAL SEIZURES. With this group of seizures, researches find that thes6are apparently associated with genetic transmission. However, much more research is needed to determine the exact mode of inheritance. Under this group we find the following: a. Idiopathic Epilepsy: We will go into some detail on this type of seizure as we find this bo be the most common cause of seizures in dogs. The word idiopathic actually means 'of unknown cause'. There are many theories as to the cause but to date nothing has been proven. With this type of seizure, the animal appears to be completely normal except that it has seizures. We see this most commonly in certain breeds (ie. Miniature Poodles, Fox Terriers, German Shepherds) but it can occur in all breeds. The dogs rarely have the first seizure before the age of two years. The actual seizure is usually of the Grand Mal type and lasts for a period of one to three minutes. Once in awhile an owner will note that the dog will experience an aura in which the animal apparently anticipates the seizure shortly before it occurs. Very often after the seizure ends, the dog will be confused, wobbly and may bump into things as if it can't see. This period may last as long as thirty minutes but usually is much shorter. Bycarefully noting the dates of each seizure, we also find that some dogs have seizures at fairly regular intervals. b. Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) This can be acquired or congenital. DIAGNOSIS Diagnosis is cases of epilepsy can be difficult considering all the various things can cause seizures in the dog. A veterinarian must use all of his abilities and some if not all of the diagnostic aids at his disposal to come to a proper diagnosis. In discussing the problem with the owner, he will take a careful history and give the dog a through physical examination. In some cases, he may feel it is necessary to take blood and urine samples for laboratory studies and/or radiographs of the skull. In difficult cases, an EEG (electroencephalogram) an electronic recording of the electrical brain waves may be indicated. Rarely, however do these various diagnostic aids tell the veterinarian exactly what the cause is and he must rely on his experience and his ability to interpret the facts gained from all sources to arrive at the correct diagnosis.
TREATMENT There are many different drugs that are available to treat epileptic animals. These are the same drugs, in many cases, that are used in human epilepsy. Some of the more familiar ones are Dilantin, Phenobarbital and Primidone. The decision to institute treatment in an epileptic animal can be a difficult one to make. Many factors affect the veterinarian's decision. The length and severity of the seizure itself, the frequency of seizures and the owner's feelings all are taken into account. Many times we find that an animal will experience seizure after the medication has been instituted. This is not uncommon, especially in the first few days of treatment. The thing to remember, once we start the medication, is that you muxt be patient. It may take weeks or months to find the correct medication and correct dosage.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS Epilepsy is a disturbing problem, but we find that in the majority of cases we can control its effect and the animal can lead a fairly normal life. You, as the animal's owner, must try to understand this disease and work with your veterinarian towards an acceptable solution for all. The seizure episodes are upsetting to the entire family but we feel that as long as they are infrequent, they do not cause the dog pain and the dog does not what has happened. Occasionally we see a dog go into a seizure which does not stop in the usual one to three minute interval. We call this problem STATUS EPILEPTICUS. This happens very rarely, but if it does, notify your veterinarian immediately. This is an emergency situation and must be treated as soon as possible. We give the dog a general anesthetic. This stops the seizure and usually when the anesthetic wears off, the dog is fine again. This is the only time that we encounter where death can result from epilepsy and, as I stated, this is rare.
WHAT TO DO WHEN A DOG HAS A SEIZURE Once the seizure starts, there is nothing you can do to stop it. Usually the seizure lasts one to three minutes and then stops on its own. During the seizure, it is best not to handle the dog. Make sure, however, that he is away from stairwells and if he is on a couch or bed, put him on the floor to avoid injury from falling. During the seizure, the dog has no control over his actions. He will not bile intentionally but the jaws maysnap uncontrollably and cause injury, especially with a large dog. If the seizure seems prolonged or severe, call your veterinarian. |