Seizures and Your Senior Dog
As senior dogs approach the sunset of their lives, they may begin to show signs of the many health issues that generally afflict the older dogs. It is not uncommon for senior dogs to have seizures. We’ve compiled some important information regarding canine seizures for you including the causes and symptoms.
Causes of Canine Seizures:
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Distemper
- Brain injury
- Brain tumors
- Hypothyroidism
- Epilepsy
- Low blood sugar
- Heat stroke
Symptoms of Canine Seizures:
- Fainting
- Loss of bladder control
- Loss of motor control
- Muscle contractions (aggressive)
Tips to help a dog that is experiencing a seizure:
- Do not attempt to restrict your dog’s body movements during a seizure as doing so could cause injury to him.
- Protect your dog’s head against anything sharp or hard that is in his general area while he’s having a seizure. Don’t move him but move the objects that are in the way.
- Do not attempt to administer oral medication or put anything in your dog’s mouth during a seizure. He will choke!
- Keep your hands away from your dog’s mouth while he is having a seizure. He may accidentally bite down on you and that may result in severe injury and quite possibly some stitches on your end.
- Speak to your dog in a soft, soothing tone while is having the seizure. He will be scared and need your calm reassurance to get through this.
If your dog suffers from seizures, you should work closely with your vet to determine the root cause of the seizures. Often times, as mentioned above, seizures occur as a direct result of an underlying health issue. Your veterinarian will most likely prescribe an anti-convulsent drug such as Phenobarbital if your dog is prone to one or more seizures a month. However, you may want to consider adding a non-conventional approach to your dog’s health care plan. Supplements, diet, herbal remedies and flower essences may all be used to treat and prevent the reoccurrence of canine seizures. Does your dog suffer from seizures? How do you help keep those seizures from reoccurring?