Epilepsy In Pets Scary, But Very Treatable
Some Cases Don't Require Medication
By Dr. Karen Halligan

Epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in dogs. It can be congenital, usually existing at birth, with seizures starting before dogs are 3 to 5 years old. Seizures can just occur and start at any age. Dogs suffering from epilepsy have a seizure disorder but are normal between seizures, and no underlying cause can be detected.

The first time your pet has a seizure, you should take them to your veterinarian. They will run a blood and urine test, in addition to performing a physical exam and a neurological exam. This will help your vet determine if your pet has epilepsy and also allow them to prescribe proper medication if needed.

Seizures can range in severity from mild facial twitching to uncontrollable thrashing. Most seizures occur when the animal is resting or asleep and either early in the morning or at night. On recovery, most animals seem disoriented or confused. Seizures are very scary to watch, but keep in mind that animals probably don't feel any pain and most likely don't even know what happened to them.

The best and yet hardest thing to do when your pet starts to seizure is to refrain from touching them. Dogs do not swallow their tongues during a seizure, so there is no need to get near their mouth. In fact, you might accidentally get bitten if you don't stay away from their mouth during and after the seizure.

What you can do is move away any sharp objects to a safe distance and make sure other pets are kept away. Pets that have epilepsy should always be kept away from swimming pools because they may drown.

You should also note the length and severity of the seizures and write them down. A typical seizure will last anywhere from 10 seconds to three minutes. You should take your pet to the hospital immediately if the seizures last longer than five minutes, if it has more than three seizures in a 24-hour period, or if anything seems out of the ordinary.

You should also keep a log of when your pet has seizures, how long they last and what your pet was doing before the seizure. This will help your veterinarian decide if and when you should start medication. Some animals have infrequent seizures and do not require medication.

Once you start treating with anticonvulsants, you usually can't stop - so it is important to make this decision with your vet. The most common medications used to treat epilepsy are phenobarbital and potassium bromide. Your vet may decide to use them alone or in combination. Once your pet is on antiepileptic drugs, you should have regular blood and urine tests every six months to a year. The drug dosage may need to be periodically adjusted throughout your pet's lifetime.

Epilepsy is a very treatable condition. Pets that are diagnosed with epilepsy can go on to lead a long, happy life. Just make sure that you work closely with your veterinarian and ask questions so you understand the problem and can provide the proper care.

Click This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it   to email our pharmacists about prescribing medications such as potassium bromide for your dog.

Content provided by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. For more information, visit spcaLA.com.