Seizures in pets

However, if you do have one, or if you will in the future, this article will help you understand what causes seizures, what you can do when your pet has seizures, and strategies how with available treatment options.

These include chemical toxins (containing preservatives used in many pet foods), brain tumours, canine leukaemia, canine disease, peritonitis, canine AIDS, head trauma, and liver and kidney problems.

In dogs, there are many causes of seizures besides inherited epilepsy.

Watching your precious dog or cat with seizures can be very scary. During confinement, pets often lose control, fall over, bite their teeth, scratch or bleed, faint, kick their legs, and begin to hurt themselves or become unresponsive. Their eyes become enlarged (dilated) and they lose their hearing. The pet sitter feels horrified and helpless watching it all.

Hopefully, you and your pet never have and will never have to face this ordeal. However, if you do have one, or if you will in the future, this article will help you understand what causes seizures, what you can do when your pet has seizures, and strategies how with available treatment options.

What causes seizures?

Epilepsy is one of the causes. Certain dog breeds are more prone to epilepsy. These include: cocker spaniel. poodle; Coles. German Shepherds; Irish Golden Retrievers setters; Dachshunds, Labrador retrievers, Saint Bernard's, miniature schnauzers, Siberian huskies, and wiry dogs. Vets aren't sure what causes this "hereditary" epilepsy.

Hereditary epilepsy in dogs is unusual. Veterinarians can often diagnose the cause of seizures. These include chemical toxins (containing preservatives used in many pet foods), brain tumours, canine leukaemia, canine disease, peritonitis, canine AIDS, head trauma, and liver and kidney problems.

In dogs, there are many causes of seizures besides inherited epilepsy. Food allergies, chemicals, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners in food can cause seizures. Other causes include liver and kidney disease, tumours, poisoning, and low blood sugar.

What can you do when your pet has seizures?

Try to stay calm. This is difficult, but using a calm, soothing voice will soothe your dog or cat. Move any furniture or other objects that your pet may injure itself on. If you cannot move the object, place pillows or tuck blankets between the pet and the object. Slide something soft under your pet’s head, but be sure to keep your hands and face away from his head so you’re not at risk of scratching it. You can gently caress his waist or side, but position yourself on the side of the legs and hair because the contracting muscles cause the legs to curl into claws that can cut or shake your skin. Turn off the lights, and make the space as quiet as possible by turning off the TV and turning on the music.

If possible, make notes about the crisis so you can provide information to your veterinarian. Record the time of day it occurred, the length of each seizure, and the time between each seizure if it is repetitive. The veterinarian will also want to know if your pet is injured or incapacitated, if the seizure came on suddenly or was triggered only by a concussion, if your pet regained consciousness, and how long it previously took the animal to you of the house seem to be right. Once again . Additionally, you will need to determine if there are any side effects. These include loud noises such as fireworks, unusual foods, and excessive play or exercise.

After being seized, pets often appear lost or lethargic. This drugged state can last from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the severity of the attack. Your pet may respond to you, but do so very slowly. Since the seizure is stressful for your pet, he or she will probably want to sleep after it. It is best to let him sleep, but visit him occasionally without disturbing his rest.

If this is your pet's first seizure, contact your vet immediately. Some vets will want to check for another fit, while others will run various blood tests to check for anaemia, liver and heart function, calcium, glucose, and electrolyte levels. Your vet may do a venom test, X-ray, or EEG.

Test results may not indicate the specific cause of the seizure. In this case, your vet may wait to see if another seizure has occurred or may suggest medications. If the diagnosis is epilepsy, pets have the best chance of a normal life with proper medical treatment and monitoring.

Once the cause of the crisis is identified, you can eliminate future crises by eliminating the source of the crisis. For example, if a seizure is caused by toxic chemicals, make sure your pet is as non-toxic as possible. Offer social class meals and treats that do not contain chemical preservatives, fillers, or by-products. Clean your home with chemical-free products. also. Avoid products that contain organophosphates. For effective heartworm control, use products that contain interceptors and filaments.

What can you do if your pet's seizure disorder is incurable and you realize that you and your pet may have to live with seizures? In the past, the only treatment options available were powerful anticonvulsants, which can have serious side effects. These may still be your only options. However, many natural methods have been found to help some pets, either before or in addition to strong medications so you can reduce the dose. There are a variety of treatment options available including natural diet, acupuncture, nutritional supplements, homeopathy, herbs, and traditional medicines.

As mentioned earlier, feed your pet a human-sized diet that is free of chemicals and additives. Also remove other toxic substances from your pet's environment. Wash with natural products and use plenty of natural remedies to prevent fleas, ticks, and heartworms.

Reduce stress in your pet's life.

Try to avoid sudden changes in the environment, loud noises and other disturbances.

You can also try herbs that act as nutrients. These are valerian root, kava, skullcap and oat straw. Note that when using herbs and supplements, you may need to reduce the dose of some anticonvulsants.

Many supplements have been shown to help prevent seizures. Try a combination of vitamin C, E, B-6, and the antioxidant selenium. Your vet can recommend a dose for your pet. Magnesium and DMG (dimethylglycine) are other beneficial supplements.

Acupuncture is another useful option that has helped prevent seizures in many pets. Sometimes simply placing an acupuncture patch on a dog's ear will stop the blockage, and this only requires a one-time acupuncture appointment.

If the earpiece does not work, the gold implants can be placed at various points under the pet's head. Or your pet can help you with traditional Chinese acupuncture.

As you can see, there are many natural ways to treat seizures in pets. This should help your pet lead a safe and healthy life.

What can you do if your pet's seizure disorder is incurable and you realize that you and your pet may have to live with seizures? However, many natural methods have been found to help some pets, either before or in addition to strong medications so you can reduce the dose. Acupuncture is another useful option that has helped prevent seizures in many pets.