Below, a veterinarian tells us how to recognize a seizure and what she feels is the best treatment. It is not something any of us want to experience but it is nice to know if it happens we will have the knowledge to treat and potentially stop it!
(Other causes of) seizures in young dogs may include, among others, exposure to toxins, liver problems (especially a problem called liver shunt in small breeds), and head trauma.
In older dogs, especially those over seven years of age, the most common cause of seizures is so-called intracranial disease. Intracranial disease includes brain tumors, encephalitis, meningitis, and vascular events similar to strokes. Other problems such as exposure to toxins, liver failure, other metabolic or endocrine disorders, and head trauma also may cause seizures in dogs.
I recommend blood tests, urine tests, radiographs (X-rays), and blood pressure measurement for dogs who suffer seizures. I generally hospitalize them for observation and treatment with diazepam to prevent escalating seizure clusters in the short term. If a cause for the seizure is found, then it is addressed directly. If not, a presumptive diagnosis of epilepsy often is made.
However, in the long term things become trickier for those dogs diagnosed with epilepsy. Many veterinary neurologists recommend starting long-term anti-seizure medications such as phenobarbital, potassium bromide, zonisamide, levetiracetam, or (rarely) gabapentin after any seizure. However, these medications have potential side effects or issues that must be considered, especially in young dogs who might be looking at a lifetime of medication. Phenobarbital works well but can cause liver problems, weight gain, and possibly pancreatitis.
Potassium bromide can cause behavior changes and has been linked to pancreatitis. Levetiracetam and zonisamide may be subject to significant “honeymoon” effects. This means that they works well in most dogs for a while, but then may become less effective. The efficacy of gabapentin is questioned by many. All of the drugs used to treat seizures work by reducing brain activity, and therefore all of them can cause sedation or behavior changes which fortunately in most cases wear off within a few weeks.
There is still much to mentally digest but, in this day and age of discovery, we hope a genuine cure may someday be acquired to not only stop seizures in our dogs and cats but in human beings too.
To learn more go to Dogster.
Again, it is a frightening thing to observe and anything we can do to prevent a seizure from happening is a winner in our book!
