How To Cure Seizures In Dogs And Golden
Retrievers
Seizures vary in severity from trembling and stiffness to
frenzied, rapid movements of the legs,
foaming at the mouth and loss of urine and bowel movements. The
latter is usually considered a grand mal seizure.
Seizures are caused by electrical activity in the brain, and
there are many reasons why they may occur. Ingestions of some
poisons, such as strychnine and insecticides, will cause seizures.
These are generally long lasting and severe in nature. Injuries to
the skull, tumors and cancers can trigger seizures.
If these appears to be no reason for the seizure it is possible
the cause is congenital epilepsy. This is particularly true if a
dog is under the age of 3. From the age of 5, dogs are prone to
develop old age onset epilepsy, which also may have a genetic
predisposition.
Never try to touch or move a dog during a seizure. If there is
anything nearby that might be knocked over by their flailing legs
and injure them, move it out of the way. If the seizure does not
stop within five minutes, call your veterinarian.
Even after a typical seizure, your vet may suggest you bring
your dog in for an examination and blood work. If a cause is not
found, the best course is usually to wait and see if your dog has
another seizure.
If a dog only has seizures once or twice a year, there is no
reason to place him on preventive medication. If seizures occur on
a regular basis and are of the same nature each time, the dog is
considered to have epilepsy and medication should be
considered.
In typical epilepsy, the dog may act restless, weird, stare and
bark for some time before the actual seizure. The seizure itself
lasts several minutes. A second seizure can be triggered by turning
a light on or by moving the dog as he is recovering.
If seizures are infrequent and mild, an epileptic dog can lead a
fairly normal life. Owners will generally begin to see a pattern in
the time of day the seizures occur and their frequency, and can
plan their dog's activities accordingly.
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