Seizures in your senior dog may be a scary experience if you do not know what is causing the problem, since the reasons can vary. Witnessing the seizure is heartbreaking as I have done so with my own little dog. Your dog may fall over, lose control of bodily functions, with possible whining and paddling of the feet. Treatment is dependent upon the severity of the disease that is causing the seizures.
When too much electrical energy is within the brain, a seizure can occur. Signals in the brain control the body’s movements and when there is an overabundance of these signals, the body will react aggressively, trying to follow all the signals, which results in a seizure.
There are various reasons seizures can affect your older dog. A common cause of seizures in senior dogs is organ failure, possibly due to obesity, poor diet, and toxic poisoning. Anything that causes damage to the brain can cause seizures in older dogs. The damage may include an injury such as blunt trauma to the head, a tumor or growth on the brain.
Bacterial or viral infections are known to cause seizures in older dogs, because the brain and spinal cord becomes swollen due to the infection. Parasites, fungus, stiff neck, high fever and sensitivity to touch are all symptoms of this condition and can attack your older dogs’ nervous system. Seizures can also be the symptom of an underlying neurological disorder, such as low blood sugar and liver disease.
Diagnosis by your veterinarian would include first a complete physical examination. Testing will include a neurological exam, a funduscopic exam (lighted instrument that views the pupils of the eyes), a urinalysis, blood tests (blood count), serum profile to evaluate blood sugar, bile acid tests for liver function, and fecal exam. Further testing depends on the results of these lab tests and may include a CT scan (computerized tomography) or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). The MRI is more perceptive than CT scan for examining the brain.
Treatment includes medications prescribed by your veterinarian in order to control the seizure disorders, such as Phenobarbital (most common, safe and recommended), Primidone, Phenytoine, Potassium Bromide (most often prescribed with Phenobarbital), and Diazepam. Your senior dog could be hospitalized if the seizures are frequent or if it has more than two seizures in 24 hours (called cluster seizures). Your dog may need Intravenous administration of drugs such as diazepam, pentobarbital or propofol to get the seizure under control.
When your older dog has a seizure, do not panic. Time the seizure. Keep your dog safe away from furniture or sharp objects, but you can place a pillow under the head. Take note of its’ muscular activity (what the body is doing during the seizure). Do not be alarmed that it may lose bodily function. Keep hands away from the mouth, as your dog will not swallow its’ tongue. Keep children and other pets away from the seizing dog. Kneel by your dog, stroke and comfort it so you are by its’ side when it comes out of the seizure. Within a few minutes, even though it may stumble and seem confused, your dog should be fine. Comfort it, speak in a soft soothing voice to your dog or it may think it did something wrong. If recovery time exceeds 30 minutes, get it to the vet immediately. Report to your veterinarian the details of the seizure and keep a record of them.
