Fear Not! Seizures Can Be Scary But Knowledge Is Your Friend

You find yourself in a sudden panic as your beloved pet has lost all control and is convulsing on the ground. What a scary moment for any pet owner! Seizures seem to be much more common in dogs and cats than humans. 

Although this is a scary time, seizures are usually not life threatening in the moment. 

If the convulsion lasts longer than 5 minutes, please call your local veterinary clinic or Emergency Room / Urgent care right away. Most likely they will like to see your pet. 

If your pet has had more than 2 seizures ( even if very short) within a 24 hour period, they also should be seen at the local clinic or ER / Urgent care. 

 

Types of seizures :

 

Grand Mal Seizures 

This is the typical seizure when your pet cannot control his movements. The muscles are all contracting and relaxing repeatedly to create  what is called Tonic/ Clonic movements. Most patients are on the ground and paddling for a few seconds. Some will lose control of their urine and stool. Remember that your pet will also not have control over their mouth and can bite although they would not mean to at the time. Owners should steer clear of their pet during the seizure so as not to get harmed. Keep children away from seizing pets. However, if this seizure goes on past 5 minutes, you may need to transfer them to a facility while in the act of seizing. 

 

Partial Seizures 

Partial seizures do not affect the entire body. They may just involve the eyelids or ears. These are more rare but should not be ignored. If your pet is twitching excessively for longer than 5 minutes or in repeated episodes during the day, they should be evaluated by a veterinarian. 

 

Psychomotor Seizures

Psychomotor seizures can be more difficult to detect. The commonly described seizure in this category is snapping or “ Fly biting”. The patient cannot control the behavior of snapping, circling, howling or biting the tail. Schedule an appointment for an evaluation if you notice these symptoms in your pet. 

 

Is it a seizure or something else?

Your veterinarian will likely ask you about your pet’s behavior before and after the episode. 

Aura is a period of time before a seizure when the patient may become clinging or anxious prior to the seizure. 

Post – Ictal phase occurs after the seizure itself. This period is characterized by the patient losing his/ her balance, seeming to be disoriented or blind, and possibly not knowing his/ her owner for a few minutes. This usually esolves by 20 minutes post seizure and the pet is “ back to normal”.

An accurate assessment of the episode is very important as there are other symptoms which may look like a seizure but are actually something else.

Syncope is a heart condition which can lead to the heart actually stopping for a few seconds and the patient “ faints”. These episodes do not have an Aura or a Post Ictal phase. Sometimes it is quite difficult to assess whether the patient had a seizure or a syncopal event. 

What is causing this seizure?

Hypoglycemia – Low blood sugar can cause a seizure. This is most commonly seen in very young dogs, especially toy breeds. Don’t overlook a simple remedy like Karo syrup on the gums. This can save your pups life on the way to the veterinarian. The Veterinarian can then determine the cause of the hypoglycemia. Rarely this can occur in an older pet. A good work up should be able to detect the hypoglycemia. Ingestion of sugar free gum can lead to hypoglycemia and seizures. 

Liver disease – Severe liver disease can lead to seizures. This is rare but a good reason to perform full bloodwork if your pet is experiencing seizures. Occasionally, young animals will have seizures secondarily to a liver blood vessel malformation which they were born with. 

Kidney disease – This also can be detected with bloodwork and urinalysis. Most patients with kidney related seizures are very ill. 

Hypocalcemia – This causes tremors which often look a lot like seizures. Standard bloodwork should detect. One common cause of this can be a new mother which is nursing a litter of pups. 

Brain lesion – Occasionally young patients may have a malformation which they were born with that can lead to seizures. These can be quite difficult to visualize without advanced imaging. More commonly, we see elderly patients which are having their first seizures after the age of 7 or 8. Once again, advanced imaging like an MRI may be necessary to get to a definitive diagnosis. 

Idiopathic Epilepsy – This is, by far, the most common cause of seizures. The patient usually has their first seizure between 18 months and 7 years. They often have single seizures for a few times but the seizures become more frequent and last longer if untreated. 

Toxins – Many toxins can lead to seizures. It is very important to know if your patient could have gotten into any human or animal medications, rat poisons, insecticides, etc. 

Central nervous system infection – Viral, fungal and bacterial diseases of the nervous system ( including distemper) can lead to seizures. Fortunately, this is very rare in small animals. 

Autoimmune disease – Very rarely CNS signs can be due to the body attacking itself. This usually leads to tremors instead of true seizures. 

As you can see, diagnosing the cause of your pets seizures may be very difficult or impossible. By ruling out many of the causes, we usually can start treating your patients seizures with medications. 

 

My pet has Idiopathic Epilepsy – Now what!

If your patient has been diagnosed with Idiopathic Epilepsy you may start down that rabbit hole of Internet research. Be aware – some of that information is helpful, other info has no actual research and may delay your pet from getting the medication he or she really needs. 

Traditionally, veterinarians have usually started anti – seizure medications when a patient is having a seizure once every 6 weeks. This is not written in stone and can vary according to the severity of the seizure. I have seen patients that have a cluster of seizures the first time they have seizures and medication is started right away.  Your veterinarian will review your pet’s history and medical record to help make a decision what kind of medication is recommended for your particular patient. 

Common medications for Idiopathic Epilepsy are Phenobarbital, Levetiracetam and Potassium Bromide. Each medication has different properties and possible side effects. Your veterinarian will recommend the best choice for your patient. Some patients need to change medications and some need to have more than 1 medication to control their seizures. 

 

Is there anything I can to do prevent the seizures besides medications?

Some substances or conditions can “lower the seizure threshold”. This means they can make your pet more likely to have a seizure. We cannot really say they cause seizures in most cases as this has not been proven. 

1. Hypothyroidism may lower the seizure threshold. Testing before starting therapy may be recommended if your patient has symptoms of this endocrine disorder. 
2. Certain Flea and Tick medications may lower seizure threshold. Discuss which medication would be best for your pet. 
3. Fluoxetine and trazodone medications may lower seizure threshold. These are  anti- anxiety drugs. If your patient is currently on this medication, review with your veterinarian.

Some medications for seizures alter the way your pet may metabolize other medications. Always bring a list of your pets current medications to your veterinary appointment.

 

What if my patient has not improved on medications?

Seizure medications often take some time to reach therapeutic level. Some of the medications can be detected by bloodtest. This will help us adjust the medications if needed. Make sure that you are having your pet rechecked as prescribed by your attending veterinarian. 

If your patient has seizures which are very difficult to control, we may suggest your pet see the neurologist. We often refer difficult cases to the neurologist at Blue Pearl in Des Moines for a consultation. This can often be very rewarding for those with difficult to control seizures.

 

Don’t panic! Your veterinarian is a great source to help you navigate your way with a seizing pet.  We have seen many cases and have access to experts in the field if needed for your pet. Urgent Care is available Monday through Friday until 10 pm at Somerset Veterinary Hospital if you need us!