Causes of Seizures in Dogs

The experience of seizures in dogs is not uncommon. Seizure is a symptom which results from an excessive neuronal activity of brain. The effect of this dog illness can be seen in the form of loss of consciousness for a while, to the extreme condition of thrashing or jerky movements. The reason behind seizures experienced by dogs is mainly genetic. However, there are many other causes of seizures in dogs. Around 0.5 - 5.7% dogs are known to suffer from seizures.

Different Causes of Dog Seizures

Epilepsy is one of the important dog seizures causes. Based on the causes, epileptic seizures in dogs are classified into the following types: primary, secondary and reactive seizures.

• Primary Epilepsy: This type of epileptic seizures have idiopathic causes behind them. It means that the cause is not known. The seizures in this form of epilepsy are experienced at an early age of 1-3 years by dogs. Only after eliminating other causes of epilepsy that the idiopathic form of epilepsy can be confirmed.
• Secondary Epilepsy: The causes for secondary epilepsy include, stroke, brain tumor, trauma, etc.
• Reactive Epilepsy: The reactive form of epileptic seizures results from metabolic problems including, low blood sugar, liver failure or kidney failure.

Genetic Inheritance: Genetic inheritance of problems is the common reason for causing seizures in dogs. The different species of dogs which exhibit seizures resulting from genetic inheritance include the Dachshund, Beagle, Collie, Golden Retriever, Keeshond, Poodle, etc. These dogs are more susceptible than other species.

Canine Distemper: It is also one of the important causes of seizures in dogs. Canine Distemper is a viral form of disease mainly observed in dogs at an early age. The disease is considered dangerous due to the fact that it is highly contagious. Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) can be transmitted from one dog to the other even by a non-contact kind of association. Since the distemper disease affects nervous system, the dog suffers from seizures. The basic motor skills are lost and also the muscles become weak. Seizures are not experienced by dogs in the advanced stages of this disease.

Lyme Disease: Seizures are one of the symptoms experienced in the Lyme disease. It is however, in the advanced stages of this dog health problem that the dog suffers from seizures. Lyme is an infectious disease caused by the bite of ticks belonging to the genus, 'Ixodes'. One of the major dog seizures causes is because the central nervous system is affected in this medical condition.

Types of Seizures

Information about different types of seizures along with their causes that is presented below, should prove to be useful.

• Tonic Clonic Seizures: These kinds of seizures are basically experienced in two stages i.e. 'tonic' and 'clonic'. In the tonic seizures, balance of the body is lost and the dog extends its limbs. The dog stays in this phase for about 20-30 seconds and then transits into the clonic phase. In the clonic phase, behavior of 'running in place' is exhibited by dogs.
• Partial Seizures: In this type of seizures, only a certain part of the body (say, limbs) is affected.
• Petit Mal Seizures: In the Petit Mal seizures, the dog becomes unconscious for a while and also the eyes are rotated upwards. These kinds of seizures are rarely observed in dogs.
• Complex Partial Seizures: The complex partial seizures are marked with strange behavior in dogs. Different visual and sensory sensations result from these complex partial seizures. The dog seizures symptoms commonly observed in this medical condition include aggression, biting of limbs, smacking of lips, hysterical running etc.

Dog Seizures Treatment

Dog seizures treatment measures can be applied correctly if diagnosis is carried out in time. This is because, there are various underlying causes of occurrence of seizures in dogs. Different medications used in treating dog seizures include the following: Phenobarbital, Clorazepate, Potassium Bromide, Levetiracetam, Felbamate and Zonisamide.

The topic of dog seizures causes is dealt with, by incorporating information about variations and types which can be observed in relation to the occurrence of this medical condition. The different causes of seizures in dogs enlisted in this write-up take into account various forms in which this health concern shows up.