Are you the owner of a beloved dog? If this animal has been in your life for a while, it may be easy for you to spot when something is wrong. If your dog is having seizures out of nowhere, it could be a sign that something serious is going on, so it is important to have your pet checked out. Some of the most common causes of dog seizures include liver disease, epilepsy or even brain cancer. While it may be something that is manageable and not as severe as cancer, it is still important to take the proper steps to help your pet and ultimately find out what is really going on.
1. Pay Attention to Some of the Common Warning Signs
Dogs may start to act a bit different right before they start having a seizure. They may begin to get dizzy bump into the furniture or walls around the home. Some dogs will roll around on the floor with their legs pointed straight while refusing to eat or drink anything for an extended period. If you know how your pet normally acts, it should not be too hard for you to pinpoint some of these common warning signs. Make sure to keep a journal of any unusual behavior your pet is displaying. You may start to recognize that your dog is acting a certain way directly before it has a seizure.
2. Do Not Touch Your Pet During the Seizure
If and when your dog has a seizure, the first thing you may want to do is pick it up and try to help in any possible way you can. However, this can cause more harm than good for both of you. Your pet will not know what is going on and that means that it may unknowingly attack you while you are trying to comfort it. You should stand back and keep track of the time to determine how long your dog was seizing. It is good to have this information ready for when you visit the veterinarian. It may sound slightly unusual, but you may even want to pull out your phone and record the incident. If you have the seizure filmed on your phone or digital camera, you will be able to show the veterinarian exactly what happened.
3. Take Your Pup to the Veterinarian for Testing
Because seizures are caused by a number of factors, it is a wise decision to take your dog to the veterinarian to seek treatment. The veterinarian will need to perform a series of different tests before giving you a legitimate diagnosis. Some of the different types of tests that are commonly performed include:
- Blood test
- Urinalysis
- Bile acid test
- Thyroid test
- CAT scan
These are just a few of the tests that may need to be performed on your pet before the veterinarian can confidently give a diagnosis. If the results of these tests all turn out normal, there is a possibility your dog has epilepsy. If your pet receives an epilepsy diagnosis, you may wonder how it happened or what has caused it. Unfortunately, epilepsy in canines is a bit of a mystery. It is often referred to as an unexplained illness that causes random seizures to occur.
While it may seem frightening to deal with, many dogs that are diagnosed with epilepsy continue to live happy and healthy lives. There are tons of different treatments available that make it easier to manage the condition, including raw food diet programs, seizure medications and homeopathic capsules.
If your dog is suddenly starting to have seizures, it is important to pay attention to the warning signs, keep track of the time or record the incident and ultimately bring your pet into the animal hospital to see a veterinarian. It may be possible to find out what is wrong with your pup and what steps you can take to help it.
