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Do animals get seizures? The answer to this is yes, they do. A lot of the health matters that humans go through, unfortunately out four-legged friends go through them too. This is not to say that the symptoms will be the same too. Not in all cases. Which is why we thought of tackling the one that has been a common problem in both humans and their pets for a very long time – Seizures.
Seizures – In Humans and Animals
As per the Mayo Clinic website, a seizure is a sudden and uncontrollable disturbance in the brain, that is caused by an electrical malfunction. Those humans and animals that have them in recurring sessions tend to have epilepsy. These range in severity, but one thing is for certain, they begin in the brain. Click here to read further material about this common condition in humans.
Now, to comprehend how it works in animals, we take a step forward into the world of epilepsy. This is the type of seizure that is common in both are canines and felines, more so in dogs than cats though. It has been estimated to affect approximately 0.80% of the dog population. As mentioned above, humans start in the brain, and in animals, this is also the same. It is caused by structural imbalances in this fundamental part of the animal’s physique and sometimes the cause is not known as well.
Treatment Options
These types of neurological disorders are only remediable with the utmost care and precision. There are many anti-epileptic drugs available on the market that are prescribed to them by the vet and sometimes oral phenobarbital’s are given to them as the first option of treatment for example if you have a deer pet or a squirrel then you can give this medicines through deer feed or squirrel food respectively. These would include either imepitoin, which is an anticonvulsant or levetiracetam which has anxiolytic effects on the animals, which helps to keep them calm.
Another treatment possibility that any pet owner can give them within the confines of the home, and which can also keep the pet calm is CBD Oil. Finding a high-quality brand is vital, and tips on how to do this can be found here: https://www.caninejournal.com/benefits-of-cbd-oil-for-dogs/ This natural plant extract, has been proven time and time again to help animals in many major illnesses and unfavourable health conditions such as seizures and Alzheimer’s see them get through it in the end and what better first-hand witnesses of this, then pet owners themselves?
7 Common Symptoms of Seizures in Animals
When dogs have these conditions, they can suffer from a few different things, but 7 of the most common symptoms revolve around:
- Foaming at the mouth
- Abnormal vocalization
- Loss of muscle control
- Licking and chomping a lot
- Loss of bowel movement and bladder control
- Licking and pedalling movements
- Twitching or stiffness in their limbs
Several different types of seizures affect our canines, namely, tonic, generalized, tonic-clonic, myoclonic, atonic and focal types, cluster and status epilepticus each with their band of symptoms but generally similar to one another.
There are a few things you can do when this happens. First and foremost, do not panic, as the dog can feel this vibe and make him feel worse if you have a towel handy use it for when they defecate uncontrollably, comfort your pooch by holding him and speaking to it in a calm voice, stay away from their mouth as they tend to chomp on things during their attacks.
There is a list of medication that the vet can give, including the ones mentioned above, however, if your one for a natural alternative, along with giving it health products for animals, and his medication, you can try and incorporate some CBD Oil in his day as an effective accompaniment. The FDA however has not approved the benefits of this oil towards seizures, so it should be taken as a treatment on its own but rather as part of a holistic treatment plan discussed with your vet. But, just like a plant can get a fertilizer burn from helpful fertilizers your pet can also get harmful effects from their medicines therefore it should be given under care and prescription.
This is because the research on this cannabinoid is still in the workings and we have not as yet had conclusive results or approval from researchers and the government. As with anything that seems out of place for any of your pets, cats, dogs, birds and even horses, speaking to the vet should always be the first step towards finding therapy.
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