Watching your dog suffer through a seizure can be a deeply distressing experience, especially if you don't know what caused him to go into convulsions. There are many different reasons for a dog to experience a seizure. By examining your dog, having tests performed and obtaining a full medical history, a veterinarian can usually determine the underlying cause for a dog's seizures.
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Phases
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Veterinary Pet Care explains that a seizure occurs in three parts. During the pre-ictal phase the dog may appear confused, needy or disoriented. The second part, or ictal phase, is the actual seizure. The dog will often fall over, shake uncontrollably and appear to be paralyzed. He may wet or soil himself. Afterward, during the post-ictal phase, he may seem confused, restless or experience temporary blindness.
Epilepsy
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The Canine Epilepsy website indicates that seizures in epileptic dogs are caused by a neurological dysfunction. This disorder causes the muscles to respond to abnormal neural signals. Dogs with primary epilepsy often inherit the disorder from a parent. Secondary epilepsy is caused by a non-genetic factor such as thyroid imbalance or neurological disease.
Epilepsy cannot be cured, but a dog's symptoms can be controlled by using phenobarbital. Diet is also important. Seizures can be triggered by preservatives, so dogs with epilepsy or seizure disorders should only be fed dog food that is preservative-free.
Exposure to Toxins
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The Doctor Dog website indicates that dogs can develop seizures after eating poisonous plants or products. Certain plants such as chinaberry and water hemlock can produce convulsions in dogs. Substances such as rat poisons and chocolate toxicity can cause seizure and, eventually, death.
Diabetes and Hypoglycemia
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Diabetes mellitus, or canine diabetes, is caused when the dog's pancreas does not produce enough insulin. This can cause his blood sugar levels to become very high. If your dog has diabetes, he may drink large amounts of water, urinate frequently and lose weight even though he eats normal amounts. Your dog may need insulin injections. Regulating the dosage can be tricky, though. If the dog's insulin dosage is too high, it will lower his blood sugar too much. This condition is called hypoglycemia, and it can cause seizures, according to Pet Education.
Canine Distemper
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According to the Dog Seizures website, canine distemper is a dangerous and often fatal viral disease that can be easily passed from one dog to another. The virus begins by entering the lymphoid organs and moves to the rest of the body through the blood. As the disease progresses, it causes severe neurological damage by inflaming the brain and spinal cord. This can result in paralysis, disabling muscle spasms, seizures and death.
Brain Tumor
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Brain tumors can cause seizures in dogs. Tumors are growths in the brain that can press into the dog's brain tissue. A dog with a brain tumor can have coordination or vision problems and may develop seizures.
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