Seizures in Senior Dogs

Significance

• A seizure can occur when too much electrical energy is within the brain. Signals in the brain control the body's movements and an overabundance of these signals causes the body to react aggressively as it tries to follow all the signals, which results in a seizure.

Causes

• According to seizuresinadults.net, there are various reasons seizures can affect your older dog. A common cause of seizures in senior dogs is organ failure, possibly due to obesity, poor diet or toxic poisoning. Damage to the brain can also cause seizures in older dogs. The damage may include an injury, such as blunt trauma to the head, or a tumor or growth on the brain.

  Bacterial or viral infections are known to cause seizures in older dogs because the brain and spinal cord become swollen due to the infection. Parasites, fungi, stiff neck, high fever and sensitivity to touch are all symptoms of these infections that can attack your older dogs' nervous system.

  Seizures can also be the symptom of an underlying neurological disorder, such as low blood sugar or liver disease.

Diagnosis

• Petplace.com states your veterinarian will complete a physical examination of your dog. Testing will include a neurological exam, funduscopic exam (lighted instrument that views the pupils) of the eyes, urinalysis, blood tests (blood count), serum profile to evaluate blood sugar, bile acid tests for liver function and fecal exam. Further testing depends on the results of these lab tests and may include a CT scan (computerized tomography) or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). The MRI is more perceptive than a CT scan for examining the brain.

Treatment

• Treatment includes medications, such as Phenobarbital (most common, safe and recommended), Primidone, Phenytoine, Potassium Bromide (most often prescribed with Phenobarbital), and Diazepam, prescribed by your veterinarian in order to control the seizure disorders. Your senior dog could be hospitalized if the seizures are frequent or if it has more than two seizures in 24 hours (called cluster seizures). Your dog may need Intravenous administration of drugs, such as diazepam, pentobarbital or propofol, to get the seizures under control.

Considerations

• Do not panic when your older dog has a seizure. Time the seizure. Keep your dog away from furniture or sharp objects and place a pillow under its head. Take note of its muscular activity (what the body is doing during the seizure). Do not be alarmed that it may lose bodily function. Keep your hands away from the mouth, as your dog will not swallow its tongue. Keep children and other pets away from the seizing dog. Kneel by your dog, stroke and comfort it so you are by its side when it comes out of it. Within a few minutes, even though it may stumble and seem confused, your dog should be fine. If recovery time exceeds 30 minutes, take your dog to the vet immediately. It is also helpful to keep a record of your senior dog's seizures.