Gran Mal Seizures in Dogs

Dogs, like humans, may develop epilepsy. This disorder causes seizures and can occur between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, but usually begin around 2 or 3 years of age. While there are several types of seizures, gran mal seizure is the most common in dogs.

  1. Identification

    • A seizure is caused by neurons in the brain that misfire or are uncoordinated. This usually occurs in the area of the brain called the cerebrum. A dog with epilepsy will have occasional bouts of this misfiring, which are known as seizures or convulsions.

    Causes

    • The cause of gran mal seizures may include diabetes, congenital defects, low oxygen levels (as with anemia), kidney disease, liver disorders, canine distemper, brain tumors, toxins or poisons, fever, hyperthermia, brain damage from trauma, certain medications and idiopathic (unknown) epilepsy.

    Symptoms

    • A gran mal seizure affects the dog's whole body and may cause the dog to fall on his side. Other symptoms of a gran mal seizure are kicking or paddling the legs, salivation, urinating, defecating, loss of consciousness and loss of muscle control. A gran mal seizure usually lasts for less than 5 minutes. A gran mal seizure is different from a petit mal seizure, in which the dog does not have convulsions but appears to collapse and lose consciousness.

    Seizure Triggers

    • Dogs may feel a seizure before it begins and often seek the owner for comfort or bark loudly. It is unknown what triggers a gran mal seizure, but some pet owners have found that excitability may be a cause of seizures. This may occur when playing fetch or if the dog becomes overly excited during a visit to the veterinarian. Some dogs have gran mal seizures as they are drifting off to sleep. This is different from dogs that bark while sleeping because a dog having a gran mal seizure cannot be awakened.

    Considerations

    • Medications are available for dogs that suffer from gran mal seizures. These are known as anticonvulsant medications that may help control seizure activity in dogs. If your dog is having seizures, consult your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. Dogs that have several gran mal seizures in a row without time for recovery may have a life-threatening condition called status epilepticus. If this occurs, emergency medical treatment must be sought.