If your dog has a seizure, you might feel helpless. But you must be calm as you let the seizure run its course. Seizures in dogs have a number of causes, such as genetics, epilepsy, head injury or a brain tumor. Narcolepsy, a sleep disorder, and seizures are often confused, so it's important to understand the difference if you want to help your dog.
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Types of Seizures
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There are six main types of seizures in dogs: generalized seizures, petit mal seizures, partial seizures, complex partial seizures, status epilepticus seizures and cluster seizures.
Treatment of Seizures
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You can begin treating your dog once your veterinarian determines the cause of the dog's seizures. Phenobarbitol is the most commonly prescribed medication for seizure disorders.
Narcolepsy
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Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes a dog to be extremely sleepy. During a narcoleptic attack, the dog will lose its balance and appear to be paralyzed, except for breathing and eye movement. These episodes usually last a few seconds, though a dog may have many attacks within a matter of minutes.
Seizures &Narcolepsy
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Narcolepsy is often confused with seizure disorders, but there are characteristics that clearly differentiate the two. Often, narcoleptic attacks are triggered by excitement, and during an attack simply touching the dog may rouse him. Seizure disorders typically have an underlying cause; you cannot rouse a dog from a seizure but must let the seizure run its course.
Treatment of Narcolepsy
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You can treat narcolepsy in dogs with medications such as protriptyline or methylphenidate.
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