Canine Epilepsy Is a Chronic

Canine Epilepsy is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent seizures. It is a disorder of the brain where abnormal electrical activity triggers further uncoordinated nerve transmission. This uncoordinated and haphazard nerve tissue activity scrambles messages to the muscles of a dog's body and the coordinated use of the muscles is then inhibited. Because there are many causes of chronic recurrent seizures in dogs, canine epilepsy is not considered a specific disease or a single syndrome, but rather a diverse category of disorders. Canine Epilepsy is divided into idiopathic and symptomatic disorders. Idiopathic Epilepsy, also called primary epilepsy, means that there is no identifiable brain abnormality other than seizures; in other words the cause is not known. Symptomatic epilepsy, also called secondary epilepsy, is seizures that are the consequence of an identifiable lesion or other specific identifiable causes.

Many of the primay epileptics have inherited epilepsy, epilepsy caused by a mutation in a specific gene which they inherited from their parents. Dogs with primary epilepsy frequently begin seizing at between one and three years of age. Underlying factors that are known to cause seizures in secondary epilepsy include:

Congenital hypoglycemia (low blood sugar),

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function),

Infections causing brain damage (such as canine distemper, cryptococcosis),

Ingestion of toxins (such as lead paint chips, insecticides)

Brain tumors,

Portosystemic shunts (improperly routed intestinal blood vessels bypass the liver - one of the body's important waste-product detoxifiers), and Vaccinations.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic diseases in dogs. Some studies estimate that up to four percent of all dogs are affected. In some breeds, the incidence may be higher and some families may have up to fourteen percent epileptics. Several breeds have a real problem with epilepsy, some of which epilepsy is believed to have a genetic basis. It has been found to be very common in German Shepherds, Belgian Tervurens, Keeshondens, Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, Labrador Retrievers, Poodles, Saint Bernards, Siberian Huskies, and Wire-haired Fox Terriers.

There are four classifications of seizures in canine epilepsy:

Mild (Petit Mal) seizures can be a simple as momentarily staring into space, or upward eye movement.

Moderate (Grand Mal) seizures are characterized by the dog falling down, losing consciousness and extending its limbs rigidly. Paddling of limbs, salivation followed by possible loss of control of bladder and bowels and vocalization (blood curdling scream) may follow. This may occur for up to three minutes and is most often followed by a period of restlessness, pacing, bumping into objects and loss of balance known as the Post Ictal period. The dog is conscious but may appear deaf, blind and disoriented. Great care must be taken to prevent the dog from injuring itself at this time.

Status Epilepticus can occur as one continuous seizure lasting ten minutes or more, or a series of multiple seizures in a short time with no period of normal consciousness. This type of seizure may be life threatening.

Cluster Seizures involve multiple seizures within a twenty four-hour period time and may also be life threatening. It is often difficult to distinguish between Status Epilepticus and Cluster Seizures.

There are also four basic stages to a seizure. The first, the Prodome, may precede the seizure by hours or days. It is characterized by changes in mood or behavior. Next, the Aura stage signals the start of a seizure. Nervousness, whining, trembling, salivation, affection, wandering, restlessness, hiding and apprehension are all signals of this stage. The Ictus is the actual seizure and is a period of intense physical activity usually lasting forty-five seconds to three minutes. The dog may lose consciousness and fall to the ground. There may also be teeth gnashing, frantic thrashing of limbs, excessive drooling, vocalizing, paddling of feet, uncontrollable urination and defecation. The Post Ictus is the stage after the seizure when the dog may pace endlessly, appear blind and deaf and eat or drink excessively.

When a dog first experiences a seizure, it is essential to rule out causes other than true epilepsy. It is difficult to diagnose canine epilepsy because many other diseases or disorders can result in seizures Therefore, blood tests, x-rays, physical examination, and history leading up to the seizure are necessary for accurate diagnosis. If the clinician finds no identifiable cause of the seizure based on clinical evaluation, then the dog is considered to have true epilepsy. Seizures are not predictable. Some dogs appear to have seizures very regularly, while in others, the seizures appear to be precipitated by specific events such as stress, or changes in the weather. But, for most epileptics, there is no pattern to their seizures.