epilepsy in dogs
What is epilepsy?
epilepsy is more a phenomenon than a clearly definable disease. Basically, white medicine only in very few cases, what are the causes of varicose symptoms of an animal or human. Epilepsy is a "diagnosis of exclusion, ie it is tested for several known possible triggers, and if everyone can be excluded, then the disease is called idiopathic (of unknown origin or inherited) epilepsy.
Some of the possible causes of seizures can be brain tumors or poisoning, may be negative effects of vaccination protracted act, infection or severe metabolic disturbances. The search for the cause is often tedious and rarely successful.
How to tell an epileptic Attack?
A distinction between large, highly visible seizures (grand mal) and the small, unobtrusive seizures (petit mal). The grand mal is expressed in a more or less sudden drop of the dog, which goes into spasms, which represent either a stiffness and stretching of the limbs (tonic spasm) or uncontrolled twitching, fidgeting and kicking (clonic spasm).
A classic grand mal convulsion shows both forms of succession or alternately. The sight of a dog during an epileptic seizure is shocking, and one has to die the first time the impression that the dog would. In addition to the violent convulsions Chewing and gnashing of teeth may occur. The chewed salivates caused foaming at the catch. You may experience uncontrolled urination or Kotabsetzen. Maybe the dog panting heavily or are strange noises. Here is the comforting knowledge that the dog even his not remember the attack. Epilepsy among people report that they are unconscious during the attack and come back do not remember it. After a few minutes, sounds from the attack in most cases by itself again. The dog is behind dazed, staggering and perhaps running for a few minutes before items. A little later he is again a normal dog.
The Petit time are be seen not so much. You describe a short Weggetretensein for only a few seconds. The falls in dogs sometimes the fact that they look "funny", with empty eyes stare somewhere, or of something frightening, that's definitely not there.
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If your dog has a first seizure in the form of a grand time had, then that does not mean that he is epileptic and now remains. Surely you are very scared and go to the vet quickly. That's good, because there may be underlying the attack of acute disease.
Think carefully whether your dog
- in the final hours before the attack could have taken (or continuously for a long time) poison (which can also be the drugs he received, or a bleiabsondernder water bowl),
- in recent weeks had an accident or has suffered a very severe blow to the head,
- has been vaccinated recently,
- has recently undergone an infectious disease,
- got maybe an overdose of antibiotics,
- was changed recently, any intellectual "suspensions" knew or showed unusual behavior,
- in the last weeks strong psychological stress was suspended
- suffered in recent weeks, a serious change in his life had.
All this information can help the vet!
In no case you should prescribe for the dog after the first attack of antiepileptic drugs. After a single seizure, it is much too early to assume a permanent epilepsy, AEDs are designed for just this. It should be made in any case, a blood count. A little "fast" that can evaluate the physician immediately in his own practice and a large, which is sent to a lab. It is important to the dog in the near future without being influenced by drugs can, to see if further seizures occur at all. For, in a large number of affected dogs, the first Attack also the last.
The assessment of epilepsy, it is crucial to how often the attacks are, how long the intervals between attacks are beginning to which body part the attacks, whether the severity varies, and whether the attacks in common with respect to the time of day, diet, have the situation.
You must therefore lead the first attack in a diary. If it can be set up somehow, the dog should not be left alone. to observe the one hand, seizures may, on the other hand, allow the dog in the seizure violated. If you have a digital camera with video capture or Video camera, have you film an attack. Even if you feel it very badly, it can be used for the diagnosis and treatment are crucial to show the film.
What can I do during a seizure?
The best thing you can do for your dog during the attack, is simply to be there. Make sure that it does not hurt in the spasms, which means you upholster from its position against hard surfaces with blankets or pillows. Please try not to push a "Beißholz" or something similar between his teeth. Previously that was recommended so the dog does not bite on lips or tongue. If the attack but is already there, there is by trying to give the wood in his mouth even more injuries because the jaws move in attack violent.
Change to also be the location of the cramp-border animal, unless there is a risk of injury. You should never try to prevent by holding the strong movements. You have to practice to make things happen, that helps you and the dog. Be as simple. Touch your dog struggling, put their hands on him and talk to him. Maybe your familiar voice passes so somewhere in his consciousness. Try to be calm.
If your dog wakes up and it quiet again welcome, it is much better finished his confusion.
It is helpful if you have an hourglass, you can turn around at the beginning of a seizure. Indeed, it is important to know how long does a seizure. Although you probably do it to look at the beginning of a seizure at the clock, but you may not be in the acute care for the dog to be able to remember the exact time.
Give your dog after the attack the opportunity to solve out. Because the body functions work several minutes at full speed, and the metabolism has been accelerated and usually has to sell then the dog droppings. Let him but also drawing on familiar ground on the lead until it is perfectly clear and approachable again.
Many dogs are very hungry after the attack (no wonder, considering how much energy was consumed). Then enter quietly out of turn food, but not too much at once.
What can I do in general for my epileptic dog?
let him continue his dog! Outside the attacks, he is a dog like any other. He does not need to be physically protected or saved from dealing with his environment. The only thing he can not use is mental stress, pressure or fear. This does not mean you should let him go through everything. It just means that it Their educational efforts should be calm, confident and consistent. Give your dog the feeling of safety and security.
your dog, you should definitely switch to grain-free raw diet. Grain is one of the major allergens for dogs and not one of its natural food sources. Unfortunately, almost all prepared food made for dogs to a high percentage of grain. There are more and more cases of epileptic dogs that drastically consistent grain-free food have less or even no more attacks. But even apart from epilepsy Rohfütterung the health of the dog is very beneficial. www.gesundehunde.com.
drugs?
Conventional medicine treats epilepsy with so-called anti-epileptic drugs. They are very powerful drugs that act to dampen the patient. If the drug is dosed properly, is a seizure-free. The correct dosage means as much as necessary, as little as possible. First, be achieved with a multi-week, regular dose with a certain drug levels in the blood of the patient. In the period can still occur seizures. Then the dose is varied until it can be accomplished with the lowest possible dose seizure freedom.
There are a number of different antiepileptic drugs, which all differ somewhat in various forms contribute to epilepsy. In humans is very long and carefully tested, which means the right is. In domestic animals, such tests would be extremely costly and complicated by the fact that the animal can not say how he is. Therefore is prescribed in most cases of epilepsy in dogs is the agent that relatively covers many forms of epilepsy: Luminal. Unfortunately Luminal is also the means with the most serious side effects. In human medicine it is used so only reluctantly, or as a last resort.
Experience shows that many epileptic dogs (and people) after a few months or years in which they have remained seizure free with antiepileptic drugs, suddenly very serious Get seizures, no longer respond to the agent. It must therefore be expected that the medications only temporarily suppress the seizures. Antiepileptic drugs can not cure epilepsy.
A sad side effect of antiepileptic drugs is a strong emotional loss, and often change in character. You may discover his own dog again. Even people who take such drugs, report that they detect a change of personality in itself. Many people who are therefore even before their attacks to have, and stop taking the medication.
AEDs are therefore a caution-to-use treatment, the Effects one should be clear. The physical side effects lead to further medical treatment after prolonged administration, since some new diseases are caused by the medication.
addition to switching to grain-free fresh food can also be a classical homeopathic treatment can be tried. There are numerous cases in which humans and animals clearly by classical homeopathy epilepsy improved or even cured in some cases was. The important thing is to seek not just any animal healers, but to ensure that the therapist has completed a multi-year training in classical veterinary homeopathy alone. Many veterinarians will follow the sign of the times and offer in their practice of homeopathic complex remedies. This is not a form of homeopathy, which is able to cure epilepsy
It is very difficult, as dog owners to take without medical knowledge, the right decision for his patients suffering from epilepsy animal. Very helpful is to obtain information on other stakeholders (eg the Internet) and thereby open in all directions. Very good it is to read books on epilepsy who have written of the disease affected people. The most important thing is that you stay true to her dog, no matter how he is. Give him a happy life, be calm now and then interrupted by a fit can. The life of an epileptic is absolutely worth living - you do not make hasty decisions!
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