Seizures

Every once in a while our dog, who is about 5 years old and is a border collie/beagle mix, will experience something similar to a seizure. He falls to the ground, trembles, and his muscles contract rather severely. However the episodes are very short, usually lasting about 45 to 90 seconds, and he never urinates, froths at the mouth, or vomits, and is awake and aware the whole time. He quickly recovers and appears to be perfectly fine about a minute after it passes, although his hind legs seem shaky for fifteen minutes or so. He does not seem to have any other symptoms. We think this happens when he gets particularly excited, for example if he sees another dog walk by our yard. My wife and I were curious to know if this would fall into the category of seizure, since the symptoms seem to vary from the standard definition. We have had epileptic pets in the past and this definitely seems to be a different situation. He is otherwise healthy and is well fed and exercised. Thank you very much for your time! JS, Pennsylvania

I have an English Springer Spaniel who was diagnosed with epilepsy. His seizures range from just the hind end to full body, but are still mild and very infrequent. We’re waiting on medicating due to the infrequency of the seizures (right now one every 2-6 months), but I’m wondering what I can do for my dog to keep these seizures at bay? Are there any feeding, exercise, or supplement regimens that have helped epileptic dogs? LU, North Carolina

Dear JS and LU,

These two questions came in almost at the same time so I’m going to answer them both with one entry. First I’ll make sure we all have a clear understanding of epilepsy and seizures, then I’ll offer some suggestions that may help dogs with these conditions.

Generally, a seizure is defined as a temporary disturbance of electrical brain function that may result in an observable episode of impairment. Depending on the area of the brain that is involved, seizures may appear as a change in behavior, consciousness, motor activity or sensation, or may even affect the nerves of the heart, stomach and other internal organs. Seizures range from as minor as muscle weakness and confusion to as severe as unconsciousness, muscle rigidity, and voiding of urine and feces. So certainly a dog that falls to the ground, trembles and whose muscles contract severely could be having a seizure.

Epilepsy is sometimes defined as “recurrent seizures” regardless of the cause, but most veterinarians reserve the term epilepsy for when these recurrent seizures have no underlying active disease process that can be identified. Inherited or true epilepsy is a genetic disease of purebred dogs. It would not be a likely cause for seizures in a young dog (less than a year old) or in a senior dog (greater than five or six years old) but can be a common source of brain disturbance in adult dogs between these age ranges. Other causes of seizures include:

• trauma
• infection (such as distemper or bacterial encephalitis)
• toxins (such as lead or organophosphates)
• metabolic disorder (such as liver disease or low blood sugar)
• nutritional deficiency
• tumor

In addition to the usual history, physical examination and bloodwork, your veterinarian may need to run further tests– such as a spinal tap and advanced imaging (X-rays, MRI, CT scan)–to try and find out what is causing the seizures. A particular cause may be found that is treatable, but if not (and the seizures are severe or frequent), your dog may need to go on an anticonvulsant prescription medication such as phenobarbital. It is important to understand that anticonvulsants do not “cure” a dog of seizures or epilepsy, instead they are used to reduce the severity or frequency of episodes. Also, these medications do not come without side effects, which is why veterinarians recommend waiting until the seizures occur on a monthly basis or become severe.

One of these side effects is liver stress, since phenobarbital is processed through the liver. Therefore some veterinarians recommend that dogs who are on this medication long-term be given specific liver support. There are many ingredients that promote a healthy liver, including SAMe, milk thistle or silymarin, and phosphatidyl choline and lecithin. General antioxidant support may assist cells in both the liver and the brain, and includes the Vitamins A, E and C as well as selenium, N-acetyl cysteine, alpha lipoic acid and others. Of course, a high-quality diet is critical, because a deficiency in B vitamins (especially Thiamine or B1), Calcium or Magnesium could play a role in nerve dysfunction. And if the food your dog is eating does not contain adequate amounts of the anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids, consider adding these separately.

One of you specifically asked about exercise. Like with most health conditions, consistent daily exercise is beneficial. Just be sure not to overdo it with a dog prone to seizures and if you’re starting from couch potato status, build up gradually!