Seizures in dogs can be a result of several causes, including food poisoning, anemia, kidney disease, strokes, head injury, liver disease and electrolyte problems. Dog seizures can also be referred to as epilepsy, and they affect how a dog behaves and looks. A seizure can last up to several minutes, which involves insurgent shaking or twitching.
There are different kinds of seizures that a dog can contract, including generalized or grand mal seizure, focal seizure, psychomotor seizure and idiopathic epilepsy. A dog with generalized seizure can lose consciousness with abnormal electrical activity throughout the whole brain. Focal seizure involves electrical activity that only affect a part of the brain, and it causes the dog to have unusual movements. With psychomotor seizure, dogs behave strangely but this only lasts for a few minutes. Idiopathic epilepsy is a kind of seizure that results from unknown causes and affects dogs between 6 months and 6 years of age.
Dogs suffering from seizures should not be allowed near anything that may cause them injury. Seizures that last for more than a minute imply that a dog is overheating. Putting cold water on the paws or turning on the fan can help reduce overheating. A vet must be called after a seizure ends. Dogs with seizures that last for more than 5 minutes must be taken to a vet for professional treatment.
