30
Sep
Most seizures are brief and with proper treatment the pet can lead a normal life. However if your dog is not under treatment he may have a shorter life expectancy due to the injuries or brain damage that may occur during a seizure.
There is every reason to think that you and your dog can have a very happy life together even if he has epilepsy.
Can a dog live a normal life with seizures. It can be hard to hear that your dog has epilepsy but with a treatment plan in place it is possible for your dog to live a completely normal life. However you need to know how to handle the seizures. If your dog has a seizure you should be sure that they are away from any objects that could hurt them.
Stairs and furniture could be very dangerous to a dog having a seizure. Just gently slide your dog. Its important to note that most seizures are brief and that your dog can live a normal life when given the proper dog seizure treatment.
However cluster seizures are much more serious and can cause serious brain damage or worse. Do dogs with degenerative myelopathy have seizures. Sometimes no one can figure out what causes them but in the end seizures are mostly manageable for your four-legged pal and they will be able to live a practically normal and long life with you.
Safely Handling Your Dogs Seizures. Seizures can cause brain damage and have been linked to memory problems and cognitive decline in humans. Such issues dont generally cause serious issues for dogs.
It is accepted that dogs with epilepsy may have a shorter survival time estimated between 207 and 23 years where poor seizure control and high initial seizure frequency are associated with shorter survival times Packer et al 2018. Epilepsy manifests in frightening ways causing your pooch to experience sudden uncontrolled seizures. Living with a dog who has epilepsy can be a daunting prospect but with the vets help and a little planning Pal can live a fairly normal life.
Common sense and medicine can make canine epilepsy. Epilepsy is not a life threatening condition and most dogs will live a normal life in spite of occasional seizures. It is believed that dogs are like humans in that they do not feel any pain during a seizure.
It is estimated that 9 of the human population will have a seizure at some point in their lives however only about 1 of the population has epilepsy. In dogs some studies estimate that 4 of all dogs have epilepsy however in some breeds of dogs. One really important fact is that most epileptic dogs are otherwise completely normal between seizure episodes.
In those dogs however where the cause of death or euthanasia was due to something other than their epilepsy their life expectancy rose dramatically to 12 years of age. This is clearly much more encouraging. Its important to note that most seizures are brief and that your dog can live a normal life when given the proper dog seizure treatment.
However cluster seizures are much more serious and can cause serious brain damage or worse. In the worst form of this seizure the dog suffers multiple grand mal seizure episodes without recovering from the first and can be in this state for hours. This form of seizure is known as Status Epilepticus and can be fatal if not treated immediately.
There are different phases of seizure that you should know about. Its important to be able to detect the first symptoms of a seizure and administer help so that your dog wont get hurt. If your dog gets medication and you are constantly monitoring him for seizures his life expectancy will be normal.
However if your dog is not under treatment he may have a shorter life expectancy due to the injuries or brain damage that may occur during a seizure. What to Do During. Most seizures are brief and with proper treatment the pet can lead a normal life.
None-the-less seizures are serious are serious business and even short seizures can cause brain damage. That damage tends to be cumulative over time. If the seizures are short the main effect is an increased chance of another seizure in the future.
Thus there is a tendency for epilepsy to get worse over time. Seizures are not uncommon in dogs. Some breeds are much more prone to having them than others but all breeds can suffer from seizures at some point in their lives.
Seizures in dogs may be caused by a variety of factors including diet age hereditary problems underlying disease and more. They may also be caused by epilepsy. Generally if a dog experiences fewer than one seizure every four to six weeks its considered safe to wait and watch without putting the dog on medication to control the seizures.
Complementary therapies are of great benefit in these cases. If though a dog experiences seizures more frequently than this or experiences cluster seizures more than one seizure in 24 hours or status. Seizures can happen to all dogs of course but in older dogs the causes are usually more severe.
In particular if your old dog suddenly has episodes of seizures take her to the vet for a checkup immediately. Dont wait as the seizures could be brought on by serious health issues such as a brain tumor. What Exactly is a Fit or Seizure.
But most dogs can be treated and live a normal life. There is every reason to think that you and your dog can have a very happy life together even if he has epilepsy. Research being done today may lead to a cure in the future or at least a way to identify genes for epilepsy so we can stop this disease.
Seizures can be caused by poisons injury illness and epilepsy. Some dogs will have an unexplained one off seizure and never have another. Other dogs continue to have seizures throughout their life this is often due to epilepsy or illness.
It can be very frightening to witness a seizure. Check out our short video on What to do if your dog is having a seizure.