What is a seizure?
Seizures in dogs and cats are caused by unusual electrical activity in the brain originating in the medial temporal region. The disorder is also known as a convulsion or fit. Signs of a seizure include twitching, shaking, or spasms. Episodes are typically not life-threatening and usually stop on their own. However, you must immediately take your pet to an emergency centre if a seizure lasts longer than five minutes. If your pet has had multiple episodes within 24 hours, brain or organ damage may occur, leading to additional health issues.
Seizures are classified into several categories.
Generalised Seizures
A generalised seizure is the most common in small animals where the body becomes stiff, and contraction cycles occur, such as shakes and spasms. Usually, during this seizure disorder, the animal will lose consciousness and may urinate or defecate.
Focal Seizures (or Partial Motor Seizures)
A focal seizure involves involuntary activity in one body part. An example would be where an animal appears to be gum chewing; this is seen frequently in dogs with seizure disorders. The animal may or may not be conscious during this episode.
Psychomotor Seizures
A psychomotor seizure is when abnormal behaviour occurs without shaking or spasms. The animal’s consciousness may be disturbed and can appear to be hallucinating or in a confused, disoriented state. During this seizure disorder, the animal may become aggressive and not recognise its family.
There are three phases of a pet seizure; pre-ictal, ictal, and post-ictal.
1. Pre-ictal
The “pre” phase often goes unnoticed. However, the animal may appear restless and have an altered state of consciousness. This phase can last for a few seconds or minutes.
2. Ictal
This phase is the seizure and may also last a few seconds or minutes. Seeking urgent medical attention during an episode is crucial to prevent brain and organ damage. During an attack, the following conditions can occur, causing the following damage to the body;
- Hyperthermia (increased body temperature)
- Acidosis (metabolic imbalance)
- Hypoperfusion (reduced blood flow)
- Hypoxia (reduced oxygen to tissues)
3. Post-ictal
During this phase, the animal may appear dazed, confused, depressed and show signs of blindness. The animal will be tired and sleep a lot. The duration and frequency of the pet’s seizure will affect the course of this phase. However, this phase typically lasts several minutes to hours.
Causes and Symptoms
Seizures occur when brain activity changes or from other conditions such as liver or kidney disease. Changes in brain activity include excitement, feeding or falling asleep and waking up. Some seizures may be minor and go unnoticed. However, some may cause your pet to collapse, cause involuntary movement, and loss of consciousness. Animals can appear normal between seizures (typically in cats) or may be dazed or unaware of their surroundings. If your pet shows unusual behaviour, such as this, contact a veterinarian immediately.
Diagnosis
Tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood and urine samples will be collected to understand your pet’s health and investigate the underlying cause of the medical episode. The patient may also require a general anesthetic for advanced testing to diagnose. Testing includes x-rays and a spinal tap. The pet’s age, breed, and medical history will also be considered when diagnosing a seizure disorder.
Although any animal can have a seizure, dog breeds including border collies, Australian shepherds, Labrador retrievers, beagles, Belgian Terurens, collies and German shepherds are more likely to be diagnosed with a seizure disorder.
Treatment Options
As every animal is different, the causes, severity and treatment of seizures will differ. The more episodes your pet has before treatment, the more frequent those seizures will become. Hence, seeking urgent medical attention is essential as the brain becomes accustomed to attacks. Integrating a seizure disorder treatment plan early on will help minimise and manage the disorder. However, cases not treated early can be unresponsive to treatment, meaning episodes will occur more frequently, as new cell groups will also learn how to create seizures.
If you’re ever worried about your pet having seizures, take them immediately to a veterinary clinic or an emergency centre. At North Coast Veterinary Emergency, we’re here 24 hours a day, seven days a week – call us today to see how we can help you.