Dog Seizure Information
Seizures can happen to many mammals, including dogs. A seizure is when the brain is sending a barrage of electric signals to the muscles, causing the muscles to move in bizarre ways. Dogs can have several types of seizures for different reasons.
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Types
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According to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, types of dog seizures include grand mal seizures, petite mal seizures, partial or focal seizures that only affect one body part and psychomotor seizures, such as snapping at invisible objects.
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Identification
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With seizures, one or more body part of the dog will go into spasms. This could range from being as subtle as involuntary head tremors to a grand mal seizure, where the entire body is affected.
Causes
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According to Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, canine seizures are caused by poisoning, by brain damage such as tumors, by neurological illnesses such as encephalitis or inner organ failure. Some breeds of dogs are prone to epilepsy.
Misconception
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Dogs will not swallow their tongues during any type of seizure. Dogs may involuntarily bite, so keep away from their mouths during a seizure.
Warning
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Call a vet immediately if a seizure lasts more than five minutes or if this is the dog's first seizure.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "47" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: The Moonstone Archive (Chris Lester) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
