What is Seizure / Epilepsy?
Epilepsy, canine or feline, is a general term which describes the chronic disturbance of the nervous system function.
Seizures, convulsions or epileptic fits, often use interchangeably, are the episodes your cat or dog may experience if s/he has epilepsy. Seizures can also happen due to reasons other than epilepsy, which is more common.
Seizure happens when abnormal electrical activity of the brain is triggered, resulting in the excessive firing of nerve impulses from the brain, causing mild shaking, jerking and spasms to violent convulsions and fits.
The sensation is like heated electrical shocks shooting all over the body (like an internal short circuit), causing a temporary loss of control over mind and bodily functions. It is a rather exhausting experience and your pet looses a lot of energy afterwards.
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What causes Seizures / Epilepsy?
Seizures are usually the result of an overwhelmed nervous system due to an excessive level of toxicity in the body that has now entered the nervous system.
The most common reasons for canine and feline seizures are:
- Allergic Reaction to Toxins - veterinary drugs, anaesthesia overdose, vaccines built-up, household chemicals (from home, lawn or outdoor) and unnatural things in food (chemical dyes, food coloring, ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT, preservatives, additives, hormones, steroids, antibiotics, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, genetically modified foods, processed foods, spices, msg and others)
- Poisons - rat poison, anti-freeze, street drugs and other poisonous chemicals and deliberate poisons
- Physical trauma to the brain
- Infection or inflammation of the brain or nervous system
- Tumor in the brain or nervous system
- Emotional trauma or intense fear, sometimes recurring, such as psychological or physical abuse
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What are the Different Types of Seizures?
The most common types of canine and feline seizures are:
Grand Mal Seizure
The most recognizable seizure attack in dogs where there is a complete loss of control in muscle coordination.
Symptoms before a grand mal seizure:
The dog or cat may appear restless at the onset, resting with no initial signs or jerk up from rest with or without a scream.
Symptoms during a grand mal seizure:
The dog or cat may fall down to one side or on his/her back. The head and neck may tilt backwards. The muscles cramp up, become rigid with violent twitching, thrashing and paddling. There may be involuntary urination and defecation. There may be labored breathing and heart constriction.
There is usually foaming and drooling at the mouth, with or without vocal sounds, with the tongue hanging out. You may also see tears, redness and white from the eyes, showing intense fear and confusion. The seizure often lasts 1-3 minutes.
Symptoms after a grand mal seizure:
The dog or cat may become completely unconscious.
More often, the dog or cat is anxious, disoriented, may be pacing frantically, drink a lot, want fresh air and contact with the ground (earth).
The dog or cat may also have problems coordinating the legs (staggering like a drunk), finding his/her direction, have temporary loss of sight (banging into things), severe headache and want lots of assurance from the pet guardian (to feel safe).
During this phase, the dog or cat may try to lie down and rest but get up again right away as s/he does not feel comfortable in the body and in the head. After this anxious, pacing phase, which may last 30-60 minutes, the dog or cat usually falls into a deep sleep.
Other symptoms may appear 24-72 hours after the grand mal seizure has settled. See Are seizures life threatening?.
The grand mal seizure may happen only once or twice, or it may repeat whenever it is triggered. It may happen many times within a 24-48 hour period (cluster seizures) or continuously without a period of consciousness or relaxation in between (status epilepticus).
Petit Mal Seizure
This is a mild seizure usually with head tremors and light leg spasms. People sometimes miss it especially if the pet is sitting or lying down. The dog or cat is conscious but may not recognize people or its surroundings during the petit mal seizure.
The dog or cat may look dazed, off at a distance, unaware and motionless. The eyes can be fixated or glaring. The head and body may tremble slightly (often misinterpreted as the pet is cold). The limbs may also tense up, jerk, shake or paddle. The dog or cat may also be staggering like a drunk if s/he is standing up.
Petit mal seizures often come in between grand mal seizure episodes. Petit mal seizures can progress to grand mal seizures and, therefore, should not be ignored.
Partial Seizure
This type of seizure is most common in cats which is somewhere in between a petit mal seizure and a grand mal seizure. Basically it means certain parts of the body are out of control while the rest are still ok.
It can be a gentle epileptic fit with a lack of motion, staring into space and mild shaking of the head and body.
It can also be an active convulsion where the cat or dog runs around frantically as if chasing something invisible, leaps into the air or at objects, meows or barks with urgency, along with facial twitching, salivation and may progress with more muscular tension and into a full blown grand mal seizure.
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Are Seizures life-threatening?
Seizures are terrifying to watch. In itself, seizures are not life threatening. However, there are dangers with seizures:
- Labored breathing may lead to suffocation
- Heart constriction and increase in blood pressure may lead to heart attack
- During the seizure, the dog or cat may swallow the tongue which can stop breathing
- The dog or cat may injure itself or others during the convulsive episode, especially the head.
- Low blood sugar level (used up during the seizure) can lead to collapse and shock
- Prolonged, frequent seizures, especially grand mal seizures, can affect muscle tone, including organ muscles. This can lead to other complications such as incontinence, chronic digestion problem, heart congestion, respiratory difficulty and chronic lethargy.
- Secondary problems can escalate after the seizures, one to a few days later.
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Can Seizures / Epilepsy be treated or cured?
Yes. Seizures can be reduced in frequency and intensity dramatically with holistic treatment, if not altogether. You also need to address the cause(s) of the seizures for lasting result. Both conventional and holistic treatments are described below.
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Conventional Treatment for Canine and Feline Seizures / Epilepsy
Most seizures or epilepsy, and their causes, go undetected by blood and other laboratory tests. Veterinarians commonly use these medication to suppress seizures:
- Phenobarbital (abbreviated pb or phb)
- Potassium Bromide (abbreviated KBr)
- Phenobarbital & Potassium Bromide
- Valium (diazepam)
- Dilantin (phenytoin)
- Neurontin (gabapentin)
These veterinary medicines do not treat for cure but aim to stop seizures by suppressing the nervous system. Since these drugs suppress the nervous system, but are not selective, other bodily functions may also be affected.
Dogs and cats on phenobarbital need to have their liver enzymes tested every three to four months. They also need pre- and post-meal bile acid testing to make sure the phenobarbital has not caused liver damage.
Side effects of canine and feline anti-convulsive and anti-seizure drugs are rather significant:
- Liver damage (more toxins to handle)
- Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite
- Lethargy, depression
- Loss of concentration and memory, confusion, headache
- Excessive thirst, excessive appetite, excessive urination
- Loss of use of hind leg, loss of reflexes, loss of sensitivity
- Personality change
- Skin affections
- Restlessness, seizure-like symptoms, coma
- Worsening of asthma, heart condition and other pre-existing conditions
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Holistic Treatment for Canine and Feline Seizures / Epilepsy
Holistic treatment includes homeopathic remedies, vibrational essences, herbal nerve tonic, organs detoxification, electrolyte replacement after a seizure attack and energy re-balancing.
This integrative approach helps to calm and regress seizure symptoms without suppression, stable fear and confusion, re-gain mental clarity, nourish nerves, relax the nervous system so they can be repaired internally, eliminate toxic overload, replace blood sugar after each seizure attack and re-stabilize the disturbed energetic pattern of the animal.
Additional treatment may be needed for the cause of the seizure or if there are multiple factors involved such as diet or emotional trauma.
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What can I do when my dog or cat is Seizuring?
First, don't panic. You need to be alert. Not all dogs or cats bite during seizures. To be safe, don't put your hand in the mouth. Try to help your dog or cat not to injure themselves if possible, especially the head. Wear thick gloves if needed.
You can throw some pillows or blankets at where they are landing, about to land, and to protect the head from hitting any wall or hard objects. You can also move furniture, breakables, close doors and keep children and other pets away.
After the seizure, touch and talk to your dog or cat to reassure him or her. Follow your dog or cat around to help prevent injury (e.g. throw a pillow under the bum when s/he falls). Allow access to outdoor fresh air and ground that connects to the earth, on a leash if needed, and opportunity to urinate.
Offer water for thirst and grain-based electrolyte fluids after each seizure attack at regular intervals to increase blood sugar level and replace lost energy. (Pedialyte fluid is not enough but can be used temporarily. You can also use homemade oats or rice water temporarily.) Give homeopathic remedies to assure a quick recovery.
You can also help your dog or cat with our Seizures and Epilepsy Kit. It comes with a spray pump so it is safe for you. More healing tips can be found here.
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Things to avoid while healing from seizures or epilepsy
Avoid mind-stimulating herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, wormwood, dill and mint. Avoid essential oils such as camphor, eucalyptus, fennel, hyssop, pennyroyal, rosemary, sage, tansy, tea tree (melaleuca), thuja, turpentine and wormwood. I will avoid all essential oils during this time to be safe.
Avoid using chemical or natural shampoo which often contains either chemicals or essential oils. If you must clean your pet, use glycerine and water. Also avoid peanuts and sesame seeds. To be safe, do not introduce any new food or supplements until you finish the holistic remedy program. I once used a new brand of yogurt and it has rosemary extract in it, bingo! Introduce one new ingredient, food or supplement at a time so you can test what your pet is allergic to.
Of course, chemicals should be avoided at all times. Vaccinations, chemical wormer, heartworm pills, chemical flea or parasite programs, household chemicals, paint, pesticides and even perfume can trigger pre-existing seizures. Go natural around your house and yard as much as possible.
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