About Dog Seizures

Article by Sandra Dentshire

If you have a dog that has had a seizure, you understand how difficult and painful the situation can be. There are many different causes for dog seizures and many different kinds of dog seizures. By knowing what kind of seizure your dog is having, you can help the vet figure out what is causing your dog's seizures.

There are two different categories of seizures in dogs, generalized and focalized seizures. These refer to the parts of the brain that are affected by the seizures. Generalized seizures affect the entire brain. There are also focalized seizures, which affect a small amount of the brain. Each of these broad categories has two separate divisions.

Generalized seizures, which affect the entire brain, take two forms. These can be thought of as relating to the amount of brain activity involved. The major motor seizure is where the brain becomes overloaded and the dog has a motor seizure, which causes the muscles to become rigid and the dog to twitch and suffer from other involuntary muscle reactions.

The other kind of generalized seizure is an absence seizure, which creates a moment of disconnection for the dog. In this case, the dog will be unresponsive to outside stimuli. The dog will not be able to notice what is being done around him and will have a fixed, distant stare.

There are two kinds of focalized seizures as well. The first, the simple focal seizure, refers to a motor seizure. This is similar in affect to the major motor seizure that is common with generalized seizures, but on a much smaller scale. In most cases, only a single part of the dog is affected by a simple focal seizure.

The other kind of focalized seizure is the complex focal seizure. This creates a psychological issue in the dog because the part of the brain affected is the part that controls behavior. The dog will then react as though it is a different dog altogether. In some cases this means that the dog is behaving in an erratic and frenzied manner. In a few cases, some dogs have been known to become violent during a complex focal seizure.

Although it can be difficult to observe your dog when they are having a seizure, it is essential that you do so and pay close attention to the way the dog is affected, in order to help you convey the symptoms to the doctor in an accurate way. This will lead to better diagnostic information from the vet and more accurate treatments for your dog.

Dog seizures are common in some breeds of dog and all breeds have been known to experience seizures. Despite the unpleasantness, your dog can go on to lead a normal and healthy life with appropriate care and treatment.

I'm a veterinarian's assistant with a special passion for educating others about canine seizures. Click here for more information.

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If you have a dog that has had a seizure, you understand how difficult and painful the situation can be.

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