Posted by Sue, on July 27th, 2012
One morning many years ago while out walking our dogs, I noticed our 4 year old Collie Cross, Baron, was lying on the ground, apparently wriggling around. Convinced he was rolling in something unsavoury I marched over to stop him and discovered to my horror that he was having some kind of seizure. Terrified, I held him gently until it passed, then walked him slowly home and rushed him to the vet. In the surgery waiting room, Baron fell to the floor and had another fit and the vet confirmed what I was already thinking; my dog had developed epilepsy.
Often there is no apparent reason why a dog develops this frightening condition. Sometimes it is the result of minor brain damage due to a blow on the head or as a result of oxygen starvation during birth, occasionally, it can be inherited. In some cases, a link has also be suggested between epilepsy and chemical toxins including vaccinations, which is why many people now believe that we should not vaccinate our pets so frequently. However, because seizures usually start many years after the damage occurs, it is often not easy to make a connection. Baron was a rescue puppy so, while I was pretty sure he hadn’t ever seriously bumped his head, I had no idea about his birth or heritage.
The only real option available for an epileptic dog is to give him/her daily medication to control the seizures. Finding the right drug and dose can be a hit and miss affair and it can take some time to find the best combination to help control the seizures. Sadly, In Baron’s case, by the time he was taking sufficient medication to limit the number and severity of the seizures to a manageable level, he was also so doped up with drugs he could barely stand up. Additionally, our other dog became very ‘unsettled’ by Baron’s seizures, particularly after an attack when Baron would often stumble around unsteadily and clearly disorientated. To our GSD, this behaviour was unbalanced and he started showing some signs of aggression towards Baron, which meant that we could no longer risk leaving them alone together.
After months of experimentation with various cocktails of drugs, we finally made the sad and difficult decision that Baron’s life was no longer a happy one, and that it was kinder to let him go. However, in many cases, although your dog is unlikely to ever be cured, careful use of medication can limit the frequency and severity of seizures so that he/she is able to lead a full, happy and healthy life.
If you have a dog that is suffering from epilepsy, especially if he/she has only recently been diagnosed, you may also be interested in looking at the detailed information and advice available on the Canine Epilepsy site: Canine Epilepsy
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