Do you know that seizures do not only occur to humans? Our canine pets may also acquire this disorder which is also known as dog seizures. As a matter of fact, this neurological condition is more common in dogs than in humans.
Although symptoms are the same, a seizure is different from epilepsy. And even as a dog is experiencing seizures, it does not necessarily imply that he or she has epilepsy. Other than having epiliptic tendencies, there are many other different causes of seizures such as head trauma, tumors in the brain, diabetes, inadequate oxygen supply, encephalitis, and many others.
Dog seizures have four stages. The first stage occurs a few hours or days before the actual seizure. During this time, otherwise known as the prodromal period, the dog’s mood changes significantly. The second stage, or the aura stage, is the indication that the seizures are about to start. This is crucial because this is the time when the owners should prepare the environment the dog to avoid further complications. The actual period of the seizure or the ictal stage should last about 5 minutes. If it takes longer it could be diagnosed as Status Epilepticus. The last stage, which is the confusion stage, is known as the post-ictal stage.