Dear Dr. Jody: We believe our three year old St. Bernard, “Galahad,” has recently started having seizures. He will begin pacing restlessly for up to an hour, and then suddenly drop to the ground and start paddling and salivating. We are incredibly worried about him. What can we do?
Idiopathic seizure disorder, or epilepsy, refers to a functional abnormality in a structurally normal brain. The brain experiences abnormal electrical patterns that, while not painful, can cause various stresses within the body including convulsions, loss of motor control, strange vocalizations, loss of bowel or bladder control, and salivation. The animal will also frequently experience symptoms in the short period of time before and after a seizure (known as the pre-ictal and post-ictal phases) that include attention-seeking, hiding, anxiety, confusion, restless pacing, and whining. It may take up to 24 hours for a pet to fully recover from a seizure.
Idiopathic seizure disorder, or epilepsy, refers to a functional abnormality in a structurally normal brain. The brain experiences abnormal electrical patterns that, while not painful, can cause various stresses within the body including convulsions, loss of motor control, strange vocalizations, loss of bowel or bladder control, and salivation. The animal will also frequently experience symptoms in the short period of time before and after a seizure (known as the pre-ictal and post-ictal phases) that include attention-seeking, hiding, anxiety, confusion, restless pacing, and whining. It may take up to 24 hours for a pet to fully recover from a seizure.
It will be important for your veterinarian to thoroughly examine Galahad for any other signs of underlying illness. They will also want to collect blood and urine samples to evaluate organ function. This is an important step at arriving at a diagnosis of epilepsy. Unfortunately, there is no blood test to definitively diagnose epilepsy, but your veterinarian will be able to arrive at a diagnosis by excluding other seizure-causing metabolic problems such as liver disease.
If the metabolic tests come back normal, then you can discuss the pros and cons of treatment with your veterinarian. Many vets will not start medical treatment of seizure disorders unless they are occurring more than once monthly or in clusters (several seizures grouped together in a short period of time, such as a few days).
If it is decided that treatment would be of benefit for your pet, your veterinarian may choose an anti-seizure drug such as Phenobarbital. Phenobarb, as it is more often called, can be a highly effective medication. It is generally given twice daily for at least two weeks before it reaches high enough levels in the blood stream to have activity against seizures. If the dog is tolerating the medication well and the seizures are well-controlled, the drug will likely be given twice daily for the rest of the dog’s life, as there is no known permanent cure for seizures.
Some dogs will experience unpleasant side effects on this drug, especially in the first few weeks of treatment. The effects vary in severity, and can include dizziness, staggering, drooling, sedation, excessive thirst and urination, accidents in the house, anxiety, restlessness, and “neediness”. In most patients these effects will subside significantly after two to three weeks. In rare cases, the effects are severe enough that treatment must be discontinued. Most dogs, however, can tolerate the medication quite well, and experience an overall benefit from the phenobarb.
The good news is that, unless the seizures occur in rapid, severe clusters, they are generally not fatal events. It is important for owners of seizure pets to keep them safe from falling down stairs or injuring themselves during a seizure. It is also prudent to keep seizure dogs from swimming, as an unexpected seizure in the river could certainly lead to a tragic event.
If you believe your dog is experiencing seizures, please do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian for more information and treatment options.
