Like humans, even their pets suffer from a range of illnesses and diseases that can take a toll on their health. One such condition or disorder is epilepsy, where your pet experiences repeated episodes of seizures. This is one of the most common neurological conditions that is seen in pets, usually dogs.
During epilepsy, your pet is likely to experience stiffening, collapsing, loss of consciousness, drooling or chomping among others. When it comes to dogs, who are suffering from epilepsy, they tend to fall on their side and make paddling motions with their legs.
Moreover, popping, peeing, tongue chewing and foaming at the mouth are also some common symptoms of epilepsy.
Seizures in dogs can be caused due to a number of reasons such as any liver disease, anemia, head injury, strokes, low or high blood sugar, and eating poison, among others.
Now, although experts claim that seizures are not painful for your pets, however, they still end up feeling quite confused and panicked. Hence, it becomes imperative that you must take of certain things if your pet experiences epilepsy. You can consider some of the tips mentioned below:
- Doctors suggest that if your pet experiences seizures for more than a few minutes, then his body may get overheated. In this case, it is advised that you quickly switch on the fan and blow cool air on him. However, if the seizure lasts for too long then immediately take your pet to the veterinarian.
- According to certain studies, the diet of your pet is believed to play a key role in controlling his epilepsy. In many cases, dogs have been put on a special diet that is rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and this has even proved to be effective in treating seizures in dogs.
- However, it must be noted that if your pet is already on medication, then it is not advised to change his diet without consulting the veterinarian. Changing the diet abruptly while your pet is being treated, can affect the efficacy of the anti-epilepsy drugs.
- When your pet has a seizure, he might collapse and move uncontrollably. It is important that you remain calm and make sure to remove things like furniture with sharp edges which can injure your pet.
- After a seizure, your pet is likely to be in a confused state, so try to speak to him softly and reassure him with gentle touches. Also, avoid touching his mouth or put anything inside it as you may end up getting bitten.
