Canine Epilepsy: Treatment Options

If your dog starts having seizures it is important to get him in for an evaluation by a veterinarian as soon as possible. There is a very good chance that if your dog suffers from seizure the vet will diagnose the issue as being epilepsy, this article will explain some methods you can use to help treat this problem. It is important to understand that epilepsy is not the cause of all dog seizures, however. For example, certain kinds of brain tumors or an injury to the dog's brain can cause seizures, as can certain toxins in the environment. So if your dog's seizures are not caused by epilepsy, any epilepsy treatments will be ineffective.

The purpose of this article is to explore treatment options so that you will have a better understanding of them once your veterinarian has determined that the cause of your dog's seizures is epilepsy. If your dog only suffers from seizures occasionally and not as frequently as once a month, then it is advised that you do not need to treat it. You should keep in mind that the purpose of treatment is to reduce the frequency and intensity of the seizures, and that in many cases the seizures will continue in spite of the treatment, so don't give up and don't get discouraged.

Anti-Epileptic Drugs, or "AED's" are usually the first choice of treatment options, with Phenobarbitol and Potassium bromide being the two most commonly prescribed drugs, sometimes independently and sometimes together, if administering just one of them does not produce sufficient seizure control. If your dog suffers from seizures that last longer than 5 minutes, or seizures that are quickly followed by more seizures then you may be prescribed Diazepam. When looking deeper into the subject to write this article I was surprised to find a drug that I was always told to stay clear of, is sometimes still prescribed to dogs, this is 'Primidone', it is knows to cause issues thanks to the high amount of liver enzymes it contains, such as increased hunger, thirst and lethargy, in fact it is often called 'Primadon't' by many epileptic dog owners. Repeated studies have shown that Neurontin (gabapentin) is also effective in the treatment of seizures. Researching these studies is a good idea for anyone considering the use of AED's. But caution is needed as AED's elevate enzymes in the liver, so if your dog is using one of these medications, he will need to have regular chemistry panels done to ensure no liver damage is occurring.

Another treatment you might want to consider is acupuncture or the use of gold bead implants. Acupuncture is the placement of needles at certain points throughout the entire body, while gold bead implants is the implantation of a gold bead right into the specific acupuncture points. Acupuncture is something worth a try, however the use of gold bead implants is something better avoided unless a last resort.

When trying to help your dog through epilepsy you need to closely watch its diet, you can also try homeopathy and vitamin treatments. I believe that diet plays a critical role in the treatment of canine epilepsy, because many commercial dog foods are full of chemical dyes and preservatives. In dogs that have a low seizure threshold, preservatives can cause seizures. So eliminating preservative from their diet can help reduce seizure frequency. I believe that the benefits of feeding fresh, raw food and fresh pulped green leafy veggies actually stopped my dog's seizures without us ever having to use AED's. I recommend that you work with a holistic veterinarian to ensure that you are providing the right balance of food, vitamin and if recommended, homeopathic treatments. Giving your dog bottled water is also a good idea, since many cities have fluoridated water systems.

Rescue Remedy and Ice Cream. You can pick up 'Rescue Remedy' in most health stores, you should add 4 drops of this to your dogs mouth when a seizure starts, it can help lessen the seizure dramatically. Another great idea is to give your dog some preservative free vanilla ice cream once the seizure has finished, dogs are only small and a seizure can be hard on their body, giving them some ice cream afterwards helps bring their blood sugar levels back up. It is also nice for your dog after going through a seizure, with mine it would actually happily go to his bowl waiting for some ice cream after each seizure.

Sandra DeMers is the author of "Cory's Story," the story of a yellow Labrador retriever suffering from dog seizures that will absolutely AMAZE you. Cory is alive, happy and healthy at the age of 13 and hasn't had a seizure in over 5 years. Visit www.corysstory.com to learn Sandra's secret to good canine health and ways to deal with dog seizures--you'll be surprised when you learn the truth.