Canine Seizures 101: How To Help Your Dog During Seizures

Canine seizures may be a common occurrence in dogs that suffer from epilepsy or any other neurological disturbance. It causes convulsion, and the dog becomes unconscious and forms froth in the mouth. However, this shouldn’t be confused with rabies. The seizures cause involuntary muscle movements that are temporary and can last for less than five minutes. There are rare cases when the seizures last longer.

However, seizures aren’t illnesses but rather signs of illnesses. Know that you can help your dog during an attack without the need for a veterinarian. However, in cases when the seizure lasts for a long time, you should consider calling a vet to check on your dog.

How To Help Your Dog During Seizures

As already mentioned, you can take care of your dog during the attacks without calling the vet. The seizures are unpredictable and temporary and will probably end even before the vet arrives. Therefore, you need to understand the different methods and seizure treatment for dogs in case it happens.

Here are some helpful tips that’ll help you during such scenarios:

Remain Calm

Seizure attacks always cause excessive muscle movements in dogs; therefore, you should avoid doing anything that will cause more stimulation in the brain. This includes calling your pets names or moving around in the house. Also, remember that even though your dog looks like it’s in pain, it’s not. This is because the seizure attacks may leave the dog unconscious.

Additionally, turn down appliances such as radio, television, and others that may cause noise. By keeping the environment relaxed, the dog will be calm, and the seizure will most likely come to an end.

Avoid Touching The Dog

Even though you may be tempted to pet and comfort your dog during such attacks, it’s best if you avoid doing that. If you do it wrong, the stimulation may increase and cause more distress, thus, prolonging the seizure.

You should also keep your hands away from the mouth of the dog because it may bite you, causing injuries. The muscle movement is involuntary, and even your dog whom you trust so much, will not realize it’s biting you.

Make The Environment Safe

The seizure may not harm your dog as it will only last a short time, but the environment around the dog will. Therefore, you need to ensure your dog is safe by removing sharp, dangerous, and fragile items around the place. You should also close the door so that the dog can’t go out and risk hurting itself.

Moreover, you should protect its head by cushioning it with a soft material. This will help prevent injuries on the dog’s head if it hits itself on a wall.

Read The Signs

If your dog constantly experiences seizure attacks, then it’s possible that you already know the pattern preceding the attack. Therefore, it’s essential to read the signs earlier before it happens. This will help you prepare by clearing the room and removing anything likely to trigger a seizure attack.

Reading the signs may also be important in preventing the seizure from happening. You can take that opportunity to communicate with your dog and reassure it that everything will be okay. It may help calm them down and, in turn, prevent the attack.

Use CBD Products Before Or After

Cannabidiol (CBD) products have drawn contrary opinions in their role in medicine. However, CBD could have several benefits to dogs. One of the benefits of CBD is reducing seizure attacks in dogs. The products can combine with receptors in the endocannabinoid system, causing calmness and reducing muscle spasms.

Therefore, CBD helps prevent stimulation in your dog by calming it down, which may reduce the chances of seizure attacks. You can do this whenever you spot the signs emerging or when you’ve done something unintentionally that may trigger the attack. You can also give it immediately after the attack ends so that your dog can calm down and rest. However, you must always consult with the vet before using CBD on your dog.

Talk To A Vet About It

While seizures may not be classified as illnesses, it’s important that you still talk to a vet about them. It could be a symptom of another medical condition, and it should be treated as early as possible. If the seizures become more severe and frequent, you can record them through video and show them to the vet. This way, you’ll find a long-lasting solution for the attacks.

Conclusion

When your dog experiences a seizure attack, you shouldn’t panic as it’s something you can always handle. Remember that the attack is caused by a neurological disorder that causes involuntary movement of muscles, so the best thing to do is calm your dog down.

It’s possible to help your dog during such attacks. However, talk to your vet first about it when your pet is already relaxed. Don’t use any form of medication on your dog without the guidance of a licensed veterinarian.