In England they often call them “fits” - what happens when the brain loses control of the body. In the U.S. these fits are more often called seizures. This article will be an information summary about some of the diseases and influences that are known to cause seizures to happen in dogs.

EPILEPSY. The primary cause of dog seizures is epilepsy, but it is important to make the distinction that not all seizures are attributable to epilepsy. The most common form of epilepsy was made known to the world by a group of idiots walking through the woods one day and they all found themselves on the same path, and collectively observed a wolf in a clearing doing the hokey-pokey. This group told the rangers and since the group was considered a group of idiots, the term used to describe this type of seizure is idiopathic epilepsy. Well, that’s not exactly true, but the scientific reason is a bit more boring and doesn’t make any more sense. The truth is that the experts use the term “idiopathic epilepsy” to describe a situation when a dog is having seizures and they don’t know the actual, true cause.

TOXINS. Unfortunately for dogs, there are all kinds of toxins in their environment, many of which can cause seizures. Toxins can be anything from a household cleaning product, somethings used to kill pests or even things like flea medication that is meant to be used on a dog. Antifreeze, insecticides and paint products are also known toxins which can not only induce seizures, but can kill the unwitting animal that ingests them. With early treatment and intervention, most animals have a good to fair prognosis of making a full recovery if they have a seizure as a result of an environmental poisoning.

BRAIN TUMORS. This condition is easy for a veterinarian to rule out, because it is easy to spot any type of abnormal growth on the canine’s brain if he is brought in for seizures. Tumors cause pressure to build upon the brain tissue as they grow, causing neurological abnormalities such as seizures. Fortunately, there are diagnostic tests (MRI or CAT scans) that can determine if that is the problem; however, only a very small percentage of dog seizures are caused by tumors or head injuries. A tumor or a head injury that causes seizures cannot be treated with medications, so that is why it is important to rule these causes out.

TICK INDUCED DISEASES. A tick, a bloodsucking arachnid, can cause Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in dogs, both of which can cause seizures. The chance of a dog being infected by one of these diseases can usually be minimized or avoided by removing a tick within 24 hours of attachment. Most dogs respond very well to the antibiotics that are available currently to kill Lyme Disease and stop it from getting worse.

DISTEMPER. Distemper, in which a fever develops, then diarrhea and dehydration, can cause seizures in dogs, especially puppies, when they lose their maternal antibodies at about the age of 3 months. Distemper is a serious disease, but it can usually be avoided by getting a dog the proper vaccinations, but if a dog does get the disease then it can be a very serious and life threatening situation.

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–you’ll be surprised when you learn the truth.

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