If you’re a Cavapoo parent, then you need to be aware of epilepsy and seizures your dog can experience. While it’s not common, epilepsy can occur in any breed of dog, and it’s important to know what to look for so that you can get your pup the help they need. In this post, we’ll discuss what epilepsy is, how to spot the signs of a seizure in your Cavapoo, and what treatment options are available. We hope this information helps you keep your furry friend healthy and happy!
What Is Epilepsy In Cavapoos?
Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects the electrical activity of the brain. Seizures are one of the most typical epileptic signs, but not all seizures indicate that a person has epilepsy. If cavapoos have two or more fits that are neither caused by another health condition nor triggered by an identifiable trigger, they can be diagnosed with epilepsy.
Dogs with epilepsy experience repeated bursts of abnormal electrical activity in their brains, causing them to convulse. Epilepsy is a neurological illness that causes dogs to have seizures. Seizures are caused by an abundance of brain activity. Epilepsy can be hereditary or develop as a result of an accident or infection.
What Are The Symptoms Of Epilepsy In Cavapoos?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Convulsions are the most common symptoms. Dobermans can have one or many types of seizures. A seizure may be brief or last for several minutes. During the seizure, some dogs will stiffen and shake while others will pass out. After a seizure, most dogs return to normal as if nothing had happened.
Types Of Epilepsy Seizures
There are two main types of seizures Grand Mals and Petit Mals.
Grand Mals: These are the most frequent types of seizures. These events cause a loss of consciousness and widespread body stiffness. They generally last for one to two minutes.
Petit Mals: A Petit Mals seizure is a sudden episode of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain that causes your Cavapoo to become comatose. They are brief bursts of aberrant behavior and, as a result, dogs will generally remain conscious. They may last anything from a few seconds to a minute or more.
Further Categorizing Seizures
There are also three ways seizures can be further categorized:
Generalized Seizures: Generalized seizures, which affect the whole brain, are one of two types of seizures. Dogs experience one generalized seizure every two to four weeks on average.
Partial Seizures: Partial seizures are the most prevalent type of epilepsy, affecting around 95% of dogs with the condition. Partial and complex partial epilepsies are two forms of partial seizure disorders. These seizures affect just a part of the brain. They may cause twitching or jerking in one area, such as the face, leg, or torso.
Absence Seizures: These are also known as little seizures and last for only a few seconds. Every day, most dogs will have many absence seizures.
What Are The Symptoms Of Seizure Activity in Cavapoos?
The symptoms of a seizure will vary depending on the type of seizure. However, most seizures will cause some degree of abnormal behavior including:
- Drooling
- Muscle jerking or twitching
- Loss of consciousness
- Pacing and restlessness
- Inappropriate elimination
- Choking, gagging or gasping for air
What Happens When A Cavapoo Has A Seizure?
Grand Mal
If your Cavapoo has a grand mal seizure, he will become unconscious and shake all over his body. The seizure might last for one to two minutes or continue for up to five minutes or longer. During the episode, your Cavapoo may bite his tongue or lips, drool copiously, and thrash about with his limbs.
Petit Mal
A minor seizure lasts only a few seconds, sometimes even less. Your Cavapoo may appear to “space out” for a brief period of time before recovering completely. He may gape open-eyed while staring off into space or twitch or jerk his head or body.
Partial seizures
Partial seizures can occur in any part of the brain. They may be simple or complex, and they may cause minimal or dramatic changes in behavior. A simple partial seizure may cause your Cavapoo to twitch his head or body, while a complex partial seizure may cause him to bark, whine, or act out his dreams.
What Should You Do If Your Cavapoo Has A Seizure?
If your Cavapoo has a seizure, you should:
- Remain calm and reassure your Cavapoo. Speak softly and avoid sudden movements.
- Remove any objects that he could choke on or hurt himself with, and move him to a safe place where he won’t fall or hit his head.
- Don’t put anything in his mouth, and don’t try to restrain him.
- Note the time of the seizure and any unusual behavior so that you can share this information with your veterinarian.
- Keep a close eye on your Cavapoo after the seizure to ensure that he does not have any further episodes.
- Once the seizure is over, offer your Cavapoo some water and call your veterinarian. Seizures can be a sign of a serious health problem, so it’s important to get help from your vet as soon as possible.
Is There Anything I Can Do To Help My Epileptic Cavapoo?
The most frequent drug that veterinarians administer to dogs is Phenobarbitone (Phenobart). This usually responds very rapidly, and the tablets must be fed on a regular basis. You may notice unsteadiness in your dog’s feet or drowsiness while they are first starting to eat them, but these should go away after a few days.
The major hazard of this medication is that it can harm tissue in the livers of dogs, which is why it’s critical for dog owners to not only look at how much their pet drinks every day, but also keep track of their stools! Liver function tests are necessary every six months to guarantee that the therapy isn’t harming the liver in any adverse way.
Alternative Therapies
Some owners will also look into using alternative therapies alongside drug therapy. One such example is potassium bromide (sodium salts), which is effective at reducing some seizure types in dogs with canine epilepsy and can help control your pet’s symptoms without having any negative side effects.
The vet will prescribe medicine if the episode is repetitive or severe. If your Cavapoo experiences only one or two isolated seizure episodes without causing serious health issues, then there’s probably no need for medication; however they may give it anyways because Cavapoos can be prone to having seizures.
Conclusion:
We would like to conclude by saying that epilepsy and seizures can be very serious problems for Cavapoos, but with the help of your veterinarian, you can control these episodes and keep your pet healthy and happy.