Epilepsy is not as common in dogs, however certain dog breeds are more susceptible to it, such as Cocker Spaniels and Poodles. Because there is no medication available to cure the symptoms of this illness, Goldendoodle owners should be aware of it.
Maybe sometimes just taking a little medication each day can make a world difference! It might seem scary when you first notice your Goldendoodle having an episode but don’t worry; they’ll go on living normal satisfying lives once more after treatment begins.
What Is Epilepsy In Goldendoodles?
Dogs with epilepsy suffer from sustained periods of abnormal electrical activity in their brains, causing them to convulse. Epilepsy is a neurological disease that causes dogs to have seizures. Seizures are induced by excessive electrical activity in the brain. Epilepsy can be hereditary or develop as a result of an accident or infection.
What Are The Symptoms Of Epilepsy In Goldendoodles?
The most frequent symptoms of epilepsy are seizures. Dogs can have one seizure or a multitude of them. Seizures can last a few seconds or many minutes. Some dogs will stiffen and shake while others will pass out. After a seizure, most dogs will appear normal and appear to be ignorant that anything occurred.
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 a 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 dogs 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: Seizures affecting the entire brain are known as generalized seizures. On average, dogs experience one generalized seizure every two to four weeks.
Partial Seizures: Partial seizures are the most common type of epilepsy, accounting for around 95% of all cases. Partial and complex partial epilepsies are two types of partial seizure disorders. These attacks affect only a portion of the brain. They may produce twitching or jerk in one region such as the face, leg, or trunk.
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 Goldendoodles?
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 Goldendoodle Has A Seizure?
Grand Mal
If your dog has a grand mal seizure, he will lose consciousness and have a full-body tremor. The seizure might last for one to two minutes or continue for up to five minutes. Your Goldendoodle may bite his tongue or lips during the seizure, and he could drool copiously.
Petit Mal
A petit mal seizure is a much shorter seizure, typically lasting only a few seconds. Your Goldendoodle may seem to “space out” for a moment, and he may stare off into space with his eyes wide open. Your Goldendoodle may also 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 Goldendoodle 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 Goldendoodle Has A Seizure?
If your Goldendoodle has a seizure, you should:
- Remain calm and reassure your Goldendoodle. 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 Goldendoodle after the seizure to ensure that he does not have any further episodes.
- Once the seizure is over, offer your Goldendoodle 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 Goldendoodle?
The most common drug that vets use is Phenobarbitone (Phenobart). This normally shows an improvement quite quickly and the tablets need to be given at regular intervals. When your dog first starts ingesting them, you may notice side effects such as unsteadiness on their feet or sedation, but these should pass after a few days as long as liver function tests are done regularly.
The main danger with this drug is that it can cause damage to tissue in the livers of dogs, which is why it’s critical for owners to not just check how much their dog drinks daily, but also keep track of their stools! Liver function tests are required every six months to ensure that the treatment is not harming the liver in any long-term 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 Goldendoodle 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 Goldendoodle can be prone to having seizures.
Conclusion:
We would like to conclude by saying that epilepsy and seizures can be very serious problems for Goldendoodles, but with the help of your veterinarian, you can control these episodes and keep your pet healthy and happy.