Epilepsy in dogs and cats is
similar to that in humans. The main symptom is a type of seizure.
Seizures can come in many forms and several of these are listed
below:
Generalized Seizures
Generalized
seizures are the most common type of seizures in dogs and cats. There
are several variations of these seizures:
1. Absence
seizures (petit mal): sudden brief loss of consciousness, rare in
animals
2. Myoclonic seizures: muscle jerk of one or more
muscles
3. Clonic seizures: rhythmic muscle contractions
4.
Tonic seizures: increase in muscle tone in all skeletal muscles
5.
Tonic Clonic seizures (grand mal): the most common form of seizure in
pets
Tonic Clonic Seizures
Tonic Clonic (grand
mal) seizures account for 60% of seizures in cats and 80% of seizures
in dogs. They are usually accompanied by a loss of consciousness, and
consist of a tonic phase, where the increased muscle tone causes the
animal to fall on its side with its limbs extended, and a clonic
phase, consisting of intense muscle jerking or paddling movements.
In order to diagnose true epilepsy, other causes of
seizures must be first ruled out. Once a tentative diagnosis of
epilepsy has been made (by excluding all the other known causes of
seizures), the animal can be prescribed anticonvulsant drugs. These
drugs are not appropriate for animals with seizures caused by a
problem outside the brain. The overall goal of anticonvulsant therapy
is to eradicate all seizure activity, but this is rarely achieved. A
more realistic goal is to reduce the frequency of the seizures to a
level that is acceptable for the owner, without having negative side
effects for the animal.
Since epilepsy is not curable, the
owner must be prepared to give the medication for the rest of the
animals life.
