‘Special Friends’ - Mellow
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- At Home With Pets: An Interview with Animal Welfare Activist Dinos Pastos - May 23, 2016
- At Home with Pets – SKylos, Cones and a Pool - February 1, 2016
- Message from the Cyprus World Animal Day Ambassadors - January 27, 2016
- ‘Special Friends’ - Mellow - January 13, 2016
- ‘Special Friends’ - Leia - January 10, 2016
- At Home with Pets – Tinkerbell - January 9, 2016
- Animal Welfare in 2016 - New Year Message from the Editor - January 4, 2016
- At Home with Pets – A Fund, an Expert and Prosthetics - November 30, 2015
- Editor’s Ponderings - November 8, 2015
‘Special Friends’ is where we share and follow the stories of some very special animals in Cyprus.
Meet Mellow, a loving, obedient 1 year old German Shepherd/Rottweiler boy found wandering the streets of Limassol in December. He was taken to the pound and subsequently the vet for the usual tests and check-ups where it was discovered that he has Epilepsy. As a result nobody wanted to offer him a home (he must stay in Cyprus as he is not able to fly) until yesterday when a foster came forward. He is now looking for a loving, dedicated forever home and we hope we’ll help him find it.
The main reason no one came forward for this gorgeous boy is because the word ‘epilepsy’ scares them off so let me explain a little bit about it. To start with let me say that a pup who suffers from epilepsy can have a normal, enjoyable life provided he takes his medication and his owner knows how to handle a seizure if and when they occur.
So WHAT IS EPILEPSY?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes the dog to have sudden, uncontrolled, recurring physical attacks/seizures which are described as an uncoordinated firing of the neurons usually within a portion of the brain called the cerebrum. Why this happens is not really understood but in animals they can occur for idiopathic (unknown) reasons or are due to genetic abnormalities. Epilepsy generally starts in dogs from 6 months to 5 years old but the onset is usually at around 2 or 3 years and is more likely to be seen in male dogs. If left untreated seizures will become more severe and frequent.
WHEN CAN SEIZURES OCCUR
Seizures most often occur while the animal is resting or asleep, often at night or early morning, or during periods of excitability. It is best for a dog with epilepsy to be in a home that is fairly calm; if there are other dogs in the home they will need to be trained to move away from a seizuring animal as a dog may assume the dog/cat is injured and this could lead to an attack.
THE 4 STAGES OF A SEIZURE
Watching a dog experiencing a seizure can be a frightening unless you know what to expect. Dogs with established epilepsy can have cluster seizures at regular intervals of one to four weeks then the attacks can become dormant for long periods of time. This is particularly evident in large-breed dogs. Generally, the younger the dog is, the more severe the epilepsy will be.
If you observe closely, you can often recognize several phases to a seizure.
PRODROME: (Pre-seizure phase) causes behavioural changes and can last for minutes to hours. Minutes before the seizure kicks in is known as the AURA stage and your dog may appear frightened, dazed, restless, pace, seek affection, salivate, whine, or hide.
ICTAL PERIOD: This is the actual seizure known as a ‘Grand Mal’. The dog will collapse on its side and become stiff; it can chomp its jaw, salivate, urinate, defecate, cry, and have uncoordinated muscle activity (paddle with all four limbs). This stage generally lasts less than 5 minutes.
There is also the ‘Petit Mal’ seizure where the animal simply loses consciousness and looks like it has collapsed.
It is important to note that in the majority of seizures the animal is unconscious and doesn’t realise what is happening. You can not wake a seizuring pet.
A single, mild seizure is not an emergency but you should let your vet know it has happened and record the date, time and length of seizure for your records. The worst form of seizure is one in which the dog has one or more grand mal episodes without recovering from the first; with this the dog may actually be in a seizure for hours. This is called ‘Status Epilepticus’ and can be life threatening so get your dog to the vet immediately. It is best if you have someone with you in the car to hold the dog but if not make sure the animal is on the floor to prevent injury by falling off the seat.
What should I do if my dog has a seizure?
- Remain calm
- Do not put your hand in your dog’s mouth. Your dog will not swallow his tongue and you may be accidentally bitten
- Remove nearby sharp or hard objects such as tables and chairs to prevent injury and if there are stairs present move the dog carefully away
- If the dog is on a couch or human bed, lower the dog to the floor, if it can be done safely.
- Remove children and other pets from the area
- For comfort cover your dog with a blanket and you can stroke him (away from his head to avoid accidental biting) although he will not be aware of you doing so – it will help him as he comes out of the seizure though
- Observe your dog closely. Call your veterinarian if the seizure lasts more than 3 minutes, or if your dog has one seizure right after another. Severe and long seizures are a medical emergency and can be fatal
POST-ICTAL PHASE: After the seizure, the recovery period begins and is the most scary time for your dog as he recovers consciousness. This is when you should be with your pet and offer comfort. The animal may seem confused, disoriented, uncoordinated, wander aimlessly about, indicate compulsive behaviour, have increased thirst and appetite, and occasionally become temporarily blind. Recovery maybe immediate or can last up to 24 hours.
DIAGNOSIS
There is no specific test to diagnose epilepsy but if a seizure has occurred the vet will need a detailed history of your pet, they will run a panel of lab tests and sometimes a CT scan or MRI will be done to rule out other causes for the seizure. If a cause cannot be identified, the condition is diagnosed as idiopathic or primary epilepsy.
TREATMENT
Treatment for epilepsy is usually not begun until a seizure is severe or multiple seizures have occurred and a pattern is seen. It is very important to know the pattern of seizures in your dog so your vet can determine if the treatment is helping. The treatment is not a cure but will help to decrease the frequency and severity of the seizures.
Medications used to treat epilepsy are given orally and each dog reacts differently to the medications. Your vet may need to try different types or combinations to find what will be right for your dog and they must be given each day without fail otherwise a severe seizure could occur. The animal will be on this medication for life. Many dogs will become sleepy when they first start medication, but this soon wears off after several weeks.
If a dog experiences ‘Status’ seizures (discussed above), then injectable drugs may be needed for immediate effect.
Anti-epileptic drugs can have side effects on the liver so occasional liver function tests are a good idea if an increase in dosage is required. It is rare to see liver damage due to the medication.
Having said all this, once you get over the shock of seeing a dog having a seizure for the first time you realise that it is no reason not to offer a dog that suffers from epilepsy a home. It is easy to handle and occurrences are rare. They live a normal, happy, long life and deserve the comfort of a home. Please consider offering Mellow that opportunity and you will be glad you did.
If you are interested in offering Mellow a loving home, please contact us at [email protected]
NOTE: I am not a vet so any changes in diet, concerns or problems should be discussed with one. I am not responsible for any problems arising from my suggestions or opinions in this section.
My Websites: http://annagcyprus.wix.com/even-more-special
http://annagcyprus.wix.com/athomewithpets
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Lizzy-live/710452542357628
Twitter: @evenmspecial
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