| Ask The Vet -
Q&A |
Question
My dog sometimes has fits. They do not affect her mind,
only her body, and she does not have them very often. After a recent
fit she had bouts of strange behaviour. She walks strangely and
stiffly, lies down, shivers and wants to sleep. This comes and goes
i.e. she is fine one minute and then acting strange the next. Previously,
the vet could not find anything wrong. Any ideas?
Lisa Phillips - Essex
|
Answering questions:
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS from
Vet
Help Direct |
| Answer |
Hi
Lisa,
I’m
sorry to hear that your dog has been having fits.
The
most common reason for dogs fitting is epilepsy. This is a diagnosis
of exclusion i.e. it is diagnosed by ruling out other problems that
can cause fitting. The first stage of ruling out these other causes
of fitting is taking a history and ‘clinical examination’
or the vet examining the dog. It sounds like this has already been
done and no abnormalities have been found which is good. A blood
test is often taken and sometimes other tests may be performed depending
on the individual circumstances. If no abnormalities are found,
a diagnosis of epilepsy can be made.
The
strange behaviour that you describe, after she has had a fit, is
quite normal for dogs in the time period immediately after a fit.
Try to keep her quiet and calm and give her plenty of reassurance
whilst she is having these episodes. Be careful as in this phase
the brain is not working 100% normally and occasionally dogs can
behave out of character and may bite.
If
epilepsy is diagnosed your vet may prescribe medication or may recommend
that you monitor the situation carefully, keeping a diary of how
may fits your dog has had, when they occurred and how long they
lasted for. If the fits are infrequent as you describe it is often
better to avoid medication as your vet has done.
It
sounds like you are a little unsure as to what the situation is
with your dog. I think it would beneficial for you to go back to
your vet and chat through your dog’s individual problem and
establish a clear plan for the future.
Kind
regards,
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS www.vethelpdirect.com |
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D for Dog www.dfordog.com |
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