First Aid – Single seizures in dogs
<p>No dog owner would want to see the pet seize as a seizing episode would be a heart rending sight. A seizing dog would appear to be in immense pain thus the dog owner would panic and rush to help the pet. However, there is no first aid for seizure and the owner that wants to help can be hurt by the disoriented pet.
Being calm is the best thing an owner of a seizing dog can do. Remaining unaffected while the pet appears to be in agony would be very difficult. It is therefore necessary for a dog owner to understand what causes the seizure and its effects to the dog.
A seizure would occur when the dog cannot cope with the abnormal activity of the brain. Various ailments can cause the abnormal activity of the brain. Ingestion of toxic substances or an accident that causes the brain to swell are some of the conditions that would trigger a seizure. The pet can suffer from single episode of seizure or from cluster or repeated seizures. As the name suggests, repeated seizure would happen one after the other in a single episode. A single seizure usually lasts in seconds or in a few minutes and the dog would not have another episode for the rest of the day. Single seizure may not be as severe as repeated seizure but the dog would still benefit from a vet’s attention. Because single seizures are short in duration, the dog would have the attention of the vet after the seizure is over.
A single seizing episode is usually allowed to run its course and the dog owner would not need to do anything. Needless to say, first aid that will shorten the seizure will not be necessary. Simply put, there is no first aid for single seizure but a dog owner can do a lot to help the seizing pet.
The first thing a dog owner needs to do is to stay calm as presence of mind would be necessary to prevent the pet from hurting itself. The dog must be moved away from water or from stairs. To prevent the dog from being injured by sharp and hard objects, the dog must be moved away. Although a seizing dog would appear to be in pain, the pet actually cannot feel anything and an owner that is trying to comfort the pet can get bitten instead. Softly talk to the dog instead as the owner’s voice would have a calming effect on the dog .
Learn more about single seizure as well as first aid for dogs at Sarah’s Dogs.
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