Thursday, March 22, 2018

I Think My Pet Had a Seizure


What is a seizure?

Think of the brain as a network of electrical circuits.  When things are going well, electricity flows through the network in an organized fashion and everything works just fine.  During a seizure, the electrical impulses flow in a disorganized, erratic way, causing the central nervous system to go haywire. There are a many underlying problems that can cause a seizure.  Trauma, congenital deformities, toxins, infections, metabolic problems (kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, dehydration), inflammation (encephalitis), or brain tumors can all cause seizures.  When no apparent underlying cause is found, the condition is called epilepsy.

How do I know if my pet is having a seizure?

Seizures can be localized, and signs can vary and can include twitching of the eyelids/lips/body, abnormal leg movements (often can be stiff but can be flaccid), chatter of the teeth, and altered mentation.  Generalized (previously called Grand Mal) seizures result in a loss of consciousness and often incontinence of stool and urine. Animals can have abnormal vocalization during a seizure. Seizures may feel like they last forever, but in reality, they commonly last a few second to minutes. If your pet is having a seizure lasting more than a few minutes, they should immediately be taken to the veterinary emergency clinic for further care and treatment.

What to do during a seizure?

Make sure you stay calm. Seizures can be very scary for both owners and their loving pets. This is not a time to panic but instead be proactive by making sure your pet is in a safe place. You can use towels or pillows to protect or move your pets’ head and also to keep him/her steady without falling off the couch or stairs. During a seizure, owners can lower the lights or cover your pets eyes with a small towel or blanket. The decrease in stimulation can be calming to your pet as they come out of the seizure. If possible, record a video to show your veterinarian.

What NOT to do during a seizure?

While in a disoriented and confused state, your pet can accidently act aggressively and bite. It is important to not pick up or put your hands/face, other family pets or young children near your pet while they are have a seizure. Safety for everyone is the main goal of getting through a seizure successfully.

What to do after a seizure?

After a seizure it is important to continue to monitor your pet. They may have a post seizure phase that can involve them being very sleepy, confused and/or show signs that lead into another seizure. Another task would be to think back and record any triggers or clinical signs that may have occurred before your pet had the seizure. It is also a good idea to record; the date, time, clinical signs, how long the seizure lasted and how many seizures occurred. Lastly, please contact your veterinarian to discuss details/questions and schedule a visit. A complete examination and diagnostic testing will help to determine the cause of the seizures and what the appropriate treatment course is best for your dog or cat.



Dr. Stephanie Waters

Friday, March 9, 2018

Free Pee Jubilee 2018

Free Pee Day!

Why do we want you to bring in your pet's urine? A complete urinalysis (which involves chemical and sediment analyses) can reveal so many diseases and provides an opportunity to prevent more serious illnesses.

The chemical analysis reveals changes in kidney function by looking at the urine's concentration (called the urine specific gravity) and evidence of protein. We may suspect diabetes if glucose or ketones are present. In both dogs and cats, increased drinking and urination can be signs of both kidney failure and diabetes. A urinalysis can differentiate between the two completely different diseases. The pH of the urine can confirm presence of urinary crystals and help us to make nutritional recomeendations. And if bilirubin is present in the urine, we may be concerned with liver disease.

The sediment analysis looks at any microscopic objects in the urine. We may find red and white blood cells when the bladder wall is inflamed. If we also find bacteria, we could diagnosis a urinary tract infection. Crystals in the urine are early detectors for bladder or kidney stones. Urinary tract stones can be life threatening, particularly in male cats and dogs, as they can urinary obstruction and lead to kidney failure. Early detection of crystals helps us make changes to your pet's diet that could avoid painful and dangerous urinary stones (which often require surgery to remove them). Abnormal bladder cells may also be found in the sediment, which may indicate cancer.

With just a teaspoon of urine, we can discover so much about your pet's health. If you bring in a sample of urine on April 12, 2018 we will analyze it at no cost. Just collect a clean sample from your pet that morning and bring it to us  Samples should be refrigerated and brought in within 4 hours of collection for the most accurate results. If you'd like to bring a sample from your cat, you can use some Nosorb non-absorbent  litter.  Stop in after April 1 t pick up urine collection kits for dogs or cats. Or, message us either on Facebook,  our Web Page, or from your Petsite account and we'll instruct you on how to collect a sample.  Sorry, we can't collect urine for you on the 12th, we anticipate a large volume of testing.


Sandy Wu