Dogs Nervous System Articles

The dog nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord and all the nerves that communicate between tissues and the brain and spinal cord. Several common diseases such as distemper and rabies can damage a dog’s nervous system but can both be easily prevented by vaccination. Other health issues that affect the nervous system are more complicated such as epilepsy, seizures, and paralysis. Some of these health issues can be side effects of another disease or congenital defects. Learn more about the dog nervous system, diseases of, treatment, and prevention.

• White Shaker dog Syndrome

  Lead poisoning can look very much like this syndrome. So can organophosphate poisoning and hypocalcemia (although that usually occurs after giving birth to puppies). It is possible to rule out these conditions through blood testing and the history of the case. Obviously, if you didn't apply an organophosphate insecticide it isn't too likely your dog was exposed, for example.

• White Dog Shaker Syndrome

  Small white dogs (Maltese, West Highland white terriers, Bichon Frise) can develop tremors for unexplained reasons that can be very severe.
  

• Vestibular Syndrome in Dogs

  Vestibular syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system. The vestibular system is what keeps your dog walking straight and oriented and is comprised of nerves which lead from the brain to the structures of the inner ear.

• Vestibular Disease in Dogs

  Canine vestibular disease occurs when the nerves connecting the inner ear with the brain become irritated and your dog loses his sense of balance. Canine vestibular disease can be dramatic, but most cases improve rapidly and resolve within a few weeks.

• Treating Epilepsy in Dogs With Phenobarbital

  One of the most frequently prescribed medications for dogs with epilepsy is Phenobarbital. Epileptic seizures can be effectively managed with Phenobarbital, in fact it can be used to treat many different canine seizure disorders.

• Treating Dogs With Lyme Disease Through Antimicrobial Therapy

  Lyme dogs can usually recover from Lyme disease symptoms within a few weeks with proper antimicrobial therapy.

• Tonic-Clonic Seizure Symptoms in Dogs

  A tonic-clonic seizure in dogs is one that affects the whole brain. This type of seizure is commonly seen in dogs with epilepsy, but can occur in dogs without this condition.

• Symptoms of Laryngeal Paralysis in Dogs

  Laryngeal paralysis in dogs is a condition that affects the nerves that control the larynx, preventing it from functioning properly. This can lead to an inability to breathe normally and will also leave the airways unprotected while the dog swallows food, increasing the risk of aspiration pneumonia.

• Stages of Lyme Disease in Dogs

  Lyme disease in dogs is caused by ticks carrying the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and passed onto animals (and humans) through tick bites. Lyme disease is most prevalent in the California and the Northeast and upper Midwest of the United States, but the disease has been found in every state.

• Spondylolisthesis - Wobbler’s Syndrome

  It is the result of malformation of the vertebrae. Intervertebral disc disease of the cervical spine is another possible problem. This can occur in any dog breed. Signs of this problem are often subtle at first, with slight incoordination of any of the limbs, but most commonly the rear limbs most noticeably.

• Seizures in Dogs - page 2

  Seizures often start with a behavioral or physical symptom that can be recognized after several seizure episodes. It would still be worth making sure your vet knows this happens and getting an exam of your samoyed's oral cavity, just to be sure there isn't some sort of problem that might be inducing this behavior.

• Seizures in Dogs

  Lack of oxygen to the areas of the brain controlling balance. This could happen because of traumatic injury to the region, blood vessel damage or blood clotting. It can also happen from things like carbon monoxide poisoning but that is probably not too likely with the chronicity of the symptoms.

• Seizures complicated by other disorders or problems in dogs

  Phenobarbital is the medication most commonly used to control seizures in dogs. It is a good medication for long term seizure control. But it takes about three weeks of oral dosing to reach sufficient steady-state blood levels to control seizure activity.

• Seizure Control in Dogs

  Potassium bromide serum levels should also be monitored if signs of toxicity occur, such as incoordination, skin rashes or irrational behavior. They should also be monitored if seizure control is not adequate. It probably is just a good idea to check them three or four weeks after starting on the potassium bromide

• Seizure Activity

  Dogs definitely have a wide variation in seizure activity but it is hard to say whether seizures which might not cause recognizable clinical signs occur because it is so hard to judge the mental state of the dog. I assume that almost any type of seizure possible in a human probably occurs in dogs as well, though.

• Seizure - Epilepsy

  The phenobarbital dosage is producing a serum phenobarbital level in the high end of the therapeutic dosage range, which is good considering the experience with seizures in the past. It is OK to give higher than normal dosages of phenobarbital if that is what it takes to get the blood values in the range necessary to control seizures.

• Phenobarbital and Other Seizure control Medication used in dogs

  There is a dietary approach to seizure control in humans that is referred to as a ketogenic diet. In this diet, a patient is kept off food for several days to induce a ketoacidotic state (a situation in which fats are being broken down and producing more acidity in the blood than normal). After this state has been induced it is maintained by feeding a high fat, low carbohydrate diet.

• Paralysis in dogs

  Many spinal conditions, including some forms of trauma, some tumors and many cases of intervertebral disc disease won't show up on ordinary X-rays. For this reason, an MRI or CT scan can be very helpful. When the nerve is completely damaged the foot tends to turn inward and become contracted in that position.

• Non-Epileptic Seizures in Dogs

  Despite the fact that epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in dogs, they can experience non-epileptic seizures as well. Many factors can contribute to and cause seizures, and there are several things to be aware of if your dog is experiencing this disability.

• Neurological Diseases and Disorders of Dogs

  Brain tumors are not highly unusual in dogs and other neurologic disorders can also occur. Another consideration would be hypoglycemia.This can cause transient loss of consciousness and signs that look like neurologic signs (seizures, muscle tremors) in some dogs.

• Motion or Motor Problems - Cerebellar Hypoplasia

  The cerebellum is the portion of the brain responsible for the control of motion. When a puppy or kitten is born with an underdeveloped cerebellum, the condition is known as congenital cerebellar hypoplasia. There are infectious causes of this condition in both cats (panleukopenia infection prior to birth) and dogs (herpes virus infection prior to birth)

• Meningitis in Dogs

  The definition of meningitis is inflammation of the meninges, the layer of tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. It can happen for a number of reasons. Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain itself. In dogs, the most common form of meningitis is known as "steroid responsive" meningitis.

• Megaesophagus

  This is a condition in which the esophageal muscles lose their strength and the esophagus dilates to a much larger size. Usually dogs with this condition regurgitate food as well as water but I have seen at least one other dog that started out just regurgitating when it drank water.

• Managing Epilepsy in Dogs with Primidone

  Primidone is a drug used for the long term management of epilepsy in dogs. It's an anticonvulsant and is related to Phenobarbital.

• Laryngeal Paralysis in Dogs

  Laryngeal paralysis in dogs is a condition in which the nerves that control the larynx, or voice box, don't work properly. Laryngeal paralysis can cause changes in the voice and trouble with eating and breathing.

• Identifying Canine Distemper Virus Symptoms in Both Stages

  Canine distemper virus is a serious illness that can lead to death. While there is no cure for canine distemper virus, identifying the illness early on can give your dog a fighting chance.

• Identifying and Treating Dog Brain Injuries

  There are several types of dog brain injuries including actual trauma to the brain by injury and brain damage from dog cancer resulting in a dog tumor. Different types of brain injuries lead to different types of treatments.

• Hepatic Encephalopathy in Dogs

  Hepatic encephalopathy is central nervous system illness caused by severe liver disease. To the best of my knowledge, liver failure is the only cause of increased ammonia levels in the bloodstream other than ingestion of ammonia containing products.

• Head Tremoring

  There is a problem in English bulldogs with head tremors which appear suddenly, last several minutes and then go away. Usually this will be an intermittent problem. I am not sure whether this is a focal seizure disorder or if it is some other problem.

• Handling a Canine Seizure

  No matter what the cause, seizures in a canine are a serious and potentially harmful experience. Whether the dog has epilepsy, has seizures caused by tumors or he has seizures caused by low blood sugar, it is critical to have him in a place and position where he will be safe and won't hurt himself.

• Fecal or Bowel Incontinence

  I asked the staff about its medical condition and was told she had no anal tone. Her lack of anal tone causes her to have fecal incontinence. My question is, can this be medically or surgically treated? I am going to call my vet tomorrow and ask her but I would like a second opinion.

• Epileptic Symptoms: Dog Seizure Behavior Explained

  Epilepsy is only one cause of dog seizure symptoms, which include convulsions, salivation (foaming at the mouth), spinal stiffness and loss of consciousness.

• Epilepsy in Dogs

  Epilepsy in dogs is a disorder characterized by recurring seizures. Epilepsy is an idiopathic illness, meaning that vets don't really understand what causes it. Epilepsy occurs when neurons in your dog's brain don't fire normally. Epilepsy is one of the foremost causes of seizures in dogs.

• Epilepsy in Dogs

  Epilepsy in dogs is more common than epilepsy in cats. Epilepsy causes seizures and during the seizures, the dog may lose consciousness or get injured.

• Epilepsy and Seizure

  Epilepsy is a term used to describe seizures that can not be explained by identifying a source of the seizure activity. So it is a pretty broad term really. It covers any unidentifiable brain disorder that leads to seizure activity. Congenital epilepsy normally shows up in by the time a dog is two or three years of age.

• Dog Seizure Treatment

  A dog seizure is terrifying to watch because your dog is in pain and you can't help. Often, seizure disorders can't be cured, but there are many steps you can take to reduce the frequency and intensity, both of which will reduce damage caused.

• Diagnostic Procedures - MRI

  It usually is helpful to have an MRI examination in these cases because it does help to identify which discs are affected and if it is possible to operate on all of them at the same time because dogs that have a recurrence of disc disease after the first disc problem are likely to have multiple episodes of disc disease.

• Diagnosing Seizures in Dogs

  Seizures in dogs can range from infrequent and mild to prolonged and severe. While seizures themselves are generally easy to recognize, it is not always easy to determine the cause of the seizure.

• Degenerative Myelopathy

  This study supported the idea that many of the cases suspected to be degenerative myelopathy are actually cases of disc disease in which the disc herniation is difficult to find using plain X-rays or myelograms, which have been the standard method of looking for disc disease in dogs.

• Dealing with Canine Distemper: For Owners and Dogs

  While distemper is preventable by vaccination, some dogs from rescue shelters or pet stores may have an incomplete vaccination history that could leave them vulnerable to distemper.

• Controlling Seizures in Dogs with Ocular Compression

  One of the ways to control seizures in dogs is with ocular compression. Ocular compression is a technique used to induce vagus nerve stimulation, and it has been used with success on many dogs. Drugs for controlling seizures, such as anticonvulsant medication, can cause adverse side effects such as liver damage.

• Controlling Canine Seizures with Primidone

  Primidone is an anticonvulsant pharmaceutical drug sometimes used to help control canine seizures. Often characterized as involuntary muscle movements or behaviors, seizures are caused by surges of electrical activity in the brain.

• Controlling Canine Epilepsy with Potassium Bromide

  Potassium Bromide is a drug that’s increasingly being used to manage dogs suffering from epilepsy. Canine epilepsy is one of the causes of seizures. Seizures give rise to uncontrolled behavior and involuntary movement of the muscles and limbs.

• Cluster Seizures in Dogs

  Control of cluster seizures on an immediate basis can sometimes be obtained using diazepam (Valium Rx).  We dispense the injectable form of this medication to the client but advise that it be given rectally, mixed with a lubricating jelly. It seems to sting a little when it is administered but most pets tolerate it well enough that it can be used at home. 

• Causes of Seizures in Dogs

  Seizures in dogs may occur due to different causes. Epilepsy is not the only disease that causes seizures.

• Caring for an Epileptic Dog

  Caring for an epileptic dog is very challenging. Your dog may have only one seizure, or more than one; your dog's condition may be manageable, debilitating or life-threatening.

• Canine Veterinary Nervous System Diseases: A Starting Point

  Canine veterinary care should be an important part of every pet parents arsenal against everything from common canine conditions to maintaining optimal health.

• Canine Seizures: 6 Potential Causes

  If your dog begins to seizure, make sure that he is safe while convulsing; put him on the ground or floor. Do not put your hand into your dog's mouth while he is experiencing a canine seizure

• Canine Distemper Vaccine: 1-Year vs 3 Year

  There has been debate among veterinarians about the necessity of administering the canine distemper vaccine annually or over a three year schedule, citing health risks and reactions to repeated vaccinations. The choice is up to the informed dog owner, but there are some key facts to consider.

• Brain Tumors in Dogs

  Brain tumors often have some identifiable clinical symptoms since they often damage nerves exiting the brain or the centers that control these nerves. Gait abnormalities, facial paralysis, vestibular disorders, blindness, or other signs of nervous system damage may occur with a brain tumor, helping to identify it.

• Alternative Treatments for Dog Seizures

  Discover how you can treat dog seizures with homeopathic and holistic treatments. While prescription medications do help some dogs prone to seizures, often the medications come with risky side effects or fail to work effectively. Alternative treatments often help a dog without relying on expensive, potentially harmful medications.

• 15 Prescription Medications for Controlling Dog Seizures

  Dog seizure or epilepsy is a neurological disorder. There is an involuntary contraction of muscles that causes trembling, shaking and convulsions.

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