Dog seizures may be caused by epilepsy, a head injury or may have undetermined causes. However, when the seizures are accompanied by vomiting as well, this can signal that there is a serious condition affecting the dog (i.e. heat stroke or poisoning). Consequently, you need to act immediately, to prevent severe complications or death.
Causes of Dog Seizures and Vomiting
Dog seizures accompanied by vomiting may be caused by various underlying medical conditions:
- Epilepsy, which is considered a genetic disease
- Heat stroke, especially if the dog is extremely hot and is not being helped
- Poisoning and the ingestion of various substances or foods that are toxic for the dog (i.e. lead, rat poison, alcohol, chocolate)
- Canine distemper can cause seizures and vomiting. The disease is caused by a virus and can affect the brain. Puppies are more exposed to the virus, which can be transmitted though saliva and other body fluids.
- Dysfunctions of the central nervous system
- Brain tumors, which press on the brain
- Hypocalcemia is a low level of calcium in the body and can cause seizures and vomiting. This condition is more common in lactating mothers.
- Heartworm disease, in the last stages
Symptoms of Dog Seizures
The dog experiencing a seizure can display a number of symptoms such as:
- Uncoordinated moves
- Staggering
- Sudden collapse
- Drooling and movement of the jaws
- Spasms
- Elimination of urine and feces
A seizure can last a few seconds or be longer. The vomiting can occur before or after the seizures.
Additional Symptoms of Canine Seizures
The additional symptoms of your dog are important to be able to detect the problem affecting the pet.
Look out for symptoms such as:
- Elevated body temperature, which can be present in a dog with heat stroke
- Excessive drooling and confusion, in dogs that are affected by poisoning
- Lethargy
- Muscle weakness
- Unevenly dilated pupils, can signal that there is a neurological problem
- Uncoordinated moves
Conditions such as heat stroke or poisoning have a sudden onset, while a neurological problem or heartworms can show other symptoms during a longer period of time before the seizures and the vomiting occur.
A dog affected by epilepsy will have no other symptoms outside the seizures, he will behave normally.
Dog Seizure Treatment Options
A proper diagnosis is needed for the treatment of seizures.
If the vet establishes that the dog has epilepsy or the seizures have no determined cause, he may decide not to apply any treatment. If the seizures occur more frequently than once per month, the vet will prescribe Phenobarbital.
If the dog is affected by a heat stroke, you need to decrease his temperature using cold compresses and take him to the vet. The vet will establish if the heat stroke has affected the dog’s brain.
Poisoning should also be treated immediately; the vet will remove the toxic materials from the dog’s system.
Neurological problems and brain tumors will have to be examined further and surgery may be needed.