Articles with seizures

Senior Dog Cluster Seizures: Calvin’s Brain Tumor and Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)

Do you know what is the most common cause of seizure onset in senior dogs? No, epilepsy is not it. While injuries, infections, poisoning, organ failure, etc., can happen at any age, it is easy to confirm or rule those out. The next most likely cause of seizures in a senior dog is a brain tumor. Is a brain cancer…

by Jana Rade

Seizures in Senior Dogs: Maia’s Story

In senior dogs, epilepsy is the least likely cause of seizures. Brain tumors are common but not the sole cause of seizures in older dogs. Potential causes of seizures in senior dogs include: tumors inflammation infection secondary to insulinoma or liver failure vascular issues trauma It can be any of those things though some of them should be easy to…

by Jana Rade

Can Dog Food Cause Seizures?

Can certain dog foods or treats cause seizures in your dog? The tricky thing about this subject is that there isn’t a whole lot of reliable data. That doesn’t mean that it cannot happen. Let’s review under what circumstances it would likely require. To get you the best information possible, I brought in Dorothy Wills-Raftery of FiveSibes™ to collaborate on…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Seizures or Convulsions in Dogs: What Can Seizures Look Like and What Can Cause Them?

Watching your dog having a seizure is a scary thing. I remember how helpless I felt when Roxy had her first seizure, She had a full-blown one; she was unresponsive, laying on her side, her whole body was convulsing and foam was coming out of her mouth … What is a seizure? A seizure is abnormal electrical activity in the…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Diagnosing Seizures in a Dog: Is It Epilepsy?–Cletus’ Story. What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog?

Seizures in dogs can have many different causes. Diagnosing seizures in a dog isn’t always straightforward. Veterinarians use the term epilepsy to describe any illness that causes recurrent seizures. That is, however, different from inheritable idiopathic epilepsy which is a seizure disorder with an unknown cause. Above all, assuming the cause cannot be known is that an identifiable problem might…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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