Read a great blog from Dr. Becker.
A seizure is an incidence of unanticipated, abnormal electrical activity in your pet’s brain.
Symptom-wise, it can range from a minor imperceptible twitch, to a
full-blown grand mal seizure during which your pet loses consciousness.
Seizures can last from just a few seconds – so short, in fact, you’re
not even sure it was a seizure because it looked more like a minor
head bobble, tremor, spasm or a simple cramp – to several minutes.
There are two types of electrical impulses inside your dog’s or cat’s
brain – excitatory and inhibitory. Normally there is a proper ratio of
excitatory to inhibitory impulses, but when excitatory impulses overtake
inhibitory impulses, a seizure can result.
Whether your pet has a minor twitch or a grand mal event will depend on
what part of the brain is involved and how many excitatory impulses are
generated.
The point at which excitatory impulses overtake inhibitory impulses
is called the seizure threshold. In a healthy pet this seizure threshold
is high, meaning the potential for a seizure is low.
There are a few things that influence your pet’s seizure threshold, including:
- Genetics
- Head trauma
- Infection
- Exposure to toxins
To read more and learn about the seizure phases, types of seizures, causes and what to do if your pet has a seizure click here.
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