Hyperactivity In Dog

Vail Pet Talk: What do you do if your pet is having seizures?

A seizure, fit, or convulsion is defined as an uncontrolled, transient electric discharge from the neurons in the brain. Most seizures are due to epilepsy, which means there is no underlying disease in the brain. You may have heard from your veterinarian or doctor that epilepsy is a disease of “rule outs,” which in plain English means: “If we can't find any reason for the seizures we call it epilepsy.” Often owners and veterinarians are to blame for this problem. Dr. Dorothea Schwartz-Porsche writes in “Current Veterinary Therapy” that some of the factors responsible for inadequate control of seizures are: “improper choice of drugs, insufficient drug dosage, too rapid change of medication/dosage and noncompliance.” Most veterinary neurologists would agree. So what do you do if your dog or cat is having seizures? Your veterinarian will want to try to rule out other diseases/causes for the seizures. Part of his/her evaluation will include a complete blood count, serum chemistries, thyroid tests, urinalysis, and skull xrays; additionally they may recommend an electroencephalogram (EEG) and cerebrospinal fluid analysis (CSF tap). You may be referred to a neurologist for the EEG and CSF tap. If all the tests are normal and epilepsy is diagnosed, you and your veterinarian have some decisions to make. As a rule of thumb anticonvulsants are not started unless the seizures are very severe, occur in clusters, or occur more often than once a month. Some owners cannot handle seeing seizures and this is considered a valid reason to start therapy. A good relationship with your veterinarian is crucial; several attempts with various drugs and doses may be required to control the seizures. Keep a diary or log; keep information about time and dose of drugs administered, mood of patient/side effects, and any seizure activity. Phenobarbital is usually the first drug selected for dogs and cats; it is relatively inexpensive and rapidly effective (usually within 2 to 3 days). Some side effects include sedation, hyperactivity, and increased thirst/urination. Once it is started animals often develop a dependence ib the drug. Two to three weeks after it is started, your veterinarian will check blood levels to determine if you are achieving the therapeutic dose; this, along with serum chemistries to check liver function, should be performed every six months.

Hyperactive Dog

Hyperactive dogs or puppies can be a challenging problem for most dog owners. The first thing to understand is that hyperactivity can be definite medical condition called hyperkinesis which requires veterinary attention.

The symptoms of hyperkinesis are continual restless and frantic activity which usually don’t stop until the dog is exhausted. The dog pants and the heart rate is raised. There may be compulsive actions like tail chasing. If you think your dog may have this medical condition, you should get him checked by a vet.

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Here are some points you can attend to which will help to resolve your dog's hyperactivity:

Make sure your dog gets lots of exercise – at least two walks per day and plenty of games such as Fetch and Frisbee. This is especially true of very active breeds like hunting or herding dogs. Getting involved in dog games like Agility or Flyball will help in the case of very active breeds. Another way of increasing the level of activity is to use a dog back pack. Make sure the pack is loaded equally on each side and start with a light weight which you can then gradually increase. Make sure your dog has a variety of interactive and chew toys to keep him occupied, especially if left alone. He requires a stimulating environment to keep him occupied. Another way to keep him interested and for him to expend energy is to provide a digging pit for him in the garden or yard. Avoid too much sugar or protein in his diet. Avoid artificial ingredients in his diet like preservatives, colourings or flavorings. Some of these have been shown to produce hyperactivity in children and may have the same effect on dogs. You might try a herbal supplement which includes herbs like chamomile or valerian to help calm your dog. Use crate training and put him in his crate if left alone. The crate is like a den and has a relaxing effect on a dog. Check out the article on crate training. Keep your dog’s routine regular. Dogs like a fixed routine. Meals at regular times and so on. Engage in obedience training for short periods every day.

The main point is that your dog needs a variety of interesting activities and ways to expend his energy. If you don’t provide them then you will be faced with him expressing his energy in ways you don’t like.

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