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Epilepsy, which is found in the
Alaskan malamute, is the occurrence of
repeated seizures. These seizures indicate that brain disease is present.
A dog can have a classic "grand mal" seizure, or a partial seizure (also
known as simple or complex focal seizures).
When a typical grand mal seizure
begins, the dog stiffens and falls, then begins jerking movements. The dog
cannot control its bladder or bowels during a seizure, and may urinate or
defecate. The dog is not conscious during a seizure, though its eyes may
remain open. A grand mal seizure usually lasts about two minutes. More
serious seizures can occur in clusters, in which the dog seizes again and
again in succession, sometimes culminating in a continuous seizure that
doesn't stop (status epilepticus).
Simple focal seizures are characterized
by twitching, most commonly in the face. The pet is alert and aware while
this is happening, and often becomes confused. The seizure may stop there, or
it may become a classic grand mal seizure. Complex focal seizures may cause the
dog to run uncontrollably; engage in senseless, repetitive behavior; or, rarely,
fly into a rage. These types of seizures often are accompanied by a grand mal
seizure.
Anything that injures the brain in the
right area can cause epilepsy. If the cause of the seizures can be determined,
the dog has symptomatic (or secondary) epilepsy. If the cause can't be determined,
the dog has idiopathic (or primary) epilepsy. Many idiopathic epileptics have
inherited epilepsy, meaning that their epilepsy is caused by a genetic mutation
inherited from their parents. Malamutes with idiopathic epilepsy frequently begin
seizing between one and three years of age.
Seizures can have a number of causes;
therefore, a single seizure does not indicate inherited epilepsy. Common causes
include toxins (such as those found in some plants and pesticides), metabolic
diseases and physical brain injury (for example, trauma or a tumor). Diagnosing
idiopathic epilepsy is a process of elimination. If you suspect your pet is
having seizures, your veterinarian can perform various tests to try to determine
the cause, including physical and neurological examinations, a complete blood
count (CBC), routine serum chemistry profile, urine analysis, bile acids assay
and thyroid function tests. Affected animals should not be bred.
Source: Developed from
information obtained from The Canine Epilepsy Network,
www.canine-epilepsy.net
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Researchers are looking for as many samples as they can get from all breeds of dogs
to help them find the genetic basis of epilepsy. You can contribute to this valuable
research by providing DNA samples from families of dogs where one or more individuals
are affected. For details about how to participate in this study, go to
www.canine-epilepsy.net and
click on "research." Although epilepsy is occurring with distressing frequency
in malamutes, they are underrepresented in this research. Please help!
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