Other Causes of Seizures

Sometimes, seizures are the result of an underlying issue that affect your dog's organs or body chemistry. Let's dive into some of the other causes of seizures!

Metabolic causes are those conditions associated with other body systems. Some common causes include:

Hypoglycemia (also known as Low Blood Sugar)

Hypoglycemia is a common cause of seizures, particularly in young puppies, small breeds, or dogs with diabetes. If your dog's blood sugar drops too low, the brain can't function properly.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia include lethargy, weakness, trembling, and disorientation. If left untreated, it can progress to a seizure. Hypoglycemia can often be treated quickly by giving your dog a sugar source, like rubbing corn syrup on the gums, while you seek veterinary care.

Liver Disease

The liver plays a vital role in filtering toxins from the blood. When the liver isn't functioning properly—due to conditions like liver shunts or cirrhosis—these toxins can build up and affect the brain, causing seizures.

Liver disease can be diagnosed through blood tests that measure liver enzymes and bile acids. In some cases, imaging such as ultrasound may be needed to assess the liver's structure.

Kidney Disease

Severe kidney disease can also lead to seizures. When the kidneys aren't filtering waste products from the blood efficiently, toxins can accumulate and interfere with brain function. This is more common in older dogs or dogs with chronic kidney issues.

Blood tests and urine analysis are critical in diagnosing kidney disease. Treatment involves managing the underlying kidney condition and, if necessary, controlling seizures with medication.

Electrolyte Imbalances

Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and calcium are essential for proper brain function. Imbalances—such as low calcium (hypocalcemia) or high sodium (hypernatremia)—can disrupt electrical activity in the brain, leading to seizures.

These imbalances can occur due to dehydration, certain medications, or underlying medical conditions. Blood tests are essential for diagnosing and correcting these issues.

Infections that affect the brain or other parts of the body can also lead to seizures. Here are a few infectious causes that veterinarians commonly investigate when a dog is experiencing seizures.

Canine distemper is a viral disease that can cause seizures, especially in puppies or unvaccinated dogs. It affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems, and seizures often occur in the later stages of the disease.

Dogs with distemper may also show symptoms like coughing, nasal discharge, fever, and muscle twitching. Treatment is supportive, as there's no cure for the virus, so vaccination is the best prevention.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. While more commonly associated with cats, dogs can contract toxoplasmosis through multiple routes as it is ubiquitous in the environment. Animals who are immunosuppressed either from an autoimmune disease or from immune suppressing medications are most at risk. In some cases, it can lead to neurological symptoms, including seizures.

Blood tests can diagnose toxoplasmosis exposure, and treatment typically involves medications to control the infection.

Ticks can transmit several diseases that cause inflammation of the brain and nervous system, leading to seizures. For example, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are both tick-borne diseases that can affect a dog's brain and cause seizures.

Symptoms of tick-borne diseases often include fever, lethargy, joint pain, and in uncommon cases, neurological symptoms. Blood tests and tick-borne disease panels are used to diagnose these conditions, and treatment usually involves antibiotics."

There are of course many other infectious conditions that dogs can be exposed to, including bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal causes. Be sure to share your dog's travel history with your veterinarian as this can help to inform what infectious screening tests should be performed.

Finally, uncontrolled infections elsewhere in the body can lead to a condition known as sepsis, which occurs when an infection overwhelms the body, and is a life threatening level of an infection. This can also lead to seizures as well as severe illness.

Structural problems in the brain itself—such as tumors, trauma, or congenital abnormalities—can also lead to seizures. Let's explore these causes in more detail.

Brain Tumors

Brain tumors are a potential cause of seizures, especially in older dogs. Tumors can interfere with normal brain function by compressing healthy brain tissue or causing inflammation. Seizures caused by brain tumors tend to start later in life and may progressively worsen over time. On rare occasions young animals can have tumors and other cancerous processes.

An MRI or CT scan is typically required to diagnose brain tumors. Treatment options vary depending on the type, size, and location of the tumor but may include surgery, radiation therapy, or medications to control symptoms.

Head Trauma

Traumatic brain injury from accidents, falls, or blunt-force trauma can lead to seizures, either immediately after the injury or later as scar tissue forms in the brain. Even if the trauma appears minor at the time, it's important to monitor your dog for any delayed onset of seizures.

Treatment for trauma-related seizures often involves managing brain swelling and inflammation, along with anti-seizure medications.

Congenital Brain Malformations

Some dogs are born with brain malformations that can predispose them to seizures. One common condition is hydrocephalus, where excess fluid accumulates in the brain, increasing pressure and causing seizures. This condition is more commonly seen in small or brachycephalic breeds like Chihuahuas and Pugs.

Auto-Immune/Meningoencephalitis

Finally, auto-immune conditions, sometimes referred to as meningoencephalitis of unknown origin or MUO or MUE for short. This is when the body attacks the brain as it does not recognize the brain tissue. This can cause severe swelling, bleeding, and changes. Often you may see this classified under non-infectious inflammation.

Treatment for all of these conditions can greatly benefit from the inclusion of veterinary neurologists either directly or working with your veterinarian on a consulting basis.