What is eclampsia in animals

However, calcium supplementation during pregnancy has been shown to increase the risk of eclampsia after she has given birth, as supplementation suppresses the normal calcium control system and increases the risk of low blood calcium when demands are high.

Instead, it is crucial to feed a balanced, high quality diet to mum suitable for pregnancy and lactation. It may be necessary to supplement puppies with milk replacer if mum is struggling, particularly with larger litters. Speak to your vet to make sure that your planned diet is appropriate. Good luck. Your email address will not be published. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Thankfully I read about this in a James Herriot story and was able to act quickly yesterday morning when my dog came into my room panting and shaking uncontrollabley. She just flopped on my floor. I wondered if anyone has any experience of the mother being able to feed her pups again? Username or Email Address. Remember Me. Thank you for your help.

A member of our team will investigate this further. What is eclampsia in dogs? Luckily for you, we have summarised all the facts you need here, so look no further. What is eclampsia? Treatment involves administration of calcium gluconate, slowly and carefully, while the heart rate is being monitored rapid administration or overdose may stop the heart.

Oral calcium supplements may also be required. Seizures can be controlled with some anti-seizure medication and if brain swelling is suspected, there is a drug called mannitol which can be used as well. In patients with a severely high fever, cooling methods like using cool intravenous fluids, wetting the hair coat or blowing a fan over the animal can be used to cool them down once they have been stabilised.

Intravenous calcium supplementation may be required every hours until the mother is stable and well enough to receive oral calcium supplements. It is useful to feed expectant mothers puppy food two to three weeks before whelping and continue this while the mother is lactating at least four weeks. Davidson AP Reproductive causes of hypocalcaemia.

Topics in Companion Animal Medicine. In most cases, this condition develops in nursing dogs in the weeks after giving birth. Most commonly, eclampsia occurs one to five weeks after giving birth when the mother is producing the most milk. Although rare, it can also occur in pregnant dogs or during whelping.

Eclampsia occurs most often in small-breed dogs with large litters due to the high milk demand of the puppies. Shih Tzus, Chihuahuas, Miniature Poodles, Miniature Pinschers, Pomeranians, and other small breeds are at increased risk for this condition. Dogs with their first litters are also more likely to develop eclampsia. Ultimately, eclampsia is caused by a lack of calcium within the mother's body, so she is unable to meet the calcium demands to provide for her puppies.

There could be various reasons for this deficiency in calcium, including:. Symptoms of eclampsia in dogs typically appear within the first 40 days after giving birth. If left untreated, eclampsia in dogs can even lead to death.

Clinical signs may vary based on the severity of the condition, but can include:. If you suspect your dog has eclampsia, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Your vet will ask about your dog's medical history, as well as her diet, lifestyle, and symptoms.

In order to diagnosis eclampsia in dogs, veterinarians often run a variety of standard tests that may include:. Treatment for eclampsia in dogs requires IV administration of calcium until the mom is able to maintain her calcium levels.

Intravenous calcium must be administered slowly to prevent complications like cardiac arrest.