Along with many other conditions, epilepsy is not just limited to humans and can be found in our pets too. 

​Epilepsy is when a seizure is caused from a surge of electrical activity in the brain. This is shown physically by a dog in mild to severe ways, including twitching, body shaking and/or tremors, body spasms and convulsions.
Epilepsy is diagnosed when a dog suffers reoccurring seizures without a known cause or trigger. The brain appears to be normal without any damage but functions in an abnormal way. 

Some dogs are born with epilepsy while others can develop it later in life, often without a cause or reason for it. Epilepsy can also be caused by trauma to the head or brain tumours. Seizures can also be caused by toxins or some form of poisoning, abnormal blood sugars or kidney or liver disease.  

Some dogs can have very mild versions of the below symptoms whilst others can be quite violent and confronting. Should your dog every display any of the below symptoms, they should be taken to a vet immediately. 

• Body shakes or tremors
• Eye twitching/rolling into their head
• Dog unable to stand/falling to their side
• Twitching muscles 
• Convulsions 

During a seizure your dog can appear 'out of it' and will not respond to you. They can also lose control of their bladder and bowels. 
Your dog is not as risk of swallowing their tongue and can accidently bite you during a seizure. You should ensure they are safely away from any objects that could harm them (if they knocked into them) and leave your dog be during their seizure. They can also be very confused as they come out the seizure so it's best to remain calm, as confronting as the situation is, and give them time to approach you. 

If your dog is suffering from symptoms of epilepsy, it's important to have them seen by your vet immediately. They will conduct tests to establish the cause of your dog's seizures and if they do in face have epilepsy or another health condition causing their seizures. 
Treatment will vary depending on what the vet discovers and their results may be 'epilepsy of unknown cause' if there is no damage or growths on your dog's brain. 
Dog's can live a relatively normal life on anti seizure medication once the correct dosage is established. This medication will need to be given at the same time every day for the remainder of the dog's life. 
Diet has also been shown to play an important role in epileptic dog's lives and this is also something your vet will discuss with you. A low fat diet is usually recommended. 

Research has shown that there is a higher rate of dogs diagnosed with epilepsy within some breeds. 
These include; Beagles, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Border Collies, Boxers, Cocker Spaniels, Collies, Dachshunds, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, Irish Wolfhounds, Keeshonds, Labradors and Poodles. 
This is in no way to say that if you own this breed that your dog will suffer from epilepsy, however these breeds have had a higher rate of diagnoses. This is why is it always important to do your research before purchasing a dog, knowing of any common hereditary issues with a breed and insisting on full health records of breeding parents to be provided. 

​Origin:
One of the oldest spaniels known, the English Cocker Spaniel was originally known as the general spaniel and the only one recorded as being imported into England many centuries ago. They were then separated into 7 different individual spaniel breeds. These were;
- English Springer
- Cocker Spaniel
- Clumber Spaniel
- Sussex Spaniel
- Welsh Springer Spaniel
- Field Spaniel
- Irish Water Spaniel
All of which are still well-known and kept breeds todays. It was not until 1946 that the Cocker Spaniel was first recognised as two separate breeds, being the American and English Cocker Spaniel.
Their name comes from the bird the Woodcock, a bird that the breed was fantastic at flushing out, leading them to be named the ‘Cocker’ Spaniel.

Purpose:
The Cocker Spaniel was breed for a working dog. They were used as hunting gun dogs and were able to travel easily through wet and dry land and harsh environments. Their key talent is to flush out and retrieve game very gently and without damage. Along with hunting and retrieving, the Cocker is also great at agility and obedience work as well as making a brave watchdog.

Coat care:
The Cocker Spaniel can be kept in full coat, breed cut or trimmed all over.
When kept in full or breed coat, they will require daily brushing, sometimes twice daily, to avoid matting especially around their pants and underbelly. Being low to the ground they can pick up burrs and twigs very easily. They can also matt very easily on their feet and between their toes so special focus should be made on these areas too.
Their long ears can also pick up grass seeds easily so should be checked after being out in any areas of long grass. They can also hold a lot of moisture so should also be checked often for signs of infection.
They should be bathed only as needed.

Health & Temperament:
Don’t let their small side fool you, the Cocker Spaniel is a strong, sturdy and very smart little dog. Being bred as a working dog, they love to run and play and need a decent daily walk at a minimum. They can be very gentle with their family and love to play, making them great with children. When well socialised from a young age, they make for a very confident dog who enjoys being around other people, dogs and cats. They thrive on plenty of physical and mental stimulation as well as having rules and boundaries in place, to avoid any dominance issues.
They are a breed who can gain weight easily, so diet and exercise need to be well managed. They are often prone to ear infections so any Cocker owner needs to be confident in checking ears regularly and knowing the signs of an infection beginning. The breed has no serious hereditary issues and on average they live for 12 – 15 years. 

Along with all the other amazing groups and organizations who provide dogs around to Australia to those requiring support, the team at Smart Pups offer a life changing addition to any child with special needs. 

Smart Pups provide specially trained service dogs to children with special needs, with the goal to have these amazing dogs assist these children every day to help improve their quality of life.
These incredible Labradors and Golden Retrievers are selected at 8 weeks old and begin training within their foster family. They are exposed to all different daily experiences and household routines.
Between the ages of 6 – 8 months old they enter the Smart Pups program of General Training Modules before entering the Advanced Training Program. At this stage of training they learn task specific modules, this way, when they time comes and they are matched with their child to assist, they will meet the exact needs of that child. How amazing is that?!|

The amazing team at Smart Pups train their dogs in 5 areas of assistance.
- Autism Assistance
- Diabetic and Medical Alert
- Seizure Response
- Mobility Assistance
- Vision Assistance 

Read below, from Cody's Mum, how Smart Pup Lulu changed Cody's life from the day she joined his family! ​

We all know the most talked about items around our homes that our dog's can't have, the chemical cabinet it ALWAYS out of bounds, no chocolate, no alcohol. But did you know there are a lot more common foods that you probably have in your kitchen right now that are also very toxic to our dogs? In this blog series we will highlight  some other foods that you may not know need to be kept out of Fido's reach too!