5 seizure triggers to eliminate TODAY
Let’s talk about seizure triggers. Here are five things you can do today to help reduce possible seizure triggers for your dog.
The first thing that you can eliminate is any cleaning products that have strong odors or smells. Anything such as Pine Sol or anything that has pine oil in it should be eliminated. Cleaning your house can become a challenge when you have a dog with epilepsy because a lot of the cleaning products have very strong odors to them. Even products that don't have a strong odor according to us our dogs may think otherwise. Just think of how strong a dog’s ability to smell is. It makes sense why cleaning products can be a possible seizure trigger for your dog.
This is something I’m focusing more on now. I have started to use just regular soap and water rather than a cleaning spray. For example, I will use warm water with a little bit of Dawn soap to clean countertops and other things. I have also started researching lines of cleaning products I will be trying that are scent free. I’m planning on purchasing a steam cleaner, which I will use to clean and sanitize my floors (and other surfaces) with just water.
The second thing to eliminate today is scented candles. I wish I would've learned all of this way earlier than I did. Unfortunately for about the first year that Ruby was diagnosed with epilepsy, I was still burning scented candles in my house because I didn't know any better. I will say I do miss the pumpkin spice candles in the fall and the Christmas scented candles in the winter, but having a scented candle going is not worth the possibility of triggering a seizure for Ruby. I have now eliminated all scented candles from my home.
The third tip is for women to stop wearing perfume and men to stop wearing cologne. Perfume and cologne are very strong scents and it is best to eliminate them.
The fourth tip involves nail polish and nail polish remover. Rather than ask you to never use nail polish again, here is my strategy to use it in a safer way if you have an epi dog. Make sure to never apply nail polish or use nail polish remover when your dog is in the room with you. Only use it when you can be in a room without your dog and close the door, like a bathroom. Be sure to wash your hands after applying the nail polish and letting it dry or after using the nail polish remover to wash the strong smell of the product off your hands.
My fifth tip for you is to eliminate the use of any room sprays. Aerosol sprays or bathroom sprays should no longer be used in your home. I also would add oil diffusers to this. I’ve removed anything that puts a scent into the air. Instead, I just open a window when I want to freshen up my house (even in the cold midwest).
BONUS TIP! No smoking around your epi dog (really it should be any dog). Don't smoke around your dog and don't allow anyone else to smoke around your epi dog. Smoke can be a trigger for a dog with epilepsy.
Those are my five tips for things that you can eliminate from your home today to reduce possible seizure triggers. If you haven’t already it can be helpful to start tracking your dog’s seizures in a seizure journal to start identifying seizures specific to your dog. Thank you for everything you do for your epi dog and thanks for learning with me as I continue to learn with Ruby!