Post #3 Seeing stars

         Have you ever found yourself getting really sleepy and start rubbing your eyes? After rubbing your eyes do you sometimes see stars? Well, if so then you have just given yourself a small dose of ocular compression. Ocular compression is one of many techniques used to shorten, lessen the severity of, or stop canine seizures.  Before I go any further let me say this: I do not know if this works the same for human seizures. I have tried looking it up and haven’t been able to find much in the way of results for people.

         Ocular compression is performed as soon as your dog starts to show sign that they are going to have a seizure. It is performed throughput the seizure as well as into the post-ictal phase. I’m sure you are asking yourself what in the world is Ocular compression? Well, I will give you the best explanation I can.

        With your dog’s head balanced between both hands, use your thumbs to hold the eye lids closed and press steady gentle pressure to both eyes.  (The amount of pressure will be about as much pressure as you would put to your wrist when looking for a pulse.) Hold this pressure for a count of 10-15 then release for a count of 10. This process can be repeated until signs of the seizure have stopped.

         During a seizure there are violent neural discharges of electrical activity in the brain. These discharges bounce from one hemisphere to the other which cause the violent spastic movements often associated with a seizure.  When ocular compression is applied there is pressure applied to the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve releases the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-amniobutyric acid). GABA acts as a natural inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that interrupts the flow of nerve impulses.

         All of that sounds really fancy but, it probably doesn’t give you any information at all. Basically, what it means is that when pressure is applied to the vagus nerve it briefly shuts off the electricity in the brain. Once the pressure is released the electricity starts flowing again and it follows the currents that it is supposed to follow.

         By stopping and restarting the electrical flow in the brain it decreases the heart rate, forces the bodies muscle groups to relax, and gives the brain a chance to regain control and stop the seizure.

Through all of the studies that have been done on this procedure doctors have been unable to determine the full extent of how much ocular compression helps dogs during seizures. Although they all agree that length and severity of seizures is greatly reduced with the application of OC.

         From my personal experience with Baron his seizures usually lasted between 2 to 3 minutes before using OC. Now, the lengths of his seizures have reduced to on average 1-1 ½ minutes and they aren’t as violent. It has definitely become a valuable tool in the battle against epilepsy. 

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