Quite a number of years ago -- back in the early '80's to be exact -- there were numerous discussions regarding canine epilepsy in Norwich Terriers and also regarding a condition called Norwich Cramp. Both conditions were all too common in the breed at the time and were frequently confused. A number of articles regarding them were published in the English Norwich Terrier Club's newsletter. As a Lifetime Member of the English Club, I received all of this information, and have shared it with interested fanciers from time to time over the years. Now it has been brought to my attention that there is a lot of conversation concerning these topics taking place once again. Though I receive no e-mail generated by computer lists regarding Norwich Terriers, subscribers have forwarded a few posts from at least one list to me recently. It appears that the big uproar is on the other side of the pond, but it has spilled over into our own country. There seems to be tremendous confusion and much misinformation being spread about by novices and others in an effort to clear up questions that some owners of affected dogs have been asking.

I have no medical background of any kind to support any of what I am about to write, but I do have a 23-year history in Norwich Terriers, having been an active breeder and exhibitor, and having learned from other breeders' experiences, since 1978. In addition, I bred and exhibited Scottish Terriers from 1961 until 1973, and though my long history in Skye Terriers does not apply to this article, I will mention that I also bred and exhibited Skyes from 1964 until 1989. I have also researched the subjects of epilepsy and Scottie Cramp on the Internet and elsewhere. I offer any and all information gathered in the hope that it will be helpful to those who may need information and/or help with problems that have arisen.

There seems to be considerable confusion regarding Norwich Cramp and epilepsy as being one and the same thing. There also seems to be misinformation being spread that Norwich Cramp and Scottie Cramp are indistinguishable. My main purpose in writing this article is to explain that these beliefs are misconceptions. In addition, some think that Norwich Cramp has something to do with eclampsia. Terms such as pre-eclampsia and false eclampsia are being used. To my knowledge, there is no such thing as pre-eclampsia or false eclampsia, and certainly not in relation to Norwich Cramp. One owner reported using calcium as a supplement for a bitch that was having some sort of spells, which the owner considered to be Norwich Cramp, and felt that the calcium eliminated the spells, as well as inducing a big attitude change in the bitch. The affected dog was "noticeably calmer, less anxious, and much more patient with other dogs." This owner feels that it is spayed bitches who have these mild "spells," which she says some call "petit mal seizures," and goes on to say that the males have the more defined seizures. I am wondering if said bitch has a completely unrelated disorder. Certainly what the woman is describing does not sound like Norwich Cramp to me.

In a nutshell, Norwich Cramp is caused by the body's inability to deal with a build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. It does appear that the tendency for a Norwich to develop cramp is inherited. It might well be a simple recessive trait for all we know. An appropriate dosage of Vitamin E and Selenium have been shown to safely reduce or eliminate the cramp spells. Because of this knowledge, we have determined that Norwich Cramp and epilepsy are two completely different disorders since the Vitamin E and Selenium would have no effect whatsoever on epilepsy. The second way that we know that there is a distinct difference is that the drugs used in the treatment for epilepsy have no effect whatsoever on the Cramp spells.

My own personal experience with epilepsy is nil, other than witnessing a couple of Norwich having grand mal seizures (one in his home, and the other in his ex-pen at a dog show) and hearing of others, but I did deal with a minimum number of cramp victims back in the early '80's. The first was an unspayed bitch who was an English import. Though I do not recall her age at the time of the first episode, I am guessing that she was probably about six years old. She was on the grooming table, and suddenly appeared to be rather scared; her round eyes became rounder; and her hindquarters became rather stiff. I do not think she would have been able to walk had she been on the floor. However, there was no salivation, no thrashing about, no involuntary urination or defecation, nor any loss of consciousness. The spell lasted for a couple of minutes. A second spell occurred on her yard bench outside in her kennel run. It may have gone unnoticed had I not just happened to look out the window as it happened. A third spell occurred once again on the grooming table. The three spells happened within a few weeks of each other. At the time the first spell happened, I had never seen a dog have an epileptic seizure, but I instinctively knew that what I was seeing was not an epileptic seizure. I contacted my veterinarian, who said what I was describing was not an epileptic seizure. He suggested she be tested for low blood sugar. He checked her out thoroughly, and did some appropriate testing, but came up with absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, she had had three litters of five puppies each, one with her previous owner, and two with me, all three litters prior to showing symptoms that something was wrong. Like epilepsy, cramp usually occurs after the age at which a dog is used for breeding for the first time, making it extremely difficult to breed out as I see it.

It was soon after these spells that the articles regarding Norwich Cramp appeared in the English newsletters. In reading these articles, I was able to diagnose my own bitch's problem. I shared the information with my veterinarian, who contacted Cornell University's toxicology department in order to be able to give me the recommended Vitamin E and Selenium in a correct and safe dosage.

A second affected Norwich surfaced not long after the first mentioned. She was a spayed granddaughter of the above-mentioned bitch. I sold her as a pet. When she was a year or two old, I got a phone call from her male owner telling me that she was epileptic. My heart sank, as any breeder's would, at hearing I had produced an epileptic Norwich Terrier. He hastened to say not to worry about it as his wife as epileptic, and that if his wife could take pills, giving pills to the dog was not a problem for them. I was somewhat relieved that she had understanding owners, but was inwardly upset that one of my Champion bitches had produced a puppy with the problem. Her veterinarian put the affected bitch on medication for epilepsy. The medication had no effect whatsoever. The medication was changed with still no improvement. The bitch was having several spells a week, and was suffering from all the side effects of the medication. This went on for at least 2 or 3 years. Repeated changes in medication did nothing at all to relieve the seizures/spells. Then one day, the owner called, and a light went off in my head. It occurred to me that perhaps the bitch did not have epilepsy at all, and that she may well have Norwich Cramp instead. I explained to him what I knew about Norwich Cramp, and told him that he might want to try weaning her off the epilepsy medication, and put her on an appropriate dosage of Vitamin E and Selenium. The story had a happy ending.

A third affected dog was one that I helped to sell for a novice breeder. The new owner remained in contact with me over the years. One day she called and said that her dog, a neutered male, was having a problem, that she had taken him to the veterinarian, and that the veterinarian was stumped in the same way my vet had been, thinking that this might be a breed-specific problem. The veterinarian asked if the owner knew a breeder that might be of some help, and if so, would it be OK if she contacted that person. I asked the owner what the dog was doing, and she described a classic case of Norwich Cramp. I told her that I could help her veterinarian if she wanted to contact me, which she did. Before being put on Vitamin E and Selenium, the dog was having spells many times a week. After being on the Vitamin E and Selenium, the spells disappeared entirely. Still another Cramp story with a happy ending!

I have mentioned the above three cases in order to try to establish that Norwich Cramp is a condition separate from epilepsy, even though the spells associated with it might remind one a bit of a petit mal epileptic seizure. Cramp victims can be male or female, and the spells can be extremely mild and/or infrequent, or can be less mild and/or more frequent. According to the English newsletter articles and reports, the spells vary from intense to very mild, sometimes merely a stiffening of one thigh muscle. We indeed had a little black and tan bitch who experienced the stiffening of one thigh muscle.

The mildest type of seizure, called petit mal, is only a staring spell lasting a couple of minutes. During these brief lapses of consciousness or awareness, the dog does not fall over, nor is there convulsive muscular activity. In the most common type of epilepsy (grand mal), there is a sudden loss of consciousness, a contraction of muscles, loss of postural control, and perhaps a cry. The dog falls to the floor and may remain rigid for a few seconds. This is soon followed by a series of rhythmic contractions involving all four legs.

Scotties affected with Scottie Cramp appear to be normal in every way when they are at rest. When a victim is stressed by exercise, fighting, or other stimuli, he then loses his ability to walk normally. As stress increases, the dog's gait is compromised. He will begin to "wing" with his front legs, and over-flex with his rear legs. The spine in the lumbar area may arch. With continued stress, his gait progresses to "goose-stepping." He may even somersault and fall. If the dog is severely affected, he may not be able to walk or run at all. There is no loss of consciousness. When the stimulus ends, the dog returns to normal almost immediately. This in no way resembles Norwich Cramp or epilepsy.

The symptoms are thought to be caused by a buildup or depletion of some chemical compound in the dog's central nervous system, possibly serotonin. Put in simple terms, the signal from the brain that tells the dog how to run or walk gets garbled on its way to the various muscles. It is believed that the muscles are not cramping, and that the dog is not in pain. He is simply temporarily disabled where the coordination of his motion is concerned. I now have a question: If the muscles are not cramping, why is the disorder called Scottie Cramp?

Scottie Cramp, unlike Norwich Cramp and/or epilepsy, is present from birth. It is a permanent condition. It is inherited, and is believed to be a simple recessive. Affected dogs frequently anticipate the spells, and will stop running or playing immediately. The more hyper the dog, the more likely he is to exhibit symptoms. Treatment is seldom necessary, but in severe cases, Vitamin E, diazepam, and Prozac have been used with some success.