It’s easy to panic when you see a dog having a seizure. While not every seizure constitutes an emergency, dogs need prompt veterinary attention to determine the cause and reduce the chance of it happening again. Plus, there are things you can do to help your dog recover safely from a seizure. Read on to learn about seizures in dogs including the types and causes, how they’re diagnosed and treated, and what you can do if you witness your dog having a seizure.
Types of Seizures in Dogs
Seizures are one of the most common neurological problems in dogs and are caused by excessive electrical activity in the brain. “A seizure is a sign, not a disease,” explains Dr. Jerry Klein, DVM, Chief Veterinary Officer for the American Kennel Club. The seizure is called the “ictal phase” when a dog loses consciousness and experiences involuntary contractions of the muscles, says Dr. Jeff Grognet, DVM.
The most frequently reported type of seizure is a generalized seizure, previously known as a grand mal seizure. “Typically, a seizure causes the patient to lose consciousness and collapse if they’re standing,” says Dr. Amy Attas, VMD of New York-based practice City Pets. The dog may seem stiff before beginning to paddle, drool, urinate, or defecate.
A second type of seizure, a focal seizure, occurs in a specific body part like a face tremor. During a focal seizure, a dog will make involuntary movements, but they don’t always lose consciousness, Dr. Attas says. For example, a chewing gum seizure makes the dog look as though they’re chewing gum because they can’t stop opening and closing their mouths.
A third type of seizure is called a psychomotor seizure. “The dog may look like they’re in an altered state of consciousness,” she says. They’ll seem disoriented or display an episode of rage or aggression.
How Seizures Are Diagnosed
It’s not always clear if your dog is having a seizure, Dr. Klein says. There are other reasons a dog can faint, including what’s called “a syncopal event, which is usually associated with insufficient oxygen,” Dr. Attas says. “We see this in dogs with heart disease or pulmonary hypertension.” The dog will faint and seem normal once they regain consciousness.
Conversely, when the ictal phase is over, the dog won’t seem normal for a period known as the postictal phase, characterized by lethargy and confusion. The postictal phase is “what defines a neurological event as a seizure,” she says. If there is no postictal phase, the veterinarian will explore other potential causes of fainting.
It’s always best to take your dog to see a veterinarian as soon as possible after they experience their first seizure. Your vet will be able to determine if your dog has a condition where they may not be stable. In diagnosing seizures, it helps to provide your veterinarian with a detailed description of what happened during and after the seizure. If possible, take a short video of your dog seizing. After examining your dog, the vet will perform blood tests to determine if a metabolic disorder is causing the seizures. They may do a bile acid test where the dog is fasted, given food, and has their blood tested two hours later.
Causes of Seizures
The most common cause of seizures in dogs is epilepsy, affecting anywhere between 2% and 5% of dogs, Dr. Attas says. Other causes of seizures include a brain tumor, metabolic disorder, brain abnormality, brain infection, certain toxins, and trauma to the head.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is characterized by bursts of electrical activity throughout the brain, leading to repeated muscle spasms or contractions, Dr. Grognet says. He explains that epilepsy is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning it’s diagnosed after ruling out other causes. If epilepsy is suspected, the vet may go ahead and treat your dog with anti-seizure medication or elect for an MRI which is expensive and requires general anesthesia. Dogs with epilepsy may appear normal between seizures and have normal blood tests.
Brain Tumor
Brain tumors can be cancerous or benign. An example of the latter is meningioma, which is fairly common in older dogs and cats, Dr. Attas says. Even if a tumor is benign, it can compress the brain and trigger a seizure. Dogs usually return to normal once the tumor is surgically removed.
Metabolic Disorders
With a metabolic disorder involving the liver or kidneys, the brain itself is normal, but there may be an issue like a “liver shunt where the blood vessels in the liver aren’t connected properly and blood bypasses the liver without getting detoxified,” Dr. Attas explains. This results in a buildup of ammonia in the bloodstream, which can trigger seizures. Liver shunts occur in puppies and older dogs and can be surgically repaired to prevent future seizures. Hypoglycemia is another common metabolic disorder that can lead to seizures in dogs.
Brain Abnormalities
Structural seizures are caused by brain abnormalities like excess fluid in the brain. For example, there could be something wrong with the shape of a puppy’s brain, or they could have a liver shunt. Another cause of seizures in puppies is an infectious disease like canine distemper or toxoplasmosis, which is caused by a parasite.
Breed and Age Group Susceptibility
Senior dogs and adolescent dogs may develop age-related seizure disorder, which can be treated with anticonvulsant therapy. Certain dog breeds tend to be more susceptible to seizures including Beagles, German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, Boxers, Miniature Schnauzers, and Saint Bernards.
Dog Seizure Treatment Options
For dogs with a seizure disorder due to age or epilepsy, the vet will prescribe anti-seizure medication, such as phenobarbital, potassium bromide, zonisamide, or levetiracetam (Keppra). “These drugs are given orally to prevent seizures by raising the threshold of electrical activity that needs to happen for dogs to have a seizure,” Dr. Attas says. “But they’re not a cure and dogs can still get seizures on these medications.” Dr. Grognet adds that these drugs can harm the liver.
Typically, a vet will start with a high dose of one medication and adjust based on how a dog responds. Phenobarbital is a frequent choice because it’s inexpensive and well-tolerated by dogs. “We want to get good seizure control, meaning one seizure every six months,” she says. “If one drug is not effective, we add a second drug, and if it’s not effective, we can add a third or fourth drug.”
The veterinarian may also prescribe a medication like Valium to shorten the length of a seizure. “These medications are only effective if they get into the bloodstream quickly,” she says. Giving Valium by injection is effective but difficult when a dog’s legs are paddling vigorously. At home, you can administer Valium via nasal drops or a rectal tube.
What To Do if Your Dog Is Having a Seizure
If you witness your dog having a seizure for the first time, try to remain calm. “Your job is to protect your dog from hurting themselves,” Dr. Attas says. Keep them away from stairs or furniture to avoid falling, hitting their head, or injuring their limbs. Make sure not to touch anywhere near your dog’s mouth because they may bite under stress. Keep other pets away since it can be stressful for them too.
Sometimes people will try to snap their dog out of a seizure by patting them or spraying them with water. “Absolutely don’t do that because it adds excitement and may prolong the seizure,” she says. There’s no risk of dogs swallowing their tongues, so avoid getting near their mouth.
She recommends keeping a seizure log of your dog’s symptoms and their duration. Note which body part first showed signs of seizing. It’s always a good idea to book an appointment with your regular veterinarian even if a seizure lasts under a minute and your dog is back to normal.
Emergency Seizure Conditions
Dogs who have cluster seizures, meaning more than one seizure in 24 hours, require immediate veterinary attention. “A seizure itself is not an emergency unless it’s going on for three minutes or longer,” Dr. Attas says. The way to measure a seizure is from the time your dog loses consciousness to when they stop paddling and regain consciousness. The postictal phase isn’t included.
If a seizure lasts longer than five minutes, dogs may experience a neurological condition called Status Epilepticus. “This means they’re having multiple seizures so close together that their body doesn’t have a chance to return to normal,” she says. “This is a true emergency because their body temperatures get so high, they start to get secondary problems which can often lead to death.”
For example, dogs with hyperthermia (overheating) can “develop pulmonary edema, which is fluid in the lungs, or cerebral edema, which is fluid around the brain,” she says. Pulmonary edema can compromise their breathing. Cerebral edema can lead to brain damage and affect vital functions like the heartbeat and breathing.
With a generalized seizure, dogs tend to exert a lot of energy resulting in body temperatures as high as 105 degrees. It’s critical to help cool these dogs down before taking them to an emergency hospital. She suggests running a towel under cold water and applying it to areas where your dog doesn’t have a lot of fur like their stomach, groin, underarms, or neck. Keep monitoring their temperature using an aural or rectal thermometer.
Preventing a Seizure
Dog owners may notice certain sounds or lights that trigger a seizure. “But for the most part, there’s very little you can do to prevent a seizure other than being 100% reliable about giving them anti-seizure medication,” Dr. Attas says. For example, Keppra is given three times a day, so you can’t miss a dose.
Over time and with medication, dogs can reach a point where they stop having seizures, she says. In that case, your vet will begin removing one drug at a time. For some dogs, being diagnosed with a seizure disorder doesn’t mean they’ll need to be on medication for the rest of their life.
This article is intended solely as general guidance, and does not constitute health or other professional advice. Individual situations and applicable laws vary by jurisdiction, and you are encouraged to obtain appropriate advice from qualified professionals in the applicable jurisdictions. We make no representations or warranties concerning any course of action taken by any person following or otherwise using the information offered or provided in this article, including any such information associated with and provided in connection with third-party products, and we will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages that may result, including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or death.