What a seizure looks like
- Sudden collapse onto the side, stiff legs or paddling (like pedalling a bike)
- Heavy drooling, jaw chomping, loss of bladder or bowel control
- No response to your voice, blank stare
- Mild seizures may be just facial twitching, fly-snapping or one trembling leg
Afterwards there is usually a recovery phase of minutes to hours: wobbly, confused, temporarily blind, very hungry or thirsty.
During the seizure: do
- Stay calm and time it. Seizures always feel longer than they are.
- Move furniture and sharp objects away; gently pull your dog away from stairs, sofas or water.
- Turn off lights and the TV and keep quiet.
- Film it on your phone. The video helps the vet a lot.
- Once it stops, cover your dog loosely with a towel and let it come round; do not feed straight away.
Do not
- Do not put your hand or anything in the mouth. Dogs cannot swallow their tongue, but they can bite you without knowing.
- Do not hold your dog down.
- Do not pour cold water on it or give human medicines.
Come in immediately if
A seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, there are 2 or more in 24 hours, or your dog does not wake up between seizures. Continuous seizures push body temperature up fast and damage the brain. Call 2126 7440 and set off.
Also come in the same day for:
- A first-ever seizure, even if it has stopped
- Possible poisoning: sugar-free gum (xylitol), snail bait, rat bait, insecticide, human medicines
- Puppies and toy breeds (high risk of low blood sugar)
- A seizure after a head knock, or after hot weather or hard exercise outdoors
- A known epileptic whose seizures are more frequent or longer than usual
Common causes
| Age | More common causes |
|---|---|
| Under 1 year | Low blood sugar, poisoning, congenital liver shunt, infection |
| 1 to 6 years | Idiopathic epilepsy (no other cause found), poisoning |
| Over 7 years | Brain tumour, liver or kidney disease, low blood sugar, high blood pressure |
Heatstroke, head injury and poisoning can cause seizures at any age.
At the hospital
- Stop the seizure first: intravenous anti-seizure medicine, with temperature and blood sugar checks, plus cooling and oxygen if needed.
- Blood tests: glucose, electrolytes, liver and kidney function to rule out metabolic causes and toxins.
- Imaging: X-ray or CT as needed to look for head injury and some structural brain problems; some cases are referred for MRI.
- Observation: dogs with repeated seizures usually stay 12 to 24 hours.
Long-term care
Most epileptic dogs can be controlled with medication; the aim is fewer and milder seizures. Keep a seizure diary (date, time, length, what happened before) and bring it to check-ups. Never stop medication on your own: stopping suddenly can trigger worse seizures.