What are seizures? A seizure occurs when there's sudden, abnormal, electrical activity in a dog's brain. When a dog has a seizure, they experience muscle tremors and involuntary movements.

There are different types of seizures in dogs. Focal seizures affect only part of the brain, whereas generalised seizures affect both sides of the brain. Different kinds of seizures present in different ways.

Why Do Dogs Have Seizures?

Epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in dogs. Epilepsy means recurrent, chronic seizures. A single seizure in a dog that never reoccurs wouldn't be classed as epilepsy. Epilepsy can be genetic, or it can be caused by a lesion on the brain. Epilepsy can also occur without a known cause; this is called idiopathic epilepsy.

Causes of Seizures in Dogs

Just like with seizures in cats, there can be a number of other reasons for seizures in dogs to occur, including:

• Head trauma
• Heatstroke
• Infection resulting in high body temperature or brain injury
• Low blood sugar
• Liver disease
• Ingestion or exposure to toxins like Xylitol, wild mushrooms, recreational drugs and lead.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Seizures in Dogs?

If your dog has never had a seizure before or if it's your first time witnessing a seizure in a dog, it can be scary.

The most common type of seizures in dogs is generalised tonic-clonic seizures, previously called grand mal seizures, and these are the most upsetting to witness.

When a dog experiences a generalised seizure, they may paddle their legs, foam at the mouth, urinate, or defecate. They generally lose consciousness, but the seizure shouldn't last more than a few minutes.

Status Epilepticus

Status epilepticus is when seizure activity lasts longer than 30 minutes. In some cases, this may be continuous, but in most it occurs from cluster seizures, where a dog has a seizure, but doesn't get a chance to fully recover before another seizure starts. This can be fatal without intervention and is considered an emergency. The longer a seizure lasts the higher the risk of brain damage afterwards.

Focal (or Partial) Seizures

A focal seizure, also known as a partial seizure, may include some twitching or muscle contractions, which can affect any part of the body. Generally, with partial seizures, your dog shouldn't lose consciousness, although their behaviour may alter.

Behavioural changes with partial seizures or complex partial seizures include rage or unpredictable aggression, fly-catching/crocodile snapping in the air, spinning in circles, floor licking, crying or barking.

What To Do If Your Dog Has A Seizure

When a dog fits, your main job is to keep them safe. Move furniture away and put blankets and cushions around your dog to prevent them from hurting themselves as they thrash or paddle. If they're on the sofa or your bed, padding the floor below can help prevent injuries.

Remember, pets can act unusually during a seizure and when recovering, so use care and don't put yourself in a situation where you could get bitten.

If this isn't your pet's first seizure, your vet may have given you some rectal medication to help your pet in the event of a seizure. If required, you can administer this as directed.

Keep track of how long the seizure lasts and try to video record it, as this can help your vet with diagnosis and treatment. If you're inside, turning off the lights and reducing any flashes from the TV or loud noises can be helpful, as these can be triggers for dog seizures.

Dog Seizure Recovery

After the seizure, your dog may be confused, unsteady, temporarily blind, or very tired. This recovery period can last from a few minutes to several hours. Contact your veterinary practice to establish the next steps. If the seizure is prolonged or if it's your dog's first seizure, you may need to visit a vet.

Consider using a towel or carrier to transport your dog, as they may be unpredictable while recovering. Use caution when handling pets who are recovering. If your dog has epilepsy, still contact your veterinary practice so they can record the seizure in your pet's medical record and adjust any seizure medication as required.

How Are Canine Seizures Diagnosed?

You may want to know how to stop seizures in dogs immediately. Unfortunately, it isn't that easy. Your dog's treatment will depend on their seizure symptoms and the cause.

Your dog may be admitted to the hospital for monitoring for at least 24 hours, especially if it's their first seizure or they've had multiple seizures. Your pet may be given medication intravenously (via a drip or cannula) to reduce their seizure activity. If your pet is having a seizure upon arrival at the veterinary practice, the vet may choose to administer rectal medication, as this is often easier and quicker than trying to inject them.

To determine the cause of the seizure, your vet will need a detailed history, including what the seizure looked like, what they had been doing before, if they have ingested anything toxic, any previous health conditions and their quality of life before this event.

Your vet is likely to perform a thorough physical examination and recommend blood tests to check for underlying health issues. An MRI and cerebrospinal fluid analysis may also be required.

MRI Scans

An MRI will help identify any abnormalities within the brain, and analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid can help detect infections, inflammation and certain diseases. With a common cause of dog seizures being idiopathic epilepsy, where no cause is known, sometimes these tests are used to eliminate other causes of seizure disorders in dogs before a diagnosis can be made

Treatment for Dog Seizures - What Can You Do?

The treatment your dog needs depends on the cause of the seizures, as well as your dog's quality of life before the seizure and the severity of their disorder.

Many dogs with epilepsy are diagnosed young, and these dogs have seizures occasionally during their life, but it's managed with daily medication.

Seizure Medicine for Dogs

Common dog seizure medications include phenobarbital and potassium bromide. It's important to understand that these medications don't cure dog epilepsy but help to manage it.

Regular blood tests are necessary for any dogs being treated with daily medications to monitor drug levels and ensure they are not causing side effects.

If a toxin is causing your dog's seizures, depending on the amount and substance they've ingested, they may recover with supportive treatment, or it could be more serious, even fatal.

Dog Seizures, When to Put Down?

In some cases where seizures are severe, frequent, or no longer manageable, owners may have to consider difficult decisions regarding pet euthanasia. This is usually based on the dog's quality of life, frequency of seizures, response to treatment and overall well-being. Your vet can help guide you through this process with compassion and clinical insight.

Seizures in dogs can be alarming, but knowing what to do when a dog has a seizure is key to keeping them safe. While some dogs may experience a single seizure due to an isolated trigger, others may have ongoing episodes caused by epilepsy or underlying medical conditions.

Prompt veterinary attention, especially during or after a seizure, is essential. With proper management, many dogs with seizures can continue to lead happy, healthy lives.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis – www.vetlexicon.com/canis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.