,

Dog Seizures: Causes, What To Do, and When To Call A Vet

Seizures are complicated to explain, but in laymen terms, seizures happen when the brain glitches – think of it like a computer freezing or when you turn on a light and they start to flicker. For a few seconds (often under 2 minutes) your dog’s brain is firing all at once, and their body can’t keep up. That’s why they often fall over, start to shake, or look “gone” for a bit – their brain is trying to process too many signals at once.

Why that glitch happens is where we run into problems. It could be a once in a lifetime glitch, or it could become an actual health issue for your dog. Here are the most common reasons we see seizures in dogs:

  • Idiopathic Epilepsy: The most common, and it’s often hereditary. This means there’s no clear trigger, unfortunately, your dog got this passed down by their parents.
  • Toxins: Some of the dog patients that we see come from the times when they get into things like rat poison, antifreeze, or even some human meds like Ibuprofen or ADHD medications. Sometimes, there’s no lasting damage, it’s a one-time thing. But… with a high enough dosage, it can cause organ or brain damage that leads to recurring problems.
  • Metabolic Problems: Liver or kidney disease can really mess with blood chemistry and trigger seizures.
  • Infections: Viruses, bacteria, or parasites like distemper or meningitis can cause seizures.
  • Head trauma: This is a big one, and its often times missed by a pet owner. We treat falls semi regularly – when the dog is playing on the couch and they fall and hurt their head. The accident can damage the head and cause seizures later in their life.
  • Brain tumors: These are hard to catch early on, if we don’t have regular visits, brain tumors or growths that press on the brain can disrupt normal brain activity and cause it to “glitch” in a way that can cause a seizure.

There are several other ways that a seizure could happen. Things like low blood sugar, heatstroke, or extreme stress can trigger a one-off episode. Regardless of the reason, what I want to get across is that the brain glitches, sends out a bunch of signals, and a seizure is triggered.

What do You Do? – Keep Them Safe.

When your dog is having a seizure, your job is to keep them safe during the episode. There is nothing you can do, without prescribed medication, to stop it. When a seizure starts, if you try to stop one, this can actually make things worse. It can hurt your dog or can hurt you in the process. That’s why we tell our dog owners that your goal during a seizure is to help protect your dog while it’s happening and keep them safe until it’s over.

So, your job is to do the following:

  1. Clear the area. Move furniture, cords, and anything sharp away so they don’t hit anything.
  2. Keep them on the floor. If they’re up on a couch or bed, gently guide them down so they don’t fall.
  3. Don’t touch their mouth or face. They won’t swallow their tongue, but they could clamp down hard if they spasm and bite their tongues.
  4. Keep it quiet and calm. Turn off lights. Turn off the TVs. Turn off loud noises. Try to stay calm to help them recover faster.
  5. Time it. If it goes over five minutes, that’s an emergency. Grab a towel or blanket, load them safely in the car, and head straight to the vet.

After the episode is over, more than likely your dog will be confused, tired, and may wobble if they walk. You need to make sure they’re quiet, calm, and make sure they’re not going to jump up or down from the couch. Keep the area clean and clear. You don’t want them to bump into furniture or stairs. Don’t try to rush food or water until they’re fully alert again. When they’re fully alert, bring them to us for a checkup.

What Happens at the Vet?

The first thing we try to do is figure out if your dog is stable. We need to make sure they’re breathing normally. We need to make sure their heart rate is steady and their body temperature is safe. Then we’ll ask you about what you saw and how long it lasted. From there, we’ll usually run a few tests to figure out the cause. We’ll talk to you about a few of the tests we’ll check for. These checks include:

  • Bloodwork and urinalysis: This test checks for organ issues, infections, or imbalances.
  • Neurological exams: This usually checks at reflexes, coordination, and nerve responses.
  • MRI or CT scan: Helps us see inside the brain for anything unusual, like swelling or tumors.

What we’re trying to find with all these tests is figure out why it happened and make sure your dog stays safe and healthy. Once we know what’s behind it, we can talk about therapy or treatments like seizure medication, diet changes, or other specific care depending on what we find.