Dog Seizures- Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, & More
100Guide to Dog Seizures
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Canine Epilepsy: An Owner's Guide to Living With and Without Seizures
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Epilepsy: The Essential Guide to Natural Pet Care
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List Price: $6.95 |
Causes of Dog Seizures
Just like people can have seizures and seizure disorders, so can dogs. Basically, brain cells use electrical and chemical signals to communicate, which can either activate another neuron or shut off a neuron. Seizures are thought to be caused when there is an imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory signals in the brain.
Dogs, like people, have a normal neurological activity level within the brain that keeps the brain cells from getting too excited, and when too many brain cells are excited at once, a seizure can start up.
Note: The excitement within the brain cells has absolutely nothing to do with your dog getting excited when you come home from school, or work, when he plays, or during any other activity.
Depending on your dog's age, the following medical conditions may be the cause of your dog's seizures. (You will find the list in order of more common to more rare conditions.)
- Under 8 months- Developmental Disorders, Encephalitis or Meningitis, Trauma, Portacaval shunt, Hypoglycemia, Toxins, Intestinal parasites, Idiopathic Epilepsy (rare)
- 8 months to 5 years- Idiopathic Epilepsy (most common), Developmental disorders, Trauma, Encephalitis or meningitis, Acquired hydrocephalus, Neoplasia (tumor), Portacaval shunt, Hypoglycemia, Electrolyte disturbances, Hypothyroidism, Toxins
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Over 5 years- Neoplasia (tumor), Degenerative disorders, Vascular disorders, Hypoxia (lack of oxygen in body tissues), Hypoglycemia, Idiopathic Epilepsy, Trauma, Encephalitis or meningitis, Acquired hydrocephalus, Serious Liver disease, Hypocalcemia, Electrolyte disturbances, Hypothyroidism
Dog MRI Scan
Diagnosing Dog Seizures
Before you can treat a seizure disorder, you need to determine the type of seizures that your dog suffers may be caused by an underlying disease that when treated, may actually treat the seizures.
The different types of seizures include Primary Epileptic Seizures, Secondary Epileptic Seizures, and Reactive Epileptic Seizures. With your vet's help you can help determine what type of seizures that your dog has. Although, there is no test to 100% determine what type of seizures your dog has, your veterinarian can help you determine the type of seizure by how your dog acts during the seizure.
Many times the vet will try to treat other conditions that may be causing the seizures before he actually is able to treat the seizures. For example, if you dog appears to be suffering secondary seizures, your vet may consider an abnormal process in the brain, trauma, tumor, or an infection, or for reactive seizures you vet may consider a metabolic dysfunction, hypothyroidism, low calcium, liver failure, toxins, kidney failure, or an electrolyte imbalance.
You veterinarian will also consider the age of your dog and your dog's breed, as older dogs are more prone to seizure disorders than younger dogs and some breeds are prone to seizure disorders.
Breeds who commonly suffer seizure disorders include:
- Beagles
- Belgian Tervurens
- British Alsatians
- Collies
- Dachshunds
- Golden Retrievers
- Keeshounds
- Labrador Retrievers
Note: About 65% of dogs between the ages of 1 year and 5 years suffer primary epilepsy.
Tests that your vet may consider may include:
- MRI or CT brain scan to rule out brain tumors.
- Spinal Tap to look for infectious diseases, such as distemper.
- Antibody titers to help identify causes of an infection.
- Toxin Tests to determine if there are any toxins or poisons.
Treating Dog Seizures
Generally, your veterinarian will not prescribe medications unless the seizures persist on a regular, or semi-regular basis. Sometimes your dog may just experience one or two seizures and never any more.
Otherwise, if your dog has persistent seizures, much less persistent severe seizures, your vet can prescribe one of a number of different medications. It's up to you and your vet to narrow down the list, as with any medication there are always potential adverse side effects.
Common seizure medications and their side effects include:
- Phenobarbitol- sedation, loss of coordination, lethargy, depression, weight gain, increased thirst and eating, excessive urination, difficulty balancing, weakness in rear legs, and severe liver disease
- Potassium Bromide- vomiting, depression, lethargy, and drowsiness
- Clorazepate- drowsiness and wobbly gait
- Felbamate- liver toxicity and bone marrow suppression
- Levetiracetam (Keppra)- stiff and wobble gait, vomiting, and salivation
- Zonisamide- high salt levels
Besides medication, you can consider kindling, which is the repeated application of a low-intensity electrical stimulus to the dog's brain. I want to say that kindling is more of an experimental treatment. It is something that you can inquire about...
During and After Your Dog Has a Seizure
During the Seizure
While your dog is having a seizure, you want to stay calm. Most vet believe that the dog is not in pain, so the best thing for you to do is relax and make sure that the dog doesn't hurt himself (IE make sure that he won't fall down stairs or hit anything.)
Don't try to restrain your dog, just let him seize. You want to keep your hands away from the dog's mouth because your dog may clench down on his jaws and hurt you.
Some dogs may even attack during a seizure, so you want to keep any other pets away during the seizure.
Remember just stay calm. Talk gently to your dog, especially if dog is unconscious, as this may help him regain his consciousness. You may even want to consider dimming the lights.
If you dog has a previous history of seizures, your vet may have prescribed a medication to help ease the seizure, definitely have this ready.
Treat Dog Seizures with Natural Medication
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PetAliveèEaseSure for Seizures and Epilepsy in Pets (50ml)
Price: $29.77
List Price: $41.95 |
You can even consider a natural treatment for dog seizures. There are two more common options.
- PetAlive EaseSure is an all natural blend of herbs and other homeopathic ingredients that are meant to treat and prevent seizures.
- EaseSure Drops are recommended to use along with your dog's regular seizure medication. Do not discontinue your dog's regular medicines when using EaseSure Drops.
Before you decide on a treatment, you want to figure out the pros and the cons with any of the treatments, whether that is a particular medications, an alternative, or an experimental treatment.
After the Seizure
Some dogs may be normal after a seizure, but other dogs may be a bit disoriented.
Common signs you will notice after a seizure include:
- Pacing
- Whining
- Extreme hunger
- Blindness
- Disorientation
- Rare aggression
You may also notice difficulty walking, bumping into to furniture, getting stuck in corners, attempting to eat anything, and a persistent crying or whining.
When your dog regains full consciousness, he may want to pace around, which is normal. Help him find a place and let him just walk it off. Your dog may want to pace for a short period or as long as 24 hours.
Also offer small amounts of food and water, as some dogs may get hungry after having a seizure. The small bits of food may help calm him down.
If your dog's body temperature rose from the seizure, you want to consult your vet so that you can find the best way to lower and balance out your dog's temperature.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that the advice in this article should in no way replace that of a licensed veterinarian. The methods outlined above may or may not work for your pet. If you have any concerns, you should consult a veterinarian.
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Comments
Great Hub. I love your layout and your information. I have a 15 year old dog and luckily no siezures. However, his list of ailments are adding up.
GREAT!
Thanks so much. I just linked my friend to it.
gjcody, It is highly possible that the seizures were caused by the shot. The cat could have been allergic to something in the shot. It's actually not uncommon. As for animals in the wild... I'd say that animals that could have seizures probably died before they actually did as they didn't get the overall treatment and vaccines that pets in captivity do. That's just my assumption anyway. We tend to keep animals alive that would have otherwise been killed or left behind to die in the wild.
tulwave, thank you. I have an older dog as well, and I agree the ailments do add up, especially when compared to raising younger dogs. Good luck.
tdrusk, hopefully your friend can find use out of the hub.
Whitney, my dog has addisons and we watch her PSR - potassium/sodium ratio. What I am always researching for is the cause, then i might be able to find the cure. I've had much greater success with natural supplements than drugs. Great hub..
I agree natural is always best, but sometimes (like with people) some dogs may have better results with regular meds.
Whitney - I so appreciate you writing this article! Our poodle/schnauezer mix has had seizures about once a month since October 2007. He is on phenobarbital, which works OK. Our 2 year old mix that we adopted from the Humane Society (pit/shepard mix) had a seizure last month, and no more. I worry so much about both of them!
Steph, at least the poodle mix has a minimum seizures with about once a month, as that's not too bad. The other dog may have just had a seizure the once may not have it again. My grandmother's dog has had 2 and no more without meds, but then he's also an older dog. Definitely keep an eye on the 2 yr old before putting him on medicines.
thanks for the seizure summary. It helped clarify many questions I had. My 2 year old pitbull has had 4 known seizures in the past 6 weeks. At first we thought his seizures were caused by an application of Frontline, but that didn't make much sense considering he's been on Frontline for quite a long time and has had no reaction before. Our vet said he most likely has epilepsy and inherited it, rather than acquiring it. His seizures last about 5-7 minutes; all the typical symptoms. Then he comes to, paces around, gets stuck in corners, runs into furniture, and is very disoriented. From what I've read, there's not much I can do while he's having a seizure, or even after it. So, I stay calm, talk gently, and get my other dog out of the room. To anyone who's experienced their dog having a seizure- do you have any other suggestions for me?
My 16 year old collie had her second seizure on Monday night just as we were going to bed. She is blind and deaf and although it only lasted a couple of minutes(seemed like hours) she took an hour before I could leave her safely as she was wanting to walk about and kept walking into walls and furniture. Even the next morning she walked under a shrub and couldn't get out.
My vet said that I couldn't give her paracetamol although I know she had a temperature before the fit. She had had really runny motions for two days.
I think I have accidentally poisoned her because she has been eating coleslaw which I thought was minus the onion. It turns out that it does contain onion. My other two dogs don't like it and have been fine whereas when one has a tummy bug - they all usually get it.
The first seizure last May was caused by a high temperature too, because a couple of days later I found that she had a tooth abcess.
I feel terrible now having caused my lovely old dog so much pain with the onion, but she is recovering nicely and went out for a walk today.
Please beware of the foods dogs can't tolerate, chocolate - especially dark chocolate, onions, grapes, raisins, ivy (my middle dog used to try to chew the clippings when I trimmed my ivy and other shrubs)
I'm sorry to hear about that. You don't want to feed your dog coleslaw. The mayo is not good for dogs. Also it's, not necessarily dark chocolate but baker's chocolate. I have an entire hub about why dogs have reactions to chocolate; as they can tolerate small bits of it.
You dog is an older dog, so they are more susceptable to seizures. Just remember to back off the human food becuase dog's cannot digest it the same as we do. Also, consider some of the natural supplements.
My dog who is 4 years old,has had seizures since we got her when at 1.She was hit by a car as a puppy,hence the Vet thinks is the cause of these seizures. She has been on Phenobarbitol and when Potassium Bromide was added,she was "seizure free"for 13 months! However,last month the seizures started all over again,and after just having them 2 weeks ago,is having them now again. Does anyone have any thoughts as to what may be happening and how do i get this under control? It just makes no sense to not have any after adding the Potassium Bromide and without no change in the meds,she starts having them again? I really need some insight here and would appreciate anything that may help! Oh,and it doesn't stop at just 1 seizure,she has multiples during the course of a couple of days. Thank you!
I am sorry to hear about this. The car accident is more than likely the cause. I know a lady who's dog was hit as a pup, and has seizures to this day. The only thing that you can really do is talk to your vet about a different medication.
I have a highly trained Bblack lab, she's twelve. This summer she had her first seizure. It was painful to watch as she is not just my pet, but my best friend, dinner partner, hunting buddy, confidant, and all around companion, so I sympathize if your reading this because something similar has happened. The seizure lasted about 5 minutes, followed by five to ten minutes of extreme panting and immobilization, followed by 5 to 6 hours of complete disorientation and blindness. I seriously considered putting her down several times during this first ordeal. I've cat scanned her since, no tumors or lesions, physically she is/was in excellent shape. She's now medicated. Since on the medication she's had 4 more. She's depressed, stiff, and miserable and if it weren't for my own selfishness, she'd be down by now, but thats a judgement you'll all make on your own and I think its a symptom of the medicine not the disease (whatever the disease may be and I tend to think its age). I did want to share with readers about the "calm" thing though. I noticed a couple "triggers". One, is a wobbling or dragging one rear foot. Its slight and hard to notice. The second, is that the dog becomes thirsty, lapping and smacking her lips. Lastly, she'll rear up in the front and slightly rock to the left and right as if to start loosing balance. If you're lucky to notice this, its right before the "storm" of the seizure, you can lay the dog down, stroke her, and talk in a deep "easy" voice continually. By doing this I've managed to control the seizure a bit. The last seizure lasted about two minutes, she started wagging her tail towards the end of it, the recovery time was minutes, and there was no disorientation or blindness. I think its fair to say though, it almost seems like my dog has become comfortable with the process, making it easier to calm her down. The first couple scared the hell out of both of us, and I don't know who took it worse. Hope this helps someone.
I'm sorry to hear about your lab. It sounds like her seizures are the cause of old age. I'd say that the symptoms you're seeing are more than likely not of the medicines but of old age and illness. Like you said, keeping her alive is selfish, but it's your choice to do so, even though the dog is visibly suffering. I wish you well, and hope that you are able to continue to control the seizures and the aftermath for the remainder of your dog's life.
My lab mix is over 2 years old now. He had his first seizure October 2007 and had about 4 between then and January 08. These were all about 1-2 mins long and he recovered quickly with only about 3-15 mins of disorientation before he was running and playing like nothing ever happened. He had 1 seizure in April, and has now had 3 seizures in the last 4 weeks (about the same time frame that they started last year).
His last seizure happened before I got home from class but I immediately knew something was wrong when he wasn't greeting me at the door. He didn't recognize me and was obviously disoriented and had very little balance. I was able to calm him and get him to lie down and since then he has been dazed and either sleeping or just lying down shifting positions. I know that this period can last up to 24 hours, so I'm just hoping he comes out of it soon. At his age, I (and the vet) are almost positive it's primary epilepsy but we're both concerned or interested in why they are happening at the same time each year. We haven't put him on medication yet because of the fact that he only had 1 seizure between January and late October this year.
Thanks for the info here and I just want to let everybody know to please contribute your experiences as often as possible so people have access to a lot more information regarding seizures.
My dog is now on Keppra 1500 mg per day (3x500mg pills) for his seizures. does anyone have any experience with Keppra that they can share with me please. Thanks!
I HAVE A SIXTEEN AND ONE HALF YEAR OLD CAIRN TERRIER, SHE IS HAVING SEIZURES AT LEAST ONCE A DAY NOW. I COMFORT HER, HOLD HER BODY UPRIGHT AND TALK NICELY TO HER. AFTER THE SEIZURE SHE SLEEPS FOR A WHILE, WHEN SHE WAKES UP SHE'S LIKE A PLAYFUL PUPPY, LIKE THERE WAS NOTHING AT ALL WRONG WITH HER. I'VE NOTICED SHE DRINKS ALOT OF WATER, I FEED HER TWICE A DAY AND SHE'S ALWAYS HUNGRY, AND ALSO HAVE NOTICED THE STIFFNESS IN HER LEGS IN THE FRONT, SHE ALSO IS WOBLY ON HER REAR HIND LEGS. SHE SCREAMS LOUD WHEN THE SEIZURE COMES, SHE TOPLES OVER AND FALLS ON THE FLOOR. IS MY DOG IN PAIN? IS THERE ANY REMEDY OF FOOD THAT CAN HELP HER? SHE IS A LOVING DOG, AND WE ALL ADORE HER. PLEASE SEND ANY INFO THAT COULD HELP.
Sounds like you need to go to the vet. For the age of the dog, it doesn't sound like much can be done to help make the seizures better, as they seem to be a symptom of old age. There isn't a food remedy that will "cure" the seizures, only medications and natural supplements (like the ones listed above), but for the age of your dog, I'm not sure that either will truly help.
For over three years now my Jack Russel has experienced tonic and clonic episodes. These occur in two cycles - a 10 day (approx.) and a longer period of about 15 or 20 days. These are regular and very repetitive despite the following regimen. He was initially started on a low dose of Phenobarbital (16.2 mg) which did no good. Over time my vet increased the dose to finally 170 mg in two daily dosages. About 10 months ago we added 200 mg of Potassium Bromide to this brew. I objected as he was becoming a zombie and he was nor responding. His seizure schedule was unchanged. So I gradually reduced the Phenobarbital over months to prevent withdrawal problems and increased the Potassium to 250 daily. This information (in writing) has been passed to my veterinarian My dog now is taking aproxamately 46 mg of Phenobarbital daily and the above 250 mg Potassium. It doesn't help and his weight is now 27 pounds. That's a lot for a small dog who should not weigh more than 16-18 pounds. I have ordered the homeopathic Ease Sure as a last resort. Yes, my dog is taking Hepagen-C and Dr. Bach's Flower Essence in the vain attempt to keep his liver functioning. It's not a pretty story.
NattyGrace - I have a four year old Golden Retriever who has recurring seizures. Our vet prescribed valium for after the seizure to calm her down as she is usually anxious, disoriented and paces so the valium helps her chill out. I would suggest keeping a bottle on hand. They say you can give them one before onset of a seizure and it could either stop the seizure in it's tracks or lessen the severity but predicting a seizure is of course not easy. Sometimes before she has a seizure, she has a mild one first earlier in the day and then will have a grand mal hours later and then she won't have another one for awhile. In between the small and the big one she acts very anxious and unsure of things and is attached to me at the hip moresoe than usual. I am going to begin giving her a valium between these episodes or if I think she's acting weird and see what happens. I hope this information helps. It's not easy living with an epileptic pet but God gave them to us for a reason. Imagine someone getting them that didn't want to deal with it or attempt to understand what was happening? We ended up with our epileptic pets because God knew we could and would handle it. Good luck to you.
Good article I had a dog that had seziures that came out of the blue! The vet said that it was likely to have been because of her age. She was 17 years old and grew up with my children. Unfortunaly the vet said it was in her best interest to put her to sleep! I still miss my dog!
We have a 4 year old Dalmatian. He started having fits just over 1 year ago and was having them about once or twice a week. After a few tests including a brain scan (thank god for insurance!) to rule out a tumour he was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy.
The fit starts with him salivating a lot, shaking his head and making a noise that sound like he's eating a toffee. What we regard as the actual fit itself - the thrashing and paddling lasts about 2 or 3 minutes. He then calms down but is sill unconscious for about another 2 or 3 minutes like he's asleep but breathing quite heavily. He will then come round and he is normally very disorientated and paces around the living room a lot, gets stuck in corners and is wobbly. He once even screamed during the fit like he was in pain which scared the living daylights of us but the vet assured us he wasn't in any pain and whilst this was uncommon it's just part of having a fit.
He is now on Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide. As I type he has gone 11 weeks without a fit which is fantastic.
The side effects that we have noted are increased thirst and appetite. Urinating more when out probably caused by increased thirst and he is more lethargic than he was without tablets. This is obviously a playoff between quality of life and reducing his fits to a level that we (and him) can live with.
It's not nice seeing your pet having a fit but we've done a lot of research since he started having them and the fit looks a lot worse than it is. We've learnt to relax a little more and stay calm whilst it's happening. Provided he comes around before 10 minutes or so then there's no need for us to get in touch with the vet.
I do wonder why he started with them such as, has he digested some sort of toxin when we've been out. We've even changed his diet in case it was an increased allergy to food. I even hope that he may have had his last fit but deep down and in reality I know he will most likely have another one!
My 12 year old Border collie has just had her second seizure. She lays down her front legs get stiff and begin to shake. It last for a minuet or two then she will get up and have a hard time walking. She did lay in a dark hall near her bowl of food and have a few pieces and then seems to be OK. This is the best dog Ive ever owned and its hard to see her go through this.
My twelve year old boxer dog has been having fits for the past 6 months, shes has been on medication they seem to control the seizures for a couple of weeks until she gets used to them in her body which somehow makes the seizures start again which results on us increasing her dose, the drugs that she is on completly 'space her out' she becomes very latargic, drinks alot and salivates everywhere. We have always found that she has seizures when she is quiet and usually starts one when she is fast asleep, I have another dog and i find it amazing that she seems to know when a seizure is about to happen by getting our attention.
What we call a "small" fit is when she pulls back her head and acts as if she has something stuck in her mouth, we are usually able to bring her around quite quickly by talking calmly to her in a very low voice and placing one hand on her back. Once she has had a seizure she tends to sleep for a few minutes, has a walk around and a bit of a wobble and then back to bed which she goes into a very very deep sleep.
Over the past 2 days shes had close to 15 seizures, were taking her to the vets tonight and im hoping its not going to be a sad ending in a non-selfish way. This dog is not only my pet but my best friend and its just horrible watching her like this.
I have a just over 1 year old boxer, he has had 4 seizures now in the last 2 months. It was quite scary for me the first couple times, not knowing what was going on then watching him run full force into the furniture and TV while disoriented, he is an 85lb solid muscle pure breed and can cause a lot of damage. The first time i found him seizing he had knocked over an end table in the living room and wrapped himself around in the cord of the lamp durring his thrashings. that was beyond terrifying!
I have done a lot of research and consulted my vet, i now know how to handle the fits by redirecting him gently and moving objects out of his way durring the episodes. i do not have animal insurance and thus can not afford a scan nor the life long medication (I have 3 children and a mortgage which take up most of my earnings). i have heard that medication can make him lathargic and unresponsive to play, i don't want a depressed fat bump on a log for a dog, Riley (my boxer) is so playful and loving, i pray his conditions do not worsen. This is is not hereditary, i know the boxer parents personally, have seen their other litter pups and keep in touch with the other owners, Riley is the only one of his siblings who is experiencing this issue.
His most recent seizure, just last night, gave me some concern, which is why i am reaching out on this post to any one who can offer knowledge, after Riley was comming out of his seizure, he went into another, and after 3 minutes when he began to come out of the second one and was up trying to regain his balance, he went into a third. This is the first time i have experienced this and wonder if it means that his condition is infact worsening?
My deeply loved choc lab started having seizures about 3 years ago. She had the first one and went a couple of years before having the second, that I know of due to the fact that she is an outside dog that runs free. She has a high pedigree and is a very well trained dog. Since June of 2007, the seizures have become more frequent, but I noticed that they seemed to be when it was hot outside. She had 3 different episodes through the summer, but she started having mulitple seizures at a time. The hot weather thought didn't work because she had an episode last night that lasted 3 hours with 6 seizures, she would go into one come out and right back into another one. Each one worse than the one before. It was awful. I can't afford the medication either, I feel like I'm letting her down and that she deserves better. I'm not sure what to do, I was afraid I was gonna have to put her down last night because I just couldn't get her out of the seizure. She has the tonic-clonic type seizure. I empathize with everyone that has a beloved pet with this condition. It is very hard to watch them go through this. I love my pet very much.
I had a bulldog that has to put to sleep because of cluster and the vet have no idea what can be done, she is fed with nutro lamb and rice which i think that trigger her epilepsy and now another dog has the same but this time im all ready and hope she could get over soon. Im feeding her barf diet without Pb yet i notice that she has stopped the seizure but she went to sunbath and panting heavily after someime while resting she has another episode. do u all think hot weather could trigger it ?
I don't think that the sun could start a seizure, but it could be something in the lawn. do you use a pesticide or fertilizer?
My lab/mastiff just started having seizures and it helps to take him out back and play with him. He stops having the seizure at that point. It always seems to work, but then he sttles in and has one again. We have him on phoenobarbital, but we are going to try the PetAlive Easesure and see how that works. You need to make sure if your dog is on meds, that you get its liver checked at least 3 times a year as it can harden the animals liver.
Recently my 9 year old Australian Shepherd started having seizures and it was discovered that she had bone cancer. The vet was unsure if they were related but it was a big conincidence if they weren't.
I have a 7yr old boxer dog and she started fittin a week ago. she only had an odd one at first and then on Sunday night she had at leat 7, 3 of which she had at the vets. They were very scary as she stopped breathing. The vet was very good, he took blood tests and has just called me to say that there is a possibility of liver disease and some more tests are needed, also a liver scan. Anyone experience anything like this with their boxer. By the way since Sunday she as been on epiphen and her seizures have settled down, however she is very tired, eating continuously (when allowed) and an insatiable thirst.
I have a three year old Yorkie. I took her to the groomer on Feb 13 and she got scared and jumped a gate about 4 ft. When she landed she immediately when into a seizure. I took her to the vet and they did x-rays on her head and spine and everthing was good. She had another seizure on Feb 21. So I took her back to the vet to see if she has epilepsy. The test came back good. She just had another seizure on March 21. I really think she did something to her head when she jumped the gate. I am wondering if she is going to continue to have a seizure once a month. I am not sure how she landed when she jumped the gate but I think she hit her head on the concrete floor. Has anyone had a dog with head trauma that causes your dog to have seizures?
Thanks for the info on this topic.. My 4 yr old pitbull/mix female suffered a 5 minute seizure this morning 4-21-09 and other than she was shaking her head from side to side, the mini seizure lasted 5 minutes.. will call her vet today to see what can be done for her..
My pit/lab/boxer was a happy fun two year old until yesterday. We were outside playing when he suddenly growled at snapped at the air then fell over into a seizure. He came to in less than a minute and was up playing and running around. 2 hours later he had another one while I was at work. After I got home he had 3 more. I have raised dogs all my life but never had I seen this happen before. The vet I spoke to said that they could put him on meds and it might make him better and it might not. After I got off the phone with the vet my puppy had another one but I think this one was a stroke. I waited an hour but by this time he couldn't move his hind legs and couldn't raise his head. There were no warning signs of any problems. Could I have missed something? This is the first time I have ever had a pit/boxer breed. My only other lab just had arthritus.
Did the dog get into anything while outside? Pit Bulls are not prone to seizures (or any health disorders), and I don't think boxers are prone to seizures either. It could be a fluke, chemical, or something in the dog's genetic history. I wouldn't look so much into the breed but other factors. Not saying that bc a breed isn't prone to an illness, it can't happen bc my APBT has bone cancer, and again the breed isn't prone to any health issues.It does happen, but usually, especially in mixed breeds, you don't really need to look into the breed but the other factors.
In many cases, if the vet can't see the seizure happening there's not much they can do, especially if it's just once in a while. It sounds like a seizure disorder though, and meds should be definitely considered.
NattyGrace- read your comment where you mentioned Frontline was administered before seizures began. What a coincidence, my sharpei/lab mix, 2 yrs old also on Frontline all of his life started having seizures after administering frontline one time, out of the clear blue. My vet said there was no way there could be any relation. Hmmm. Makes you wonder?
My cockapoo mix recently started having seizures, usually while she was sleeping. She is now on 16.2 mg pb. Today she has had multiples and I'm not sure what to do. The severity of the seizures is getting less, but the frequency has drastically increased. Any ideas?
Could a seizure be secondary to a colds? I am having problems with my pitbull recently. Any ideas?
Tammy, I'm not sure. I'd definitely consult your vet.
Nic, if the cold is bad enough maybe, but generally I wouldn't think so. You definitely should consult your vet
My purebred male border collie (almost 25 months) started having grand mal seizures April 2009 just 5 days before the full moon. The emergency vet clinic game him phenobarbital, sent him home, I brought him back 5 hours later, they gave him valium and the seizures stopped. May 2009 3 days before the full moon he had some more seizures, not as bad, was able to take him to regular vet, increased the phenobarbital intravenously, seizures stopped. June 2009 4 days before the full moon, seizures started, didn't seem to be too bad at first, vet increased the pheno using my tablets at home. They worked but slowly. He was pacing outside, ate, seemed like everything would be ok. Seizures came back after hours, took him to the emergency pet clinic, they immediately gave him potassium bromide. I noticed that even though he wasn't having grand mal seizures, his ears are twitching, his head kind of shakes ever so slightly. Picked him up this morning took him to regular vet got the new medicine from a compounding pharmacy and now he is home. Can't walk on his own, peeing all over himself, sad, no more seizures though. The vet said that hopefully the two together will stop these seizures but they are pretty bad in his case. Two of his female litter mates are already dead from this. There are 4 left, plus him. I have had two other dogs with seizures, one lasted till 7 years old and kind of lost his mind and we had to put him down. The other became vicious after his two seizures where luckily he was in his crate away from our children. So we had to put him down for safety reasons. This is a very heartbreaking disease, but I am having faith that with the phenobarbital and the potassium bromide, we can control them better. I wish I understood why they have all happened just days before the full moon. Same thing happened with my other 2 dogs too.
It's very helpful of this article. I will try to get some PetAlive EaseSure mentioned above.
Do you have any experience of puppies having seizures? My poor little dog is a 6 months old husky. She had her first 2 seizures when she's only 2 months old(that was 14th-March). After a blood test, I'm told it's because of very low calcium and started to treat her as low calcium.
The following seizures seems periodical. On 14th-Apr, 8th-May and 10th-Jun, she had seizures. Everytime there were several seizures in 1-2days(8 in April and May, 10 in June) and the time interval was from 3 hours to 8hours, but the seizures themselves last 1-2 mins. We took her to the vet, and already eliminated the cause of hypoglycemia, Toxins, Intestinal parasites and Calcium was just a little bit lower than normal(the blood test result done on 2-Jun for Ca was 2.13mmol/L)
The date she took vaccines 30th-March, 6th-May and 30th-May. I don't know whether there's any connection. But she had one seizure on 1st-Jun, which i guess was caused by the shot.
I'm in China, and can't find anywhere nearby to do any MRI or CT. What the owners who live with a dog suspicious of epilepsy usually do is trying different kind of medicine, taking the dog to the vet every month to check whether the medicine works and how much harm it does to the pet..
So what I'm doing is searching information everywhere and email everybody who might help. But now I really don't know whether I should start the treatment immediately or find the diagnosis first.
I have a half daschund/black lab femaile 12yrs old this Oct. She recently started having seizures approx 4 years ago. She is an indoor/outdoor dog, so I really am not certain on the frequency of her seizures. I only seem to find her when she is inside ( during cold months, and in the hot periods of the summer) having the seizures. My vet traced her seizures to Hepatitis C-which he feels she got from rummaging through dead/dried earthworms in the back yard. She is otherwise NOT a trash-dog.
We started her on 30mg of pb daily. She seemed to do pretty well for about a year, with having only one or so every few weeks. Then she started having them weekly, then a few times a week. Then it was increaded to 30mg twice daily. Within the last 6mos her medication has been increased to 45mg twice daily, and it does not seem to be stopping her seizures. She still continues to have them, and oddly enough it seems as her diet is changed any at ALL ( which I do not alter her dog food anymore) or if her medication is NOT given at the exact time each dose, she will have a seizure within the next three days, or even sooner.
During all of these she has never lost control of bowel/bladder. She tries to pace the floor, but cannot move. When she has been outside and has had a seizure she runs up and down the fence, as if she is trying to get away, or to leave. I just try to console her by petting her and telling her that she is goping to be ok...she is my baby girl and hate to see her like this.
I have never felt like it was necessary to put her into all of the expensive medical testing. I cannot offord that, and would never want to prolong something that wasn't meant to be. I know that each of you will have to choose wich method of treatment which best suits you. I never want her to hurt, and buy her the best dog food that we can, keep her indoors where it is cooler/warmer, and just make due. This is getting tougher and tougher, otherwise I would have never looked for help/support onl;ine. It just breaks my heart.
I have a 4yr old pure Carin Terrier & is on Phenobarbitol for seizures. Two days ago he went into seizures every 2-1/2 hrs like clockwork ALL night! NOW....he's breathing is soooo labored..its scary. Its non stop ALL day & night & pants like crazy! wE have the air on so its cool. I dont understand! He cant keep breathing this way forever! Any suggestions??? help!
I'd consult your veterinarian about the labored breathing. It could be a side effect of the medicine.
my dogs keep having seizures and I cant aford any thing for them I cant aford to take the to the vet is there a cheep fix to this :'( pleaze help me I love them so much and hate to see this happen to my babys. the seizures dont come to offten.
My 11 yr. old dog (mixed beagle/cattle dog) started having seizures for the first time in her life last Tuesday. The vet did blood tests but the blood test came back ok, there is nothing wrong. He had also done x-rays just a month ago and nothing abnormal showed up.
The vet said that it's possible it could be a brain tumor but he said that it was up to me on if I wanted to pursue looking into that avenue because there's not much that can be done for them if that's the case and it can get pretty expensive. I can't afford to get an MRI done and I have read that some dogs don't even survive surgery if there is a tumor in her brain. And I'm not big on the idea of having to make her go through chemo and radiation treatments.
I am not sure what to do, she started having more seizures and has had about 7 since last Tue. night. The vet did put her on phenobarbital and they do seem like they are less frequent and not as severe. I guess my question is though, if she does has a brain tumor, what would be the overall outlook? And what other symptoms would go along with a brain tumor?
I love my dog very much and I don't want her to suffer, I am taking it day by day and as long as she seems happy and healthy I intend on doing what I can for her. But realistically I know that the vet wouldn't have mentioned "brain tumor" to me if he didn't think it was a good possibility that she really may have one. I'm mentally preparing myself for the worst but would like to at least get more info on symptoms of brain tumors so I can continue to be aware of what to look for if that really is the reason behind these seizures.
Interesting and detailed hub. Thanks for the helpful information.
i have a 6 month old pit he had 3 seizures last week we took him to the vet and he stayed over night. the vet said he must have got into something he shouldnt have. but before his seizures he was happy and wanted to play and run around. now after the seizures he just lays down alot sleeps and when i try to play with him he just lays there. he doesnt remember how to fetch like he use to. is my dog ever going to get back to his old ways or did he have permanet damage after the seizures?
Did the vet do any bloodwork? Bloodwork would have been bale to determine whether or not the dog got into something. Depending on the extent of the seizures and how bad they were, there is potential for damage. Just keep a close eye on the dog. Treat him like normal. You may want to consider seeing a neurologist if the dog doesn't start to perk back up in a few weeks. Your regular vet may have some suggestions as well.
Hello, thankfully i found this page via a google search and would like to ask one question if i may, we have a 13.5 yr old shepard/siberian husky mix and in the past few years we have noticed that he was off and figured it was a small seizure as he was a little stumbly but never anything major until 5 days ago he had a full out seizure it lasted about 4-5 mins and took him about 1.5hrs to fully recover. We of course took him to the vet and they did blood work finding only one thing out of wack and that was some liver test was high, so he is on a anti-biotic to cure some possible infection.
Unfortunately 2 days later around the same time another full out seizure with all symptoms the same with the addition of running in place where the first time he just had his mouth open/closing. And again today 2 days later he has had 2 now one a lot earlier then then first time and the second around the same time of day as the first two.
Now my question as he is 13.5yrs old and these are the first major seizures that he has had plus they seem to be progressively getting worse Is the medication used for seizures going to help him or be a waste of time?
to clarify i would like to know if these medicines are effective on an older dog that has not had seizures in the past.
thank-you for this page and its helpful information.
I'm sorry that your dog has been having seizures lately, and I'm glad you have found some information from my article. The age of the dog is probably what has induced the seizures. The medicines may or may not help; it's something that you would have to test and see. That is the only way to tell no matter the conditions of the seizures. There's no definitely answer as to whether or not one treatment or another is going to work for your dog (no matter age or condition). Your vet would best be able to give you advice as to which treatment he/she feels would be best for your dog; if the vet suggested medicines, it's your decision as to whether you want to try them or not with the age of the dog in mind.
well thank-you for your reply unfortunatly he had 2 more seizures that same 24hrs and i took him back to the vet and ended up leaving him there for them to let him sleep. then i picked it up later to bury him with our other dog that passed.
He is not suffering any more now - all we have to do now is get over his passing.
I'm sorry to hear that. At least he is not suffering any more.
Yeah it is a scary sight to see your beloved animal in such a state.
I have a 3 - 4yr old Border collie who had a seizure. She was at the clinic for about a week before we decided to take her home. She is still very weak in her legs and when eating/drinking her body doesnt not remain still, although she seems to be perfectly responsive when talking to her, I hope she will be okay and that it might take longer for her.
-Border Collie owner
my sister has a 13 yr old yorki, the love of her life, the dodg has been diagnosed with seizures and is on medication, but now he will not eat or drink - what to do? any info will be helpful - thank you
Is it a side effect of the medicine? You want to ensure that the dog is eating somethign and drinking. When did the dog start the medicines?
Remember the dog is elderly, seizures could also be caused by old age.
Thank you so much for your article and all the comments.
My beloved best friend, companion, Seteva, a pitbull, would have been 12 next week, woke me up at 2 am in a full blown seisure. She had never had one before. This first seisure lasted 5-6 minutes and was horrible. She continued to have them one right after the other and was blinded and couldn't hear me, was walking into walls, and corners. In between seisures she would try to walk and pace but kept falling down with another seisure. I called the vet out to my home, and we ended up putting her down. I just couldn't have her suffer with those sever seisures one right after the other. I miss her so very much, and now I am having doubts on whether I did the right thing for her. I know in my heart that she isn't suffering anymore, and she did have a cancerous tumor on her leg. Is it possible that she had cancer elsewhere? I just hope that I can remember the good times and not focus on those horrible seisures. Reading the information here, I do feel better about my decision, but I really miss her.
To "Arlene"...
I too have a 16+ year old Cairn that is having seizures. Your post sounds exactly like his symptoms. The only thing that I can be pretty sure of is that temperature seems to be a/the cause. If he gets too hot during the day (summertime etc)he is very likely to have a seizure that night. He's been having these for several years now, and the vet says mostly old age. He is also diabetic which may contribute, not sure.
i have a mungrel called fudge and she is 4 and she has been taking fits for 2 years she had 4 yesterday and 5 this morning she is tired and still like bumps into things and she is drinking alot of water but she is not as livley as she normally is she is just lying there and sleeping, i hope she is okay xxx
I have an 11 yr old miniature poodle who has been having seizures since she was born. She was started on Phenobarb and Potassium Bromide almost immediately. This has kept her almost seizure free, with her having one once in six months or less. Suddenly, yesterday, I had been out with my friend and when I returned she was frantic and panting heavily.
This continued for about a half to one hour. I have been travelling with my dog and staying at a friends place. Other than her being in a strange environment, nothing else has changed. Tonight I went out and returned after three hours. I found her frantic and panting heavily again. Yesterday, she did do less than a minute of paddling with the panting but tonight she was just panting.
I don't understand what is going on. I've travelled with her before without this problem...suddenly shes panting frantically. Does anyone know what could be happening. Thanks.
My 2.5 year old ShepXrotti passed away 3weeks ago in the middle of the night from her massive cluster of seizures. Her first known one was about 5months ago. It was an awful thing to see a 65-lb dog having these convulsions one right after another. She had about 6 of them in a 90 minute period. My neighbour carried her out to his truck to take her to the vet. The vet thought she was poisoned at first. But tests came back as she was not poisoned and diagnosed as idio(something) epilepsy. She went on Phenobarb 2 times a day. I don't think the meds helped. We came across another dog that looked like her and found he came from the litter before her. From talking with them which I think they knew the breeders that the mother had epilepsy and our dog was inbred. A little disappointing to find this out. She was my very first dog I ever owned. I really bonded with her even though I was scared of her at first when she was a puppy. I learned to understand dogs and did alot of training with her. Taught her by using hand commands. I have alot of good memories of her and the late night I spent with her while she was having her seizures. It is sad to see her go but feel better that she is not suffering through this anymore. We miss her alot :`-(
I have a sleeve pekingese that at almost 7 years old has had seizures since she was a puppy. My vet has suggested brain damage ( lack of oxygen when she was born ). She will do good for awhile a month or two without a single one. I am reluctant to put her on medication because she only weighs 1.8 pounds a slight miscalculation could kill her.
Its hard to watch your best friend / baby go through that. In my experience with her seizures I have found that putting an ice pack on her middle back before or during ( take of after ) seems to help and also nutri-cal or honey after wards seems to help out a bit. Also believe it or not I don't feed her commercial dog food. I actually feed her baby cereal ( oatmeal & rice ) with a few of the jar foods mainly fruits and veggies, cooked eggs & such, nothing with milk or a lot of sugar. When she does get into the commercial dog food it seems her seizures are worse and more often. Also I give her vitamins everyday now. Not sure if it will work with other dogs or anything, but its what I do with mine and if its consistent ( other words don't let anyone else watch your babies if they aren't going to stick to the diet ) it seems to help.
I recently let my mother in law take care of her for a few days while my husband and I were away at a meeting for his job and well she gave her some canned dog food she uses for her dog with her vits and she had a seizure so bad the vet thought she had a stroke, and had to put her on blood thinners. Now the humidity seems to make her worse, but hopefully getting her back on track with her diet will help again.
Max, my 9 year old shepard mix (pitbull I believe) has been experiencing seizures for the last 2 years. They have always been what I would consider grand mal type, but used to be spaced a couple of months apart. We started him on pb about 1 year ago and I'm not sure if the meds are doing anything, but I'm afraid to quit. The cycle is now repeating every two weeks like clock work. For the last 4 months, with two exceptions, he has had a seizure every two weeks on Sat/Sun between the hours of 9pm and 1:30am. Most of them start with him waking up frantic or yelping and then hitting a wall/furniture and falling over completely locked up. He looks as if he is being electrocuted; head back, mouth open with teeth exposed, shaking, and urinating on himself. This is then followed by a period of rapid panting while still lying down which is soon followed by snapping of the jaws with lots of salivating and more violent thrashing. Next comes more full deep breaths and maybe whimpering, sometimes swimming. These phases usually last 3 to 4 minutes and he looks completely wiped out. After this short pause he will try to right himself, but stumbles around for a minute or so as if he was drunk. We started putting him outside for more room to move and our own safety. At first this was about where the seizure started to wind down. Now, he paces around for 20-25 minues at the end of which time he begins to mouth or bite at things indiscriminately. He was opening dresser drawers, chewing on the bed posts and desk furniture, shoes, toys, clothing, almost anything. He snapped at my boxer once and even bit my foot another time. I use a drapped towel (like a bullfighter) to confuse him non-aggressively. When he is chewing in the yard I have to pick up sprinklers and lawn ornaments to make sure that he doesn't hurt himself. He does pick up pine cones and even river rocks. I feel so helpless and he appears to be in tremendous pain.
Its the 2 week cycle that confuses me most. Its like a female period when she is on the pill. The seizures seem to be regulated. Does anyone have any information on this.
I love Max....can you help me?
Hi - I need some help with my dog. He will be laying down at night and then all of a sudden he jumps off the bed and starts pacing and licking like when someone has a bad taste in their mouth. He'll start drinking a lot of water and then he wants to go outside to eat grass, but I don't let him. This happens for no reason and always late a night. Please help.
Hello, two weeks ago out beloved Ernie an eight yr/old terrier/schnauzer mix had a full-blown seizure. Laying on his side, legs extended, shaking head, disorientation,etc...It lasted about 2 minutes with several minutes to recover. He has had two more...what is interesting it occurs in the same exact location all three times. We have a storm door on our front and we've always had the solid door open to let light in the house. He'll be standing there and it just happens. What in the world could be the trigger...It can't just be coincidence all three at the exact spot. I'm so upset...the vet said his liver enzyme a little high but nothing else seemed out of order. Any suggestions would be helpful.....
My 2 yr old fox terrier mix started having mild seizures about 12 months ago. They started on a Friday night. We kept talking to her calmly & gently petting her. She also throws up alot now. Since that 1st seizure, we can tell when she is about to have one... she gets a little agitated, then her head starts shaking... afterwards, she just seems exhausted & sleeps. They are so far apart, then come several days in a row, then no more for a month or 2.
I have kept a log of these seizures. The only med she gets is Frontline. For the past 3 months, she has been seizure free. Last night I put her Frontline on; today she is seizing!!! I have always used Front Line Top Spot. When we first started using it many years ago, we were told it was the safest, only going into the dog's skin, not their blood stream like other formulas. We felt good about it & both our cats & dogs did well with it until they changed the formula. Our largest dog got very ill within hours of using the Frontline... throwing up, shaking all over, very weak & shaky. I knew it had to be the Top Spot. My vet had had no reports of any problems with it, but ordered the original formula for us right away. No more problems. He was fine until we had to use the new formula the last month of his life. By this time, he was 14, & again, he got so sick; within the week, he was dead. I want to know what's in the new "improved" Front Line that wasn't in the original formula!!! We know from what we are seeing with our own pets that something is seriously wrong with today's Frontline!!! Most people aren't putting it together because Frontline is something most of us only use once a month or every other month! Is there a safer formula out there that won't cause liver damage or seizures? My little (20lb) dog was fine until we went back to the FrontLine. There is no other exlanation for this. For the rest of you, who use Front Line, keep a log of your dog vomiting & siezures to see if those symptoms coincide with the frontline dosing! Take that log to your vet & contact Merial immediately!!!
I found the hub very interesting. I used to have a collie/timber wolf mix and toward the end of his life he had seizures. Scarred the &^%$ out of me and I was always worried that he would wake up more wolf than collie!
Never happened and he died peacefully (as far as I know) in his sleep.
Thanks for the info.
This article is very helpful to me. I have a 16 yr old poodle mix. She started having seizures about 1 yr ago. She in on phenobarbitol for them. She has been seizure free until 1 wk ago the vet put her on a steroid and antibiotic for iching due to allergies. She then had a seizure 1 night and 2 the next within a half hour. I stopped the meds and she was fine. I saw the post on frontline poss causing seizures. I now realize my Pokey didn't start hers until I started Revolution top spot form the vet ofc. Has anyone else found that these flea top spots have poss activated these seizures? My dog also has the start renal failure as well.
my shiatzu x has had seizures for about 4 years now and im sure its since a collision with a horses hoof on her head.she normally has one every 6 months maybe less,but recently she has had quite a few in a week we are wundering if due to decorating the paint gloss with its strong smell has contributed to the fits,it seems to fit in with when the painting was done,any advice greatly recieved
It is possible that the fumes have been causing the seizures. If she continues to have the seizures after the fumes have fully ventilated from the house, I'd ask your vet if he could do some blood work and make sure there's nothing else going on.
My 7 yr old lab mix has just started having seizures. He has suffered two, 12 hours apart. He was hospitalized for 24 hours and received Phenobarbitol. He was treated only a week ago with steroids and antibiotics for a recurring skin infection. Our Dr. wants to treat the effect since there can be so many different causes. He may have come in contact with moth balls, but my Vet does not seem to think this could be the cause. I disagree. Has anyone ever heard of problems like this associated with exposure to moth ball fumes?
I have a 10 year old male pit bull that shakes in the middle of the night and then when he stops he starts panting really hard, like he has just been running. Can someone please tell me if they think this is also a seizure he might be having. Thanks for any advice you can provide me.
Kron's mom, it's possible, but it's hard to tell. He could just be having dreams. I've seen some dogs have rough dreams. I'd ask your vet, just in case.
Thank you for this very informative Hub, Whitney. I have a Border Collie who seizes every 2 months or so, then is unable to gain back muscle control for 2 or 3 days after that.
He is being treated with Phenobarbital currently, though this has been going on for so many years, it has become 'routine.' He does not seem to be in any discomfort, he seems to be waiting the episode out.
i have a 4 year old cocker spaniel and she had her first seizure tonight( that we know of) but she just fell out on the kitchen floor on her side and just started shaking and rolling it lasted for about 5 minutes i didnt move her or touch her during it all but it really scared me... im taking her to the vet tomorrow... Is this something deadly or extremely serious????
thank you for this information! our pitbull just had a massive seizure last night...very scary. He's doing fine now...alot of resting today!
We have a 2.5 year old terrier/chow mix that we adopted when he was 1. His history did not include seizures but after having him for about a month ( and using FRONTLINE) he had a mild seizure. The vet did blood work to rule out other problems. He continued to have mild seizures about once a month. I used Frontline about every 3 or 4 months to kill fleas. Last April was the last time he had had a seizure and the last time I had used Frontline, until a month ago in October, I gave him a dose and a week later he had a seizure. That was two weeks ago and last night he had two more seizures 3 hours apart. The seizures are getting a little worse in that they last longer, about 10 minutes, but they are still mild and this time they are much more frequent. He is a long hair, shaggy guy, but this last dose was given to him right after he was shaved which might have made for a more concentrated application, therefore causing more seizures. For me, a light bulb went off in my head when I made the connection to Frontline....a gut reactioin. I mentioned it to my vet, he wouldn't rule it out but did say he wasn't aware of any connection and told me to keep track. I will not use Frontline or any other chemical flea and tick repellant again......just herbs !
gjcody says:
16 months ago
I find this interesting ....I have had dog all my life and interesting that dogs like people are getting more things. Make you wonder what is going on ...My mother's cat took seizures after an immune shot. She gave her medicine for a long time and then was able to stop. She felt it was the shot that brought on the seizures. Don't know ...but good hub ...wish we had the answers. I am sure the animals were not having seizures in the wild. Makes one wonder?
Thank you for sharing ...My best to you!