Dog Having a Seizure? What to Do Right Now

What to do during the seizure

Stay calm and look at the clock. Move furniture, toys, and other pets away, and if your dog is near stairs, a pool, or a hard edge, guide them away by the hips or with a blanket rather than your hands near the head. Dim the lights and turn off loud sounds. Do not put anything in their mouth: dogs do not swallow their tongues, and a frightened dog can bite without meaning to.

If you can do it safely, film the episode on your phone. A short video tells your vet far more than a description. Do not try to hold your dog still, splash them with water, or pick them up while they are shaking. When the shaking stops, speak quietly and let them recover in a safe, quiet spot.

When a seizure is an emergency

Go to an emergency vet now if a seizure lasts more than five minutes, if your dog has two or more seizures in 24 hours, or if they do not start to come round between seizures. Long or repeated seizures can push body temperature dangerously high and harm the brain. If your dog feels very hot, lay cool, wet towels on the belly and groin on the way, but do not delay leaving.

Also treat it as an emergency if this is your dog's first ever seizure, if they might have eaten something toxic, or if they had a head injury. If poison is possible, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 while you travel; a fee may apply. Take any packaging with you.

What a seizure looks like

A generalized seizure usually means your dog falls on their side, goes stiff, and paddles their legs, often with jaw chomping, drooling, and sometimes urine or stool released. They are not aware of you during it. Some dogs have focal seizures instead, which affect one part of the body, such as twitching of one side of the face, or snapping at the air at nothing.

Many owners notice a change beforehand, such as clinginess, hiding, or restlessness. Afterward comes a recovery phase that can last minutes to hours, with confusion, wobbliness, pacing, temporary blindness, or great hunger and thirst. Note how long each phase lasted, because your vet will ask.

Common causes of seizures in dogs

The most common cause is idiopathic epilepsy, an inherited tendency with no other cause found, which usually begins between about one and five years of age. Some breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers, Beagles, Border Collies, and German Shepherds, are more prone to it.

Other causes include toxins, low blood sugar, liver or kidney disease, head injuries, infections such as distemper, and brain tumors, which are more likely when seizures start in an older dog.

What the vet will check

Your vet will ask about the episode, your dog's age, any possible toxin exposure, and any changes in behavior, then examine them and test the nervous system. Blood and urine tests look for liver, kidney, and blood sugar problems. Bring your video and your notes on how long the seizure and the recovery lasted.

If those tests are normal, your vet may suggest referral to a neurologist for an MRI scan. Whether a dog needs daily anti-seizure medicine is a decision only your vet can make with you.

Living with a dog who has seizures

Keep a seizure diary with the date, time, length, and anything unusual that happened beforehand. Patterns help your vet judge whether treatment is working. If your dog is prescribed medicine, give it exactly as directed, never let it run out, and never stop or change it without talking to your vet first, because stopping suddenly can bring on worse seizures.

Block stairs and avoid unsupervised swimming. Many dogs with well-controlled epilepsy live long, happy lives. Save your vet's and the nearest emergency hospital's numbers in your phone now.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.