I think one of the most surprising things about Scout’s seizures was realizing how common they can be. I had never really seen or thought about canine epilepsy before her episodes — and while I’m thankful I didn’t have to, I also wish I’d been more prepared.
Here’s what I’d have liked to know about seizures in dogs beforehand.
* Before I dive in, my forever disclaimer: The same way I am not a professional dog trainer, I am also not a vet. I’m happy to share our personal learning and approach — but if you have any specific concerns about your own companion or are thinking of changing up their treatment or lifestyle, I encourage you to talk directly with your clinic and make those decisions as a team!
TLDR Version
The below Instagram carousel sums up a high level of what I’ve learned. It was posted after Scout’s second seizure and before her following episodes (you can read all the up-to-date details of our personal experience with idiopathic epilepsy in this article) but otherwise the content is still accurate.
The most practical things I’ve learned about seizures in dogs
There are different types of seizures
The terminology and detail of classification varies a bit depending on the source, but in general our vet taught us the difference between focal and generalized canine seizures.
Focal seizures only affect a particular region of the brain and often involve unusual movements in just one limb or on just one side of the body. Dogs are most likely to remain conscious during a simple focal seizure.
Generalized seizures (often called grand mal) affect both sides of the brain and body. They’re characterized by falling over, losing consciousness, and rhythmically contracting muscles while appearing otherwise paralyzed.
Generalized seizures can fall into different categories like tonic, clonic, myoclonic, and more that our vets can help us diagnose and understand.
Seizure length indicates danger
We don’t need to jump to the worst-case scenario if our dogs start to have a seizure, but we do need to take each episode seriously.
Seizures that last more than 3-5 minutes or that happen one right after the other require immediate medical attention. This is because body temperatures increases, putting our dogs at risk of hyperthermia.
Not all seizures have an obvious cause
Many things can cause seizures, like:
- Abnormal blood sugar
- Ingesting toxins (like eating chocolate)
- Heat exhaustion
- Liver disease
- Tumors
- Injury
- And more
Seizures can also have no apparent cause in otherwise healthy dogs (like Scout). Idiopathic epilepsy is believed to be genetic, but researchers are still learning more about it.
The most comforting things I’ve learned about seizures in dogs
Not all seizures are life threatening!
I literally thought Scout was dying when I witnessed her first seizure. It’s horrible to watch — I’ll never forget the look on her face and way she seemed so out of control. Despite the inherent emotional toll on us humans, though, I was thankful to learn that seizures aren’t always the emergencies they seem.
An estimated 0.5 – 5 percent of dogs have canine epilepsy. Many pets recover quickly from short seizures and sometimes don’t even need to go into the vet afterward (though we should always notify our veterinary teams and make that decision with them).
Dogs often aren’t aware or in pain during a seizure
Our vet said that Scout is not aware of what’s happening during a seizure — in short, it’s harder on me than on her. While it doesn’t necessarily make it easier to watch, it is a relief to know that she’s not in extreme discomfort even though she looks distressed in the moment.
Dogs are more likely to remain conscious during a simple focal seizure than a generalized one. Even if they do, doctors suspect they’re more confused than anything (and still not in intense pain).
What to do if our dogs have a seizure
1) First things first: Prevent injury
The most important thing we can do if our dogs have a seizure is stay as calm as possible. I know, it’s a lot easier said than done — but reminding myself of the “comforting” things above really helped when Scout had her second episode!
We can prevent injury by laying down a blanket and clearing the area. The greatest imminent danger is our dogs falling or convulsing into other objects. In some cases, it might be appropriate to gently hold our pets — I was able to do this with Scout given that she had her first seizure while snuggling next to me on the floor.
It’s important to realize that our dogs might act unpredictably while seizing, so we need to exercise caution for ourselves, too. We should not get in their faces or move roughly.
2) Note the length and get video if you can
The longer a seizure lasts, the more dangerous it becomes. It’s important for us to know an episode’s length to determine next steps (more on that in the next section) and to be able to give our vets accurate information!
An actual stopwatch is best, but a rough estimate from simply looking at the clock is better than nothing. If possible, providing our vets with video can also help them see exactly what happened to make treatment decisions. (This is how we were able to determine that what Scout experienced was in fact a seizure, since my frantic description wasn’t exactly clinically up to snuff.)
3) Seek immediate medical care for a seizure lasting more than a few minutes
If our dogs have a seizure that lasts more than 3-5 minutes, or if they have multiple seizures one right after the other without returning to normal consciousness in between, they need immediate emergency attention.
“Status epilepticus” can lead to permanent brain damage or death if not treated promptly. (This is not common, so need to panic — but it’s important to know it can happen.)
4) Get in touch with our veterinary teams
If the seizure stops on its own and our dogs seem normal afterward, we can let ourselves breathe easy — and should still get in contact with our vets to discuss next steps.
This might look like no immediate action except close monitoring moving forward (like what we did after Scout’s first seizure), getting a medication to keep on hand in case another episode happens (like what we did after her second), or considering long-term treatment options like anticonvulsants.
Ultimately: Dogs with epilepsy can have full, healthy lives
Watching our dogs have a seizure can feel like the worst thing ever. I’ve handled Scout’s later episodes better than the first — but I’ve still found myself feeling nervous, just waiting for the next one to happen.
It’s helped to remember that with preparation and a great vet team on our side, there is no reason our dog’s quality of life needs to change. Epilepsy isn’t the end of our world, just part of it.
1 comment
Thank you for this! I have a dog with epilepsy and she has cluster seizures (one after the other one). For us diazepam works but it can take hours until she goes back to “normal”. Your tips (specially the comforting ones) are a good reminder of how to handle the situation. I’d also say that taking care of ourselves is crucial since the whole thing is so stressful.