Dogs and Seizures

by admin | February 5th, 2010

When Bailey came to us from Doxie Rescue, we did not know she suffered from seizures. The first time I witnessed a seizure it was very frightening. But the veterinarian assured me that seizures don’t hurt dogs. And seizures are relatively normal. A seizure is described a sudden misfiring of nerves in the brain which leads to twitching, shaking, and spasms. A dog does not have to be Epileptic to have seizures.

The first thing that happens with Bailey is that she loses control of her bladder and bowels. She usually has a loose bowel movement very suddenly. Then she starts to foam at the mouth and drool and sometimes vomit. After a few minutes, she falls over onto her side and begins to tremble. The seizure usually lasts less than five minutes.

According to the veterinarian (who routinely deals with dogs and seizures) treating small dogs for this condition can be tricky. The medications can often cause more side effects that are worse than seizures. Since Bailey is a Miniature Dachshund weighing 10 pounds, I opted not to give her medication for this problem.

So, what do you do if your dog has a seizure? First, don’t restrain the dog – give her room and let the episode take its course. Make sure your dog is in a safe place (not on the stairs or the edge of the bed). Do not put anything in the dog’s mouth. Dogs won’t swallow their tongues. Gently talk to your pet and sit nearby so she won’t be frightened by what is happening.

Rest assured that seizures are common in dogs. And seizures don’t have to be scary if you know what to expect and are prepared to handle them.