Seizures in dogs and cats can occur for many different reasons. Epilepsy is one of the most common causes of seizures, but pets can suffer other illnesses that cause seizures as well. Whatever the cause, knowing what to do for your pet if he does have a seizure is important.
What To Do for Your Pet During a Seizure
Here are some tips to follow if your dog or cat is having a seizure.
- Make sure there are no sharp objects nearby that might injure your pet. Remove them, if necessary.
- Move your pet away from any stairs or other areas where he could fall and injure himself.
- It is fine to pet and speak to your pet in a calming voice.
- Be cautious about placing your hands or fingers near your pet’s mouth. During a seizure, your pet has no control over his muscle movements. His jaws may snap and injure you.
- Do not attempt to hold your pet’s tongue while he is having a seizure. Your pet will not swallow his tongue and you may become injured.
- Your pet may pee or poop while having a seizure. He cannot control these actions and should not be punished for doing so.
- If your pet’s seizure lasts longer than 5-15 minutes, seek veterinary care immediately. Seek veterinary care immediately if your pet has repeated seizures or has more than one seizure in less than 24 hours.
Seek Veterinary Care for Your Dog or Cat Even if He Recovers Fully from the Seizure
Even if your dog or cat seems to be fully recovered from the seizure, he should still be examined by your veterinarian. Seizures are not a normal occurrence, and the cause needs to be determined. Further treatment may be necessary for your pet depending on the cause of the seizure and your pet’s physical condition.
In order to diagnose the cause of a seizure, your veterinarian will need to do a thorough physical examination. Routine blood tests may be necessary as well. In some cases, more specialized testing such as MRI or CT scans may be necessary. Analysis of fluid from the spinal canal (i.e. a spinal tap) may be necessary in some instances as well.
Epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in pets. Anti-seizure medication may be recommended for some dogs and cats that have seizures.
- If your dog or cat is having a seizure more often than once monthly, your veterinarian may recommend anti-seizure medication.
- If your dog or cat has had repeated seizures one right after another or has had a seizure that did not end without veterinary intervention (“status epilepticus”), your veterinarian will likely recommend anti-seizure medication.
- If your pet’s seizures are particularly severe or last an unusually long time, anti-seizure medication may be advised.
For dogs and cats with epilepsy that are receiving anti-seizure medications, seizures may still occasionally “break through.” However, with medication, your pet’s seizures are generally less frequent and less severe than they might be without medication.
If your pet is diagnosed with an illness other than epilepsy that is causing his seizures, he will likely need to undergo treatment for that disease.
Photo courtesy of ralph and jenny/Flickr.com
We had a dog at the ranch my in-laws adopted after she was struck by a car (my in-laws live just enough outside of town that people dump their unwanted pets out there far too often) and she had regular seizures even on medications. The vet felt it was a result of her accident but there was no way of really knowing.
Hi Angela.
I’m sorry to hear your inlaw’s dog was troubled by seizures. It’s entirely possible they were caused by her accident. It can be tough to track down the real cause of them though. And unfortunately, even with medication, it’s often impossible to prevent all seizure activity. Hopefully, the seizures didn’t impact her quality of life too much.