What to Do When Your Dog has a Seizure

This video discusses how to look after a pet having a seizure. What to do when your dog has a seizure, signs to look out for that may predict a seizure, as well as care after a seizure.

Learn the causes of seizures here:    • What Causes Seizures in Dogs (top 5 c...  

My first main point of what to do when your pet is having a seizure is to watch out for your personal safety. You might be thinking that you don't really care about yourself and just want to help your pet but really there's no point in you getting bitten. If you get a nasty bite to a finger, hand or your face then you're not going to be any use to your pet.

Personal safety is key.

My next point in looking after a dog with seizures, especially epileptic dogs who have had seizures in the past, is to actually look out for the signs that your dog might be about to have a seizure.
This can be really obvious. They might start pacing or they might become really anxious or clingy. You might just notice that they do one particular activity or behavior in the build-up to having a seizure. This is known as the pre-ictal phase (before seizure phase).

If your pet is one of those who does show signs then that allows you to remove your pet from any dangerous situation. This might be crossing the road, swimming in the river or down the beach. Being near stairs which your pet could fall down. Removing your pet from the hazards before they have a seizure is far easier than moving them while they are having a seizure.

Next up is what to do when your dog has a seizure. Your dog looses consciousness, they might have lost control of their bowels, they might start thrashing around. What should you actually do to helping a seizure? Well the first step, as I suggested before, is actually to move anything away from them that they might hurt themselves on. This might be something they could bash into or something that could fall on them. Think of things like table legs and other furniture.

Don't try and move your pet unless they're in real danger. If they are in a situation where they could be subject to a big trauma like on the road or the top of some stairs, or if they are in water. Trying to move a dog or cat while they are having a seizure is difficult without injuring either yourself or your pet.

Next up is the recovery period. Depending on your pet, and depending how long the seizure was, this recovery can sometimes only take a couple of minutes or it can take several hours. Your pet might be disorientated and really tired. Thrashing around during a seizure uses a lot of energy and they're likely to get very hot. If the seizure is a long one they might be disorientated and some pets can even appear blind. They might be really staggering and appeared as though they drunk when they're walking. They might even be unable to get up.

It is generally best to leave your pet nice and quiet without stimulating them. If they're really looking for reassurance then absolutely reassure them. Often though they will want to sleep it off and it is best to leave them nice and quiet.

My last point is when should you consult your vet. Like I said at the beginning, having a seizure alone, as long as its short, is not an emergency. But there are definitely things that you should consider when it comes to calling your vet and ringing for advice

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