What it is
Brain cells talk to each other with tiny electrical signals. During a seizure a large group of them fires at once in an uncontrolled way, and that storm shows up as twitching, stiffening or a brief loss of awareness. Some seizures involve the whole body, others only a twitching face or leg, or odd behaviour such as snapping at the air.
When no other cause is found, epilepsy is thought to be inherited, and it tends to first appear in young adult dogs. Seizures that begin in a puppy or an older dog can have other causes too.
Between seizures your dog can lead a full, happy life. A seizure diary, with the date, time, length and what happened before each one, is a great help to your vet, and so is a short video. Around the home, think about stairs, a pond or a pool, where a sudden seizure could be dangerous.
Signs you may notice
- Sudden stiffening or falling over
- Paddling legs and champing jaws
- Heavy drooling
- Loss of bladder control
- Confused or restless afterwards
- Staring or snapping at the air
During a seizure the dog may suddenly go rigid, fall onto its side, paddle its legs, champ its jaws, drool heavily or lose control of its bladder, and may seem restless or confused before and afterwards. If you see a seizure, don't wait: contact a vet right away.
When to see a vet
If your dog has a seizure, it needs a vet immediately, all the more so if seizures follow one another or one does not stop.
This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.