Most Common Dog Seizures Symptoms

This brief guide is intended to help you identify dog seizure symptoms so that you can save your dog’s life in case of emergency.

A seizure can be defined as the body experiencing muscle contractions and shaking uncontrollably and aggressively. The cause of seizures is often unknown. Your best defense is to be able to recognize the dog seizure symptoms listed below. By knowing your dog well, you should be able to identify normal and abnormal behavior.

4 Common Dog Seizure Symptoms
When something in the brain triggers the neurological system, a dog will experience a seizure, which is a disorder of the brain. The seizure can last anywhere from a few moments to several minutes.  Viruses or diseases do not cause seizures. Dog seizures often occur because of epilepsy.  Here are some symptoms that are common to dog seizures. Your dog may show one or more of the following symptoms:

1. Your dog starts to defecate, urinate or salivate uncontrollably.
2. Your dog starts to hallucinate.
3. Your dog starts to bark excessively and gnaw at his limbs or paws.
4. Your dog no longer responds to your commands.
5. Your dog suffers from involuntary muscle contractions, whether isolated or affecting his entire body.

Is your dog in danger during a seizure? He should be fine as long as he is lying on the ground.   Even though his body is having convulsions, his tongue will not block his airway so he will be able to breathe. Don’t bother putting your hand down his throat to try and clear his airway. The dog could inadvertently bite you if you do.

What should you do? Call your local vet immediately and don’t try to diagnose the problem by yourself. Your dog is in need of immediate attention from a veterinarian who knows how to deal with seizures. By recognizing dog seizure symptoms, you can help save your dog’s life, but you still need a vet to take care of him as soon as possible.

Try to have phone numbers for more than one vet if you can. Identify one or two local emergency animal care centers in your area and keep these numbers handy.  You can post these numbers next to your veterinarian’s phone number and address or stick them on the fridge door. If you have some free time, it’s always a good idea to drive to the local animal hospital so that you know how to get there in case of emergencies or if your dog experiences a seizure.

Once you take your dog to the veterinarian, he or she will normally prescribe some medication to help keep your dog relaxed and stable. The prescribed treatment may last anywhere from one or two weeks to the rest of your dog’s life. This type of medication normally needs to be taken regularly and most veterinarians will avoid medicating a dog for life unless he experiences seizures on a regular basis.