I need answers about seizures dogs have?

Maybe your dog has epilepsy?

@MooCows My toy Poodle began having seizures at about 15 months of age. She had what they called “champing” fits, where she chomped and chomped. The vet prescribed phenobarbital which controlled her seizures quite well. They were less frequent and milder. As a rule the seizures only lasted a minute or so. I would not try to move your dog or soothe her as she is unaware. I would just be there. 20 minutes is a long long time. I am so sorry your dog has this. I hope the vet can prescribe something that helps.

Rarely do we find out why dogs have seizures, except in some cases when we find brain tumors in older dogs or hypoglycemia in tiny puppies or they’re illness related, such as fevers, toxins, organ failure, or head injuries. Usually they are categorized as “ideopathic seizures”, which just means that we don’t know exactly what’s causing them.

There’s nothing that you can do for your dog during a seizure except make sure they’re not on the stairs or a couch that they could fall off of. What you should do is document when they happen and how long they last. Seizures that go on for more than just a few minutes can raise body temperatures to dangerous levels and become life threatening. Seek out emergency care if the pet does not come out of a seizure quickly. It’s normal for a pet to be confused and lethargic after a seizure (the postictal period).

Most vets will not medicate a dog that has an occasional brief seizure (once a month or less). There are certainly more options available now than there used to be, but many of the drugs do potentially have serious side effects. If your pet is put on anti-seizure medication, it may take some time and experimentation to find the right medication and the right dose for your dog.