Seizures in Dogs and Cats

Seizures can be very intimidating. The signs include chomping at the mouth, hypersalivation, down on the side, paddling, stiffness, loss of consciousness. They can last seconds to minutes or even hours. If they last more than a few minutes, they are a state of emergency. If you note more than one seizure, you should get a work up done to find out if this is a metabolic problem (liver, kidney, toxin, etc.) or if it is a problem in the brain itself. Epilepsy means more than one seizure that is from a direct brain problem: idiopathic/inherited (in Beagles, Golden Retrievers, Dachshunds, etc.), brain cancer, infection, immune disease, stroke, and more. It is very important to get a work up for seizures and treat them with early appropriate medication. If your pet has seizures more than once every 6 weeks, treatment is needed. If your pet is older than 3-4 years when the seizures are first noted, you should get an MRI done. Inherited epilepsy usually starts before 4 years of age. If you have any questions about epilepsy or seizures, please talk to your veterinarian or call a veterinary neurologist/neurosurgeon.

Presented by Dr. Anne Chauvet at Veterinary Neuro Services, L.L.C. at

3900 Clark Road, Bldg.M Unit 4, Sarasota, 941-929-1818.