Seizures in Dogs and Cats: When to Call for Emergency Help
You are relaxing at home when suddenly your dog falls over and begins paddling his legs. Or maybe your cat is sitting quietly and then starts twitching, drooling, and staring blankly. In those moments, time seems to stop. Pet owners often feel fear, panic, and helplessness, unsure of how to respond or whether their pet’s life is in danger.
Seizures are not always fatal, but they are never normal. They are one of the most common neurological emergencies veterinarians see, and they can affect dogs and cats both. At Fountain Valley Emergency Pet Hospital, we provide immediate stabilization, advanced diagnostics, and urgent treatment for seizuring pets. Our goal is to keep your pet safe during the crisis and identify what caused it so the right long-term plan can begin.
What Is a Seizure in Pets?
A seizure happens when brain cells all fire at once instead of in a controlled rhythm. This sudden electrical storm overwhelms the nervous system. On the outside, seizures may look like violent shaking, loss of consciousness, or subtle twitching and chewing motions. Some last only seconds, while others continue for minutes and require lifesaving care.
How to Recognize a Seizure
Not every seizure looks the same. Pets may:
- Collapse and paddle their legs uncontrollably
- Show stiffness or tremors in just one body part
- Drool heavily, chew, or vocalize strangely
- Appear confused, restless, or temporarily blind afterward
If you are not sure what you saw, record the episode on video. This helps veterinarians determine if the behavior was a seizure or something else. Remember that any suspected seizure should be taken seriously and may require emergency attention.
What to Do if Your Pet Is Having a Seizure
Your calm response can prevent injury until your pet can be seen by a veterinarian.
During the seizure:
- Do not try to restrain your pet or touch their mouth. Pets may bite unintentionally.
- Move furniture, cords, or sharp objects out of the way.
- Remove other pets from the room, as they may misinterpret seizure behavior as aggression.
- Lower the lights and turn off sound sources such as televisions or music.
- Step back, keep the environment quiet, and monitor from a safe distance.
- Note how long the seizure lasts.
After the seizure:
- Expect temporary disorientation, pacing, or vocalizing.
- Block access to stairs and slippery floors until balance improves.
- Provide a quiet area for recovery.
- Offer water only when your pet is fully alert.
The information you gather, especially the duration and a video of the event, will help the veterinary team diagnose and treat your pet.
When a Seizure Requires Emergency Care
Some seizures are short and isolated, but others are true emergencies. Call immediately if:
- A seizure follows heatstroke, collapse, or toxin exposure
- This is your pet’s first seizure
- A seizure lasts longer than five minutes
- More than one seizure occurs in 24 hours
A seizure that does not stop on its own is called status epilepticus and is life-threatening. At Fountain Valley Emergency Pet Hospital, our team can provide oxygen therapy, IV medications, trauma care, and 24-hour monitoring to stabilize seizuring pets quickly and safely.
Why Pets Have Seizures
Seizures are a symptom, not a disease. They can occur in dogs, cats, and exotic pets for many reasons:
- Epilepsy: Idiopathic epilepsy often appears in young to middle-aged pets. Triggers include stress, missed medication, flashing lights, or sudden exertion. Epilepsy is a common cause of seizures in dogs, though less common in cats.
- Neurological conditions: Trauma, infection, or brain tumors in pets. Neurological issues may appear as wobbling or imbalance before seizures begin.
- Systemic illness: Conditions outside the brain, such as liver disease, kidney failure, or abnormal blood sugar.
- Toxins: Exposure to poisons, unsafe foods, or certain medications. Toxin seizures in cats are a common emergency.
- Feline-specific conditions: Seizures in cats may be caused by trauma, infections, or metabolic illness. Feline audiogenic reflex seizures are triggered by high-pitched sounds, like dishes or keys clinking.
How Veterinarians Diagnose Seizures
At our hospital, stabilization is the first step. Once your pet is safe, our doctors may recommend:
- Full physical and neurological exams
- Bloodwork and urinalysis to evaluate organ function
- Blood pressure and ECG monitoring
- Digital X-ray or ultrasound to check for internal disease
- Advanced imaging such as MRI or CT scans if a brain condition is suspected
Our team’s priority is immediate intervention to stop active seizures, followed by diagnostics to guide long-term treatment.
Treatment and Long-Term Seizure Management
Managing seizures is a long-term commitment. At Fountain Valley Emergency Pet Hospital, our focus begins with emergency stabilization and continues with long-term strategies to keep your pet safe and comfortable.
Immediate stabilization during an emergency
When a seizuring pet arrives, our team acts quickly. Emergency care may include:
- Oxygen therapy to support breathing if a pet is not getting enough air on their own
- IV medications to stop active seizures and prevent recurrence
- IV fluids to maintain hydration and stabilize blood pressure
- Blood transfusions in cases where seizures are linked to trauma or toxins that affect clotting
- Pain management and sedation if the pet is in distress or at risk of harming themselves
Our facility is equipped with digital X-ray, ultrasound, and on-site laboratory testing, allowing us to evaluate injuries, toxin exposure, or underlying illness while your pet is stabilized.
Anti-seizure medications
Once the crisis is under control, some pets will be prescribed long-term medications such as phenobarbital, levetiracetam (Keppra), or potassium bromide. These drugs help regulate brain activity and reduce the frequency or severity of future seizures. Dosing is individualized, and it is common for adjustments to be made as pets grow older or their condition changes. Regular bloodwork is necessary to ensure that medications are working effectively and not harming the liver or other organs.
Ongoing monitoring and follow-up
Seizure management is a process, not a single appointment. Owners are encouraged to keep a seizure log that records the date, time, duration, and description of each episode. This record helps our veterinarians identify patterns, possible triggers, and whether medications need to be adjusted. Follow-up visits and repeat lab work are an important part of keeping your pet stable. We also communicate closely with your primary veterinarian to ensure seamless long-term care.
Environmental and lifestyle adjustments
At home, safety is just as important as medical care. Pets with seizures should not have unsupervised access to stairs, pools, or elevated furniture where they could fall during an episode. Rugs or padded surfaces can help prevent injury. Keeping routines consistent, minimizing stress, and avoiding known triggers such as missed medications or sudden exertion can also reduce seizure risk.
Supportive therapies and overall wellness
In addition to medication, we may recommend prescription diets that support pets with liver disease or other metabolic causes of seizures. Supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids can provide added neurologic support in some cases. Pain management, mobility assistance, and ongoing wellness care are also part of improving quality of life for pets with seizure disorders.
Seizures in Pets: Emergency Care You Can Trust
Watching a seizure is frightening, but acting quickly and seeking emergency care can save your pet’s life. At Fountain Valley Emergency Pet Hospital, we are open evenings, weekends, and holidays to provide immediate stabilization, advanced diagnostics, and compassionate support for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and small mammals.
Our team works closely with referring veterinarians to ensure seamless follow-up and ongoing management. Trust your instincts, call when a seizure happens, and know that we will be ready with calm, professional, and life-saving care.
Leave A Comment