Seizures in Dogs

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Mathew B. Sims is Editor-in-Chief and has authored, edited, and contributed to several books. He has been working in the insurance industry ensuring content is accurate for consumers who are searching for the best policies and rates. He has also been featured on sites like UpJourney.

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Written by Mathew B. Sims
Editor-in-Chief

Melanie Musson is the fourth generation in her family to work in the insurance industry. She grew up with insurance talk as part of her everyday conversation and has studied to gain an in-depth knowledge of state-specific car insurance laws and dynamics as well as a broad understanding of how insurance fits into every person’s life, from budgets to coverage levels. She also specializes in automa...

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Reviewed by Melanie Musson
Published Insurance Expert

UPDATED: Nov 17, 2020

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Cost of Treatment: $500 to $6,000

Table of Contents

What are Seizures in Dogs?

Canine seizures are a neurological disorder that has several possible causes. In some cases, seizures have been correlated with exposure to toxins, traumatic events, brain tumors, and infectious diseases.

Sometimes it is not possible to identify the exact causes of seizures in dogs, in which case, the condition is known as “idiopathic”.

Seizures are the result of an abnormal level of neuronal activity in the brain, which results in brief episodes of uncontrolled movements and a short period of unconsciousness.

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Which Dog Breeds Are Most Commonly Affected by Seizures?

Seizures can occur in all dog breeds, but the following breeds present seizures with a higher frequency:

Beagles
Belgian Tervurens
Golden Retrievers
Keeshonds
Labrador Retrievers
Standard Poodles

Symptoms of Seizures in Dogs

Three stages can be identified during a seizure in dogs; the prodrome and aura stages (before the actual seizure) and the ictal stage (the actual seizure)

Signs observed during the prodrome and aura stages of a seizure:

Confusion
Startled or panic behavior
Hiding
Clinging to owner

Signs observed during the ictal stage of a seizure:

Collapse
Drooling/foaming saliva
Kicking/paddling limbs
Shivering movements
Stiffness
Teeth grinding
Urination and defecation
Vocalization

Treatment of Seizures in Dogs

Your veterinarian will determine the appropriate treatment once the cause is identified.

If this is your pet’s first seizure, and no cause of the seizure was identified, the veterinarian will likely ask you to continue to monitor your pet for future seizures and report back if one occurs.

To help pay for the cost of treatments, you should consider buying a dog pet insurance policy. These are like a normal health insurance plan, but to help cover vet bills.