Addressing Seizures applies equally to dogs and cats.

During a seizure, an animal can twitch, urinate, defecate, and drool.

During a “grand mal seizure,” the animal may fall over and become stiff and rigid.

During a “chewing gum seizure,” the animal may look like it is just staring into space or biting at invisible things.

Seizures can cause an animal to become disoriented, walk into walls, or appear blind. However, following a seizure, dogs/cats may also behave normally.

What to do if your think your dog/cat is having a seizure:

1 – Stay calm and sit near your dog/cat.

2 – Time your dog/cat seizure.

3 – Carefully move your dog/cat to a safe place.

4 – Lower your dog/cat’s body temperature. During a seizure, the dog/cat’s body temperature rises rapidly. It may be helpful to gently place wet towels around his groin, neck, paws, and head after the seizure has ended. Make sure you wait until your dog/cat has woken up, otherwise, he may bite you.

5 – Do not restrain the dog/cat.

6 – Don’t put your hands near the dog/cat’s mouth. There is a possibility that your dog/cat won’t recognize you during a seizure, so he may bite you. Your dog/cat will not swallow its tongue.

7 – Try not to disturb the animal during a seizure.

8 – Contact your vet if this is your dog/cat’s first seizure, if it is a repeating seizure, if it lasts longer than 3-4 minutes, or if your dog/cat is not recovering from a seizure.

Repeated seizures and seizures lasting more than four minutes are medical emergencies.

There is a risk that the dog/cat will suffer from a high fever and brain damage.