Seizures in pets can be frightening, but most are not serious and often stop on their own. Seizures that last for more than five minutes or occur in successive episodes may require medical attention, however. If your pet is having a seizure, here's what you should do:
Be prepared, if you can.
If you have a pet who has been diagnosed with epilepsy, it's important to be prepared. The first thing you should do is assemble a first aid kit in case of an emergency seizure:
This kit should include:
- A list of emergency vets and phone numbers
- Your pets' current vaccines (your vet will know what these are)
- Benadryl tablets or liquid suspension, can help reduce the severity of some seizures; keep this on hand at all times! You may also want to have white vinegar on hand as well; if your dog or cat ingests something poisonous--like chocolate--then give them 1 tablespoon per 5 pounds body weight every 20 minutes until they get better.
Try to avoid panic.
- Don't panic.
- If your pet has a seizure, don't be afraid to call your vet. They can give you good advice and help you figure out what's going on with your dog or cat--and how best to help them recover from the seizure.
- Even if it seems like nothing is happening during a seizure (because most seizures last only a few seconds), don't let go of their collar or leash until after they've stopped shaking for several minutes. This will prevent them from hurting themselves if they fall down or bump into something during their episode!
- Keep calm and stay cool by talking softly but firmly throughout each episode until things have calmed down again; this may take several minutes depending on how long each attack lasts before ending naturally without intervention from anyone else besides those who live with us day-to-day here at home so that we can look after ourselves properly while still providing proper caregiving services needed elsewhere outside these four walls where there are different types of emergencies happening all around us every single day.
Remove objects that could hurt your pet during a seizure and keep him or her away from electrical cords.
As soon as you see your pet having a seizure, remove any sharp objects that could hurt him or her. Also, make sure there are no electrical cords in the area where your pet is convulsing. If you cannot remove the object and it's too close to move away, try to move your pet away from it instead.
If possible, talk calmly and reassuringly to your pet during his or her seizure; tell them that everything will be okay and that they're safe with you while they're having their episode. Don't yell at them!
Speak softly to your pet even when he or she is not aware of what's going on.
- Speak softly to your pet even when he or she is not aware of what's going on.
- Don't be afraid to touch your pet during a seizure. You can gently stroke and talk softly to him or her but don't try to restrain the animal.
- Don't worry about hurting your dog during his seizure; he won't feel any pain at this time. If there are objects around that might harm him (such as furniture), move them away from him before he starts having seizures so they won't be knocked over during one of these episodes and cause injury as well as confusion for your pup when he wakes up later on!
Take notice of the length of the seizure and try to determine if there are any environmental factors that could trigger it.
The length of the seizure is important to note because it can help you determine what might be triggering your pet's seizures. A seizure that lasts less than five minutes may be caused by an environmental factor, such as a drug reaction or exposure to toxins. A seizure lasting longer than five minutes is usually associated with brain abnormalities and should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
If your pet has repeated seizures without any known cause (idiopathic epilepsy), it will likely have more severe symptoms than other types of epilepsy, such as myoclonic jerks and tonic-clonic activity (the repeated loss of consciousness followed by stiffening muscles).
Contact your vet immediately if your dog develops another seizure within 24 hours, especially if it lasts longer than five minutes, occurs in successive episodes, or doesn't have the same pattern each time (e.g., one seizure is characterized by drooling but another has mild urination).
If your dog has a seizure, contact your veterinarian immediately. If it's the same type of seizure, call your vet. If it's not and there are multiple different types (e.g., one time there is drooling but another time there is mild urination), also call for help from an animal professional.
If you notice that another seizure occurs within 24 hours of the first one, especially if it lasts longer than five minutes or occurs in successive episodes, contact a veterinarian right away because this could indicate something serious going on with their brain function or body chemistry--and they may need immediate medical attention to prevent further damage!
Seizures in pets are frightening but there are things you can do to help
If you are with your pet when he or she has a seizure, there are several things that you can do to help. First and foremost, stay calm. Remove any potential hazards in the area and try to stay with your pet during the seizure if possible. Call your vet immediately (if it's after hours) or go directly to an emergency clinic if it's during business hours. It's important that they know what happened so they can determine whether there is any underlying cause for these seizures and treat them accordingly.
Be sure to document what happened as soon as possible after waking up from each episode - note down what time it occurred; whether there were any triggers like food smells or sounds; how long it lasted; whether there have been changes in behavior recently (elevated stress levels) etc., which could give clues about why this might be happening now rather than previously when everything seemed fine!
Conclusion
Seizures are frightening but there are things you can do to help. The most important thing is to stay calm and keep your pet safe during the episode. You should also contact your vet if your dog develops another seizure within 24 hours or has two seizures in one day that last longer than five minutes each.
