How can I tell if my dog is having a seizure?

Our question this week was:

When my dog Pug sleeps, he sometimes appears to be having an epileptic seizure, how can I tell the difference?

Beck Passeno


Answer

Hi – thanks for your email Beck. Many dogs will have "dreams" that result in a lot of movement when they are sleeping. They can some times twitch and move their legs – almost as though they are running. Their eyes are generally closed and the movements are subtle. When this is occurring, if you wake up your dog and say, "let's go for a walk" or whatever stimulates your dog, he will generally jump up ready to go.

With a seizure, the dog's eyes are often open and the movements are more exaggerated. If you ask them to get up or "play", they cannot.

I hope this helps.

An article that might be helpful to you is Seizure Disorders in Dogs.

Best of luck!


Dr.