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Key points
Seizures are the most frequently reported neurological condition in dogs, but what looks like a seizure can sometimes be normal dream behavior like twitching or “running” in sleep.
Any seizure lasting longer than five minutes, or more than two within 24 hours, is a medical emergency requiring immediate veterinary care.
With an accurate diagnosis and consistent treatment, many dogs with a seizure disorder live full, happy lives, and new research is expanding the options available.
Your dog is napping on the couch when their legs start paddling, their body goes rigid, and they don’t respond to their name. Your heart races and you wonder if this is a seizure, or if they are just deep in a dream? It’s a more common question than you might think, and knowing how to tell the difference — and what to do — can make all the difference in your pup’s well-being.
Seizures are the most frequently reported neurological condition in dogs, and they can be deeply alarming the first time you witness one. This guide covers what causes seizures in dogs, how to recognize different types, what to do in an emergency, and how vets diagnose and treat canine seizure disorders.
What is a seizure?
A seizure is a temporary, involuntary electrical disturbance in the brain. Seizures typically originate in the cerebral cortex and may cause uncontrollable muscle activity, loss of consciousness, drooling, vocalizations, or loss of bladder and bowel control. Not all are dramatic — some dogs simply stare blankly or snap at the air.
Seizures often happen when the brain’s electrical activity is changing or refocusing. Most seizures occur when a dog is resting or sleeping. In many cases, dogs may have a seizure when they are falling asleep, during periods of activity or excitement, or around feeding time. In between seizures, your dog will likely appear completely normal.
It’s important to know that seizures are not painful. Your dog may display behaviors of confusion and even panic before or after the seizure, but it results from not knowing what is happening rather than pain.
Epilepsy is often used to describe any seizure, but it actually refers to when seizures occur repeatedly. There are many causes and types of seizures, all with varying treatment options. Controlling them requires a diagnosis by a veterinarian or a veterinary neurologist to develop a treatment plan for your dog’s seizures.
How to tell the difference between a seizure and a dream
Dogs do twitch and paddle during REM sleep, and it can look alarming. The key difference is responsiveness — a sleeping dog can be gently roused. A dog mid-seizure cannot be “woken” and won’t respond to their name or your touch.
If you’re unsure whether what you’re seeing is a seizure or a sign that something isn’t right, knowing the broader signs of illness in dogs can help provide context.
Identifying seizure activity: types of seizures in dogs
The type of seizure your dog experiences depends on how much of the brain is involved. The most common canine seizure types your vet may discuss are:
Generalized (grand mal) seizures: These involve both sides of the brain and body. Both tonic (loss of muscle control) and clonic (involuntary jerking of limbs) actions and loss of consciousness accompany them. Drooling, urination, or defecation often occur.
Focal seizures: Only one part of the brain is involved. Your dog stays conscious but may show facial twitching, repetitive blinking, chewing motions, or paddling of one limb.
Psychomotor (complex partial) seizures: These seizures produce more pronounced behavioral changes, such as apparent aggression or “fly-biting” (snapping at the air). Your dog may seem unrecognizable during the episode.
Idiopathic epilepsy: The most common cause of seizures in dogs is an inherited condition with no identifiable structural brain cause, giving it the term “idiopathic.”
Stages of seizures in dogs
Seizures in dogs have three stages, although you may not always notice the pre- and post-ictal stages.
Pre-ictal phase
The pre-ictal or aura phase is the period preceding the seizure. Your dog will display altered behavior, and it can last from a few seconds to minutes before a seizure. Some signs to look out for include:
Restlessness
Whining or vocalizations
Attention-seeking behavior
Shaking
Salivating
Ictal phase
The ictal phase or active seizure phase is the period when your dog is actively seizing. It can last from a few seconds to several minutes and vary in appearance. You may notice:
Altered mentation
Dazed look
Lip-licking
Staring aimlessly
Muscles extending and contracting
Stiffened posture
Loss of awareness
Uncontrolled urination or defecation
If a dog seizes for over five minutes, it’s considered status epilepticus. It’s very serious and life-threatening. A dog in this condition needs immediate intravenous anti-convulsive medications, or they may die or suffer permanent brain damage. This situation always needs emergency vet treatment right away.
Post-ictal phase
The post-ictal or post-seizure phase is the period after the seizure when your dog’s brain is returning to its normal state. You may observe:
Confusion or disorientation
Panic
Pacing
Salivating
Restlessness
Increased thirst or hunger
Failure to recognize you
Temporary blindness
There seems to be no correlation between the length of seizures and the duration of this phase, but in most cases, it can last up to an hour. After the seizure, you should talk to your vet to determine if your dog needs immediate care.
What causes seizures in dogs?
Canine epilepsy causes can stem from many underlying conditions, which is why your vet will investigate thoroughly after the first episode. If you’re wondering what causes seizures in dogs, common triggers include:
Idiopathic epilepsy
Ingestion of toxins, such as chocolate, xylitol, macadamia nuts, pesticides, rat poison
Liver or kidney disease
Low blood sugar
Electrolyte imbalances
Head trauma, stroke, or brain tumors
Inflammatory or infectious diseases, such as distemper, fungal infections, or tick-borne diseases
Breed-related encephalitis (Pugs, Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers)
Any dog can have a seizure at any age, but some breeds are genetically predisposed. Epilepsy is more common in purebred dogs, as Schnauzers, Collies, Bassett Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers have higher rates of seizure conditions compared to other breeds. Male dogs may also be more predisposed to idiopathic epilepsy than females.
What to do if you think your dog is seizing
While it’s easy to panic if you suspect your dog is having a seizure, staying calm is the single most important thing you can do. Here is what I recommend parents do if their dog is seizing:
Stay calm and stay close. Speak in a low, soothing voice. Do not restrain your dog.
Clear the area. Move your dog away from stairs, sharp furniture, or water.
Keep hands away from the mouth. Dogs can’t swallow their tongues, but they can bite reflexively, even gentle dogs.
Time the seizure. Knowing the duration is critical for your vet.
Film it if you can. A short video helps your vet identify the seizure type.
Log the details afterward. Note the date, time, duration, and what your dog was doing beforehand.
It can be difficult to hit the record button if your dog is having a seizure, but capturing video footage will be a great help for your vet to determine if the event was a true seizure, and for you in logging how long it lasts.
Call an emergency vet immediately if:
The seizure lasts longer than five minutes (status epilepticus, which is life-threatening without immediate treatment)
Your dog has more than two seizures within 24 hours (cluster seizures)
Your dog doesn’t regain consciousness between seizures
Understanding what to do in a pet emergency and the average cost of emergency vet care can help you plan ahead for any possibility.
From diagnosis to management: Partnering with your vet for long-term care
After a seizure, your vet’s goal is to identify the cause and build a treatment plan. Here’s what that process looks like, and how you can actively support it.
How veterinarians diagnose canine epilepsy causes
The most useful thing you can bring to your vet appointment is a detailed seizure log: date, time, duration, what your dog was doing beforehand, and any video you captured. A 2025 study in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found that owner observations matched expert evaluations in over 90% of cases, rising to 96.5% when video was included.
Routine diagnostics typically include bloodwork and urinalysis (to rule out metabolic causes), an ECG (to check for cardiac causes that can mimic seizures), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis in some cases, and MRI to visualize the brain’s structure.
On the imaging front, veterinary neuroimaging has advanced considerably. While standard MRI is excellent at identifying structural problems, recent research from the University of Illinois highlights that advanced techniques can detect neuronal-level changes that conventional imaging misses.
Electroencephalography (EEG) is also emerging as a veterinary diagnostic tool. An AKC Canine Health Foundation–funded trial at the University of Guelph is currently standardizing EEG use to better assess how well anti-seizure drugs are actually controlling brain activity between episodes.
Treatment options for seizures in dogs
Not every dog who has a seizure will need lifelong medication. Vets typically start anticonvulsant therapy when a dog has more than one seizure per month, experiences cluster seizures, or has grand mal seizures. Once started, these medications are generally lifelong, as stopping abruptly can trigger more severe seizures.
The most commonly used canine seizure treatments include:
Phenobarbital: The most widely used first-line treatment, though it requires regular liver monitoring.
Potassium bromide: Often used alongside phenobarbital for dogs with difficult-to-control seizures.
Imepitoin (Pexion): A newer first-line option with a favorable side-effect profile, recommended for generalized seizures.
Levetiracetam (Keppra): Frequently used as an add-on therapy, with faster onset and fewer drug interactions.
Zonisamide (Zonegran): An alternative when other medications aren’t providing adequate control.
Lifestyle and long-term management
Medication is the cornerstone of treatment, but lifestyle and dietary strategies can meaningfully complement it. Two supplement areas have the strongest emerging evidence:
Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil: Multiple clinical trials have shown MCT oil supplementation can reduce seizure frequency in dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy, with some achieving a 50% or greater reduction in seizure days. The AKC Canine Health Foundation cites it as one of the most promising dietary interventions currently under study.
CBD oil: A double-blind Colorado State University trial found dogs had significantly fewer seizure days on CBD compared to placebo. Some dogs showed elevated liver enzymes, so monitoring is important. Always consult your vet before starting any supplement.
Beyond supplementation, keep a consistent daily routine (disrupted sleep and feeding schedules can act as triggers), safety-proof your home (gates near stairs, padded bedding), and maintain a detailed seizure log to help your vet track patterns and adjust treatment over time.
Monitoring and peace of mind
Research on the horizon adds further reason for optimism. A 2024 clinical trial at the University of Glasgow is testing Ant-134, a first-of-its-kind drug designed to silence a brain molecule (miRNA-134) implicated in epilepsy, with early results showing encouraging seizure reductions in some of the most treatment-resistant dogs.
Regular follow-up appointments remain essential in the meantime. Your vet will monitor medication blood levels, watch for side effects, adjust doses as needed, and track seizure frequency over time. Most dogs with well-managed epilepsy have a good long-term prognosis.
Frequently asked questions
Can dogs recover fully after a seizure?
Most dogs recover fully, though the post-ictal phase can involve confusion, pacing, or temporary vision loss lasting minutes to an hour. Long-term recovery depends on the underlying cause and how well seizures are controlled with treatment.
Can a dog die from a seizure?
A single, brief seizure is rarely fatal. But prolonged seizures (status epilepticus) and cluster seizures are life-threatening without prompt emergency treatment. Hyperthermia (dangerously elevated body temperature) during extended seizures is also a serious risk that requires immediate veterinary attention.
What is the difference between a seizure and a fainting episode?
Fainting (syncope) is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain — often cardiac in origin — and dogs typically recover very quickly with no post-ictal confusion. Seizures involve abnormal brain electrical activity and have a more distinct, often longer recovery period. Your vet may recommend an ECG to rule out cardiac causes.
