A friend recently asked me if I knew of anything that could help her 12-year old Shih Tzu who recently started having seizures. Her vet said they are age 
related and not connected to any other health issue.
Our Sadie had a couple of seizures too the year before she passed away, it was just awful to watch. And you feel so helpless. She had an MRI but they didn’t find anything, so they called it age-related as well, and she was on medication for that for the rest of her life. I have sometimes wondered though if they missed something. Should we have done something different? Gotten a second opinion? But you can only put your dog through so many MRIs (and they take quite a financial toll as well) and we didn’t.
To help clarify things, veterinarian Beth Innis answers questions from me as well as our readers:
What should you do when your dog has a seizure? What should you NOT do?
If your dog has a seizure, try to clear away anything around the pet that might harm him if knocked into and if possible, block any stairways. Stay calm, and note when the seizure started, if possible. Do not touch the pet’s head, as you could be harmed by an unintentional bite.
There are some acupuncture points under the pads of the hind feet (Kidney 1), that if you are comfortable doing so, you can massage, which can sometimes lessen the seizure duration.
What are the symptoms of a seizure? It can look almost like the dog is dreaming until you realize you can’t wake them up.
Seizures can take many forms. A grand-mal seizure often is accompanied by convulsions, fecal or urinary incontinence, frothing at the mouth, and followed by a period of altered mental state. Note anything of this type that you see and how long it lasts.
What should you do after the seizure has stopped?
Call your primary veterinarian or your local emergency once the seizure has stopped. Many seizures last from seconds to several minutes. If the seizure does not stop, go immediately to your veterinary hospital.
Comfort your pet and stay with them. Observe any changes in senses or behavior.
What if your dog had a seizure when you weren’t home – is there any way you can tell what happened? Are there any post-seizure signs?
Sometimes there is no evidence. Dogs who have regular seizures often have regular symptoms associated with them – so some pet caretakers will know if the pet soiled his/her bed or is acting “dazed”; with others, there are no clues.
What causes seizures in dogs?
Dogs can have seizures due to epilepsy (no known cause), brain tumors, infections, electrolyte imbalances, poisons, and in relation to several diseases.
Are seizures ever “just age-related” or is there always an underlying issue?
It is most likely that there is an underlying issue. However, as you mentioned, there are cases where no matter how hard we look we cannot find one.
In cases like that, should you get a second opinion? Is it wise to put your dog through more than one MRI? Is that the only way to find out what’s going on?
It never hurts to get a second opinion. A neurologist is going to be the specialist most trained to sort things out. The MRI is one of their tools, but not the only thing they use. They do a full physical and neurological exam, and may recommend blood work, x-rays, MRI or spinal taps. These are often all used together to find the root of the problem, or rule out certain causes. An MRI in pets requires general anesthesia, so it is a helpful test, but does come with some extra precautions.
Can anesthetics and vaccinations cause seizures?
A pet, just like a person, can have a reaction to anything so it is possible.
Question from Reader: My female dog had seizures after desexing for about eight months. She hasn’t had any for about ten months now. Is she likely to have more? She is about two years old and not on medication.
I’m not sure I can answer this. I would recommend discussing with your veterinarian and ruling out any known causes. If nothing is found and she is not currently having seizures, I would simply continue to monitor her.
What is a petit mal vs. a grand mal seizure?
Seizures can really be considered on a spectrum. Some look like the dog is just “spacing out” where others can be quite dramatic. It all depends on the underlying cause and the pet’s internal make up. Some can be local and cause a twitching of the face, but nowhere else on the body. Some are associated with some activity, some are not. Some pets can be “called out” of the activity, others are unable to respond.
What are the treatment options?
The treatment options vary, depending on the underlying cause. If the seizures are frequent enough, medicines, herbs, or acupuncture can be used.
Can any alternative healing methods help?
Acupuncture can help some dogs with seizures. For those that respond, it can be very helpful and avoid some medicines or can help reduce the doses needed. Chinese herbs can also be helpful for some pets.
A study on homeopathy and seizures suggests that the remedy Belladonna 200C can help. But don’t try this on your own without consulting with your veterinarian and a trained homeopathic practitioner first.
Also see our other articles about seizures in animals.
Cattie Coyle
Hi Jena,
Thank you for sharing this very interesting and frightening information! Could it be that your older dog has a sensitivity or allergy to something that is in the dentastix? Just speculating, since I myself have so many allergies and strange reactions to things. We recently received another question about seizures, and our Crystal Healing expert Karen Ryan replied (the entire Q&A will be a post eventually): Last year, my 15 -yr old Tara had 18 seizures in 24 hours. I immediately used homeopathy – Bella Donna 200X, two pellets dissolved in a small amount of water (1/2 tsp) and syringed into the gums. There are other homeopathic remedies as well, depending on the type of seizure. I guess many people don’t know that homeopathy can be effective, even in an emergency. I gave Tara only 2 dosages in total that day and watched her recovery carefully over the next week. She made steady progress over the next month. While the vet offered some medication for the “next” seizure, it hasn’t been needed. The vet was unsure of the exact cause – maybe a tumor that grew and pushed on areas of the brain that caused the seizure. And 8 months later, she is fine, walking with ease. There have been no further seizures.
My 11 year old shih tzu had two seizures this summer. I took her to the vet immediately. Tests were run and nothing seemed to be the cause. The vet recommended putting her on seizure meds for the rest of her life.
I felt there had to be something causing this all of a sudden and didnt put her on the meds. I did some research and realized that both times she had seizures I had given her Dentastix.
I removed Dentastix from her diet and she didn’t have another seizure. In the last month I started giving her 1/2 Rachel Ray soup bone once a week. Today she had a seizure. I’m certain it must be an ingredient in these dog treats but there doesnt seem to be much info about this online. It doesn’t affect my 4 year shih tzu but I am going to stop giving them to both dogs.
Please make sure that Diva sees her veterinarian immediately!
I’ve only had my sweet Diva maybe maybe 8 months but seems longer. She’s everything to me. I’ve been going through a divorce and she was given to me after we separated. She appears to act strange and shaking, acts out of it and can’t walk as if she’s had a stoke but out of it. Then she appears fine but it has happened twice tonight and once not long ago. I thought the last time was because I sprayed some peppermint spray to ward off mice. It may have caused it but tonight she’s had two. I had been gone half of the day and she was fine when I came home. Can stress cause this to happen ? Please help me ?
Hi Chris,
I am sorry to hear about Gizmo, and I apologize for my slow reply. This is definitely something that should be looked at by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
So my poor gizmo is having what I think is seizures. He will all of a sudden give out a yelp and then goes down laying on his side and does that for about 2-3 minutes his head kind of cranks up then goes flat just like he is dead. I call his name and his then responds about 3 minutes later but kind of disoriented. Am I experiencing a seizure and do they yelp with that shrill voice. He has done this a couple of times as he is jumping up on a chair or couch. He just had blood tests and they were normal. Should he be on a med? Please advise me thanks
Hi Debbie,
I’m so sorry to hear about Chloe’s health issues, and I would really urge you to take her to a vet as soon as possible. I understand about it being financially difficult, but many veterinarians will work with you on a payment plan, and there are also organizations that can help: http://iheartdogs.com/cant-pay-for-your-pets-needed-care-these-12-programs-can-help/. I hope you are able to find a way to have Chloe looked at, and that she recovers quickly. I understand that you are terrified, I was too when our Sadie had seizures, but it doesn’t always have to mean the end – I have a friend whose dog had terrible seizures about 4 years ago; his vet put him on medication which he has been taking ever since, and he is still with her and doing very well. Sending healing thoughts and hopes for the best for both of you. ❤️
My baby girl, Chloe, will be 7 on April 21, 2017. She has had chronic issues with ear infections which the vet feels is caused be an allergy of some sort. I feed her Royal Canin Hypo Allergenic food from the vet and the hypo treats from the vet as well. The ear infections are still an ongoing issue, her ears are long, she’s a Shih-Tzu, I have decided that I will have her ears trimmed down short, to the leather, the way my males ears are…he’s never had an ear infection (touch wood) and I hope this will help with hers.
My concern now is that Chloe had a seizure this morning, it lasted approx. 3 – 4 mins., thankfully my daughter, who is a certified dog groomer and has had some vet assist training as well was standing right there and noticed the seizure right away. Chloe seem ok now, maybe just a little tired but otherwise ok….I am keeping a very close eye on her. The thing is, I believe she had a seizure 2 weeks ago also, I didn’t see it, but I saw what I now believe was the end of it when she came out of it and was trying to stand up and couldn’t, instead she was flailing all 4’s across the floor which grabbed my attention immediately. Chloe wasn’t herself for 3 – 4 days after that incident, it was obvious something wasn’t right, but she was eating and drinking so I didn’t panic although I was concerned.
But, my Chloe came back….good as new, like nothing was ever wrong, I thought maybe she’d gotten into something possibly….which would be difficult for her to do, I’m with my dogs practically 24/7…..but, you never know.
Anyway, after this mornings obvious seizure, I’m sure that’s what happened 2 weeks ago ? ….so….now, I’m beginning to wonder if these seizures are related to her ear infection/s?…….or are they age related?
I do my absolute best for my dogs, they are very well taken care of, but, unfortunately…..I’m not in a position right now for any high priced vet bills….I can’t afford MRIs and specialists, etc., I’m scared to death and feel horrible that my Chloe might be suffering seizures now because her ear infection may have done something to her brain……honestly, if something happens to this dog, I swear I will die…..
Any advice? Words of encouragement?
Anything would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Chloe & Oscar’s mommy. ?
Hi Doug,
I will pass your question on to Beth Innis, but first I have to ask: Has your dog been evaluated by a veterinarian? What is his/her diagnosis? Is he/she taking any medications for the seizures?
[m imterested in finding out the herbs that may help in the seizure in my dog it is a shin tzu and about 10years old ,,, if you could send me a list thank you