My main post on seizures was on Thursday, 16th April, 2009... but I wanted to offer a little more information and reassurance to anyone who has been confronted by this problem for the very first time!
The advice within the first post stands... knowledge is power! If you know what to do when confronted with a problem then you will deal with it in a far superior way, feel confident dealing with it, and be able to help your pet so much more!
Click Here for the brilliant pet health care book by the same team as 'Secrets to Dog Training'... you'll also find links in our right-hand margin.
What I wanted to add here was something about what to expect - and what to do when a seizure [fit] occurs...
1) What to expect... Your pet will go rigid [lying down] and exhibit fast jerky movements, their whole body will convulse in rapid involuntary jerks, and they will also most probably foam at the mouth and loose control of their bladders. This phase can last anything from a few seconds to a few minutes [it will seem much longer than it is] then they will begin to come out of the first phase.
Afterwards they will be totally disorientated, they may not know you, or their surroundings. They will then most probably be ravenously hungry - the seizure/fit will take a great deal out of your pet. Personally, if they are hungry I would feed them... but do ask the advice of your vet.
2) What to do... Firstly, if at all possible do not touch your pet as they might hurt you by mistake. At this point they do not know what they are doing and do not know you. Try to make sure your pet is in a safe place and not likely to bump themselves. If possible put some big old towels around the area. These will help with moping up and also be soft for your pet to bump against. If they are in a raised area when the seizure occurs you will have to do what you can, without compromising your own safety, to stop them falling off - alternatively make a thick soft landing area.
After the first phase is over, follow the advice above - they will most probably be wobbly on their legs, appear lost, and be hungry... this phase can take anything from a few minutes to a few hours depending upon the severity of the first phase. Keep an eye on them during this phase and basically take your cues from them!
Contact your vet, preferably will full details of the symptoms and the duration times of the phases of the seizure/fit. Once the correct dosage of tablets has been sorted out by your vet your pet will, in all probability, lead a normal life.
As I think I mentioned in a previous post our dog [and our daughter's cat] both lead normal lives and haven't had fits since their tablets were an established routine at the correct dose.
Surprisingly, to me, the fits our dog used to have mostly occurred first thing in the morning... after a restful and relaxing night of comfortable sleep.
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