Dog seizures: causes, symptoms, and what you should do

While epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in dogs, there are several other triggers to look out for. Regardless of the underlying cause, all seizures occur due to faulty electrical activity in the dog’s brain, which leads to a loss of control over the body.

Epilepsy – Dogs can be considered epileptic if they experience two or more seizures. Epilepsy can be classified into two main groups: idiopathic seizures, which have no apparent underlying cause, and symptomatic seizures, which do. While veterinarians don’t know the exact cause of idiopathic epilepsy, there’s evidence to suggest it’s genetic.

Heatstroke and heat exhaustion — An overheated dog can suffer critical damage to its brain, heart, liver, and nervous system. Heat-related brain swells can trigger dog seizures in a matter of minutes.

Nutritional imbalances — Mineral, vitamin, and amino acid deficiencies have all been linked to canine seizures.

Poisoning — Dog seizures have been linked to toxins found in household alcohols, heavy metals, human medications, carbon monoxide, foods like caffeine and chocolate, certain plant species, and compounds from other animals like bufo toads and killer bees. These aren’t the most common triggers for seizures, but it’s important to keep in mind that the ASPCA fielded more than 400,000 calls in 2021 to its Animal Poison Control Center.

​​👉 Not sure if a certain product is toxic to your dog? Check out this comprehensive list from the FDA.

Head trauma — Several studies have found links between post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) in dogs with severe head injuries.

Infectious diseases — Viruses that attack the central nervous system like canine distemper and rabies have been shown to trigger violent, sometimes lethal, seizures, in addition to tremors, twitching, imbalance, and limb weakness.

Diabetes — Dogs with diabetes can have seizures if they receive too much insulin or receive it before eating. The insulin causes their glucose level to become too low which is known as hypoglycemia. This condition is a medical emergency and will lead to seizures and a coma if not treated in time.

Tumors — Seizures are common signs of brain tumors in dogs. If your dog just started getting seizures and they’re five years of age or older, a brain tumor must be considered as a possibility. Only advanced imaging (CT scan or MRI) of the brain can determine if a brain tumor is present.

Many types of visits to veterinarians are covered by pet insurance — find out what is (and isn’t) covered by reading our pet insurance coverage guide.

Epilepsy is more common in dogs than in cats. While all dogs are susceptible to seizures, these breeds tend to be more prone to them than others: