Is my dog's excessive bum licking a sign of an upcoming seizure?

This sounds like a form of seizure activity. I recommend taking videos of this behavior and taking him in for an exam and lab work. Seizures can be from many causes and he may need medication to control them. They also can be an indication of underlying medical problems so bring him in soon for an exam and treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Misko.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If the licking comes on before a seizure, it could absolutely be that you are fortunate enough to have a dog who can smell/sense when you are going to have a seizure. If it seems unrelated to your seizure activity, it could just be that he likes to lick your eye- I’ve met a dog or two who is very interested in eyes or ears or particular places. Best wishes to you and Shadow!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know without an exam. However, this is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

That's a great question and one we do not have a lot of information to provide a definitive answer. It is actually uncommon for owners to report a pre-ictal phase. In the rare cases that do, typically it is head twitching lasting less than a minute prior to octal period. Now the post-ictal period can last from hours to days (up to 72 hours in my experience). In your pet's case, it may be that she has a prolonged post-ictal phase and then begins to seizure. If your pet began having seizures after the age of 7 years, then it is less likely she has idiopathic epilepsy or liver disease (though hepatic encephalopathy must be ruled out). Patients that have late onset seizures (>7y) are most likely to have intracranial disease such as an inflammatory condition or tumor. I would advise you to document the episodes and consult your veterinarian to discuss diagnostic tests and treatment.

Poor Buddy! This is a common behavior when they have full anal glands. Anal glands are 2 glands, one on each side of the anus, that holds a foul smelling material. They are there to help naturally lubricate a dog's bowel movements, but not all dogs properly express them. I would take him to your vet clinic and see if they can express his anal glands. Also, he could also act this way and lick everything if he is really itchy, anxious or just uncomfortable. If he doesn't improve after his anal glands are expressed, then I would have your vet take a look at him to ensure he doesn't have an infection or something else going on causing these behaviors. I hope this helps!

We do not typically see signs like you are describing before seizure activity. Dogs can have an "aura" immediately before a seizure, but it is commonly seconds or minutes before a seizure starts. What you are describing may be unrelated to her seizure. I am attaching a link to a handout with more information on seizures below including potential causes. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=560 I would recommend discussing Lexi's seizure with your veterinarian because seizures in dogs as young as Lexi may be something other than epilepsy. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I am sorry to hear about Wiffy. Sometimes these behaviors could be minor seizures, or could be obsessive compulsive disorders. Occasionally we will treat these dogs with a trial of a drug called gabapentin to see if there is an improvement. If a compulsive disorder is suspected then we might try a trial of something like fluoxetine (prozac). We would also recommend bloodwork to ensure that Wiffy is otherwise healthy and has normal organ function.