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Why did my dog suddenly struggle to walk and bob her head? Seizure?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 3 years and 11 months old | 55 lbs

My dog is almost 4 and this morning she acted like she couldn't walk and was Bobbi g her head around. This lasted about a minute or two and then she was fine but was panting pretty hard.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on April 24th, 2017

Bonnie's abnormalities walking and head bobbing this morning sound as though they may have occurred due to a seizure. I'm glad that it only lasted 1-2 minutes, but seizures can have a "post-ictal" period afterwards where the animal can be a bit stressed for another few minutes to hours. Seizures can occur due to a number of reasons, including epilepsy for unknown reasons, toxin exposure, liver shunts (abnormal blood flow and toxin filtration) and brain tumors. For a first time possible seizure, there are generally no necessary treatments or diagnostics. However, closely monitor Bonnie for a recurrent episode. If one occurs, try to video record her actions so that her vet will be able to watch it. Also keep a log of any future episodes with the date, time, duration of possible seizure and any changes in behavior or lifestyle beforehand. If Bonnie ever has 2 or more seizures in a 24 hour period, or has a seizure that lasts for much longer than 5 minutes, she should go to an ER immediately, as this would indicate a "cluster" of seizures and require immediate medication.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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