Is it normal for my dog to be hyper and restless after a seizure? Mini-seizures?

Hello, Yes, it can be normal for dogs to experience a change in behavior and attitude for a few days before and after a seizure. These are called the pre and post ictal phases when the brain is preparing and recovering from the seizure. Knowing that she has normal blood work helps to support this. Keeping a journal of Bell's seizure activity and behavior changes can help you over time better predict and anticipate this. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would need to ask a bunch more questions and would be happy to do a consultation if you’d like but let me give you a few ideas. 1) be sure it’s not heart- Fainting spells can look a lot like seizures. Consider a cardiology consult to make sure it’s not that. They’ll do an EKG and ultrasound of the heart to make sure nothing is amiss. 2) weird fungal diseases- I’m from Arizona, land of valley fever - a fungal disease that can - and often does- cause seizures. Other fungi like Blastomycosis and Histoplasmosis can do similar things. If Bella has traveled out of Texas- even for just a day or two- these are considerations. 3) Bella is simply an atypical epileptic and needs more/different medication. Just like in people, it can sometimes take some time to find the right combination of drugs to get the seizures controlled. 4) weird drug interactions- double check especially about any anti-anxiety or behavior modification medications and pain medications. 5) hypothyroidism, tick fever, other weird stuff. If you’ve done an MRI, you may have already consulted with a neurologist. If not? That would be the next step along with the cardiologist visit. Best of luck to you and Bella!

She is having cluster of seizures that ideally should be treated by your veterinarian at the clinic/hospital. What you are seeing now is most likely ''a post ictal' phase, that means the signs (pacing, restless, seems blind and so on) in the period of time after the seizure episode. These signs could last even 24hours. The major concern is that she could go into another cluster of seizure episode and have severe secondary effect from it. I would strongly advised to have her treated at the clinic until she is completely out from these acute episodes. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Animals can develop many different symptoms after having a seizure. This is because of the effects on the brain during a seizure. Some animals will become very lethargic and disoriented While others may become more affectionate and more energetic. If the seizures have not been addressed by a veterinarian, I would certainly recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate Diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. If the seizures are becoming more frequent and longer in duration, she likely needs an anti-seizure medication to prevent these from happening. If the seizures are becoming longer in duration or more frequent, brain damage could develop. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like a seizure. I would recommend video taping an episode and showing your Vet. Causes of seizures depend on age. In dogs 1-5 epilepsy is the most common cause. In puppies: toxins, infectious or congenital problems and older than 6 years of age we worry about organ failures and brain tumors. One to 2 episodes a month may warrant starting medications. I would recommend full blood work with urine, thyroid testing if older than 6 and tick testing. If all that is normal then consider starting medications. i wish Bella the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Despite how alarming this may seem, it is normal in some small breed very excitable dogs. I see it in some patients that come to the Vet. I do think that episodes lasting all day is severe though and I would discuss medications for you to give her to help calm her on those very bad days. I am sure it isn't fun to be that anxious all the time. Also trying relaxation techniques, going for basic training can help to focus her attention during these events. Having her sit or lay down or go to her bed to lay down would help to calm her. All that can be taught with a trainer. Since Belle seems to be severely affected I would put her on antianxiety medications. I hope this helps and I wish you and Belle the best!

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.