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My dog has loud breathing and shaking spells. Are they seizures?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 16 lbs

Our dog, an 8-9 year old Shih Tzu named Charlie, has been having spells lately where his breathing gets louder, higher pitched and rough. He also shakes some during these. They occur several times a week and last about 3-4 minutes each. He is otherwise behaving normally, eating, drinking and playing. He seems happy and content. What do you think these spells are about? Thanks,. Lori

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 13th, 2017

Hi and thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
It is hard to say exactly without seeing a video of the spells that are concerning; however, it seems that seizures are a possibility here. I would highly recommend recording one of these episodes on your phone and showing them to your veterinarian for verification of what exactly these are. If they are seizures, then this is considered an uncontrolled condition if they are happening more than once every 30 days, and Charlie would need to start taking anti-seizure medication to help stabilize his condition and help prevent any permanent brain damage. I hope this is helpful. Best of luck with our pet Charlie and I hope he feels better soon.
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