Dog shaking, warm, then wobbly. Are these signs of a seizure?

Hi, sorry to hear Andre is not feeling well. This can be a seizure or a syncopal event, where the heart is not performing how it should be. Syncope is more often seen as fainting or loosing all their energy quickly, then they feel normal again. A seizure can look like shaking, with a post ictal event where he may act like he is off balance and unsure of his surroundings. I suggest taking him to a vet to have his heart checked and blood work to see how his organs are functioning. If possible, video the episode so you can show the vet. He or she may want a neurologist's opinion on this as well. Once you catch it on video, take him and it to the vet. Good luck, I hope this helps!.

It’s possible she had a seizure. If she does not steadily return to normal over the next few hours, it would be best to have her checked by your vet in the morning. Routine screeening bloodwork can help determine if a liver or kidney issue could be the cause of the seizure. Medical treatment for seizures is usually not started unless the pet has multiple seizures in one month, repeated seizures or a grand mal seizure lasting more than several minutes. Seizures generally have a pre-ictal phase where the pet is anxious and may vomit, the ictal phase during which paddling/convulsions are seen, and the post-ictal phase where the pet is disoriented and often wobbly. Best wishes for Nola to steadily return to normal and not have another episode!

If you suspect this is not normal, I recommend to have him examined. A physical exam is going to be the only way to know if the nervous system is not normal. You are correct that a seizure should end within 5 minutes and the postictal phase (the tiredness after a seizure) should resolve within 30 minutes. It's possible something else is occurring like a toxin or drug expose, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or septicemia to name a few similar conditions. I recommend to play it safe and have him examined today. Best of luck.

It sounds like Turbo might be having seizures. I would recommend seeing an emergency veterinarian since this has happened several times. Some toxins might also cause similar signs, and low blood sugar or liver disease could as well.

I'm sorry to hear that Lola is having these episodes. You are correct in that they could be a focal or partial seizure especially as she seems to recognize when an episode is coming. The typical grand mal seizure is where the patient falls to its side, losses consciousness and paddles. All seizures do not present this way though and heelers can be more prone to them than some other breeds. I recommend Lola sees her veterinarian for an exam and potentially bloodwork. She could also be painful causing the shaking. I hope this information helps. Good luck!

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.

It's a bit hard to say, but this sounds like seizure activity, especially with the periods of confusion you're describing after the episodes occur. In a 4 year old dog I'd be concerned about epilepsy, although other possibilities such as a poisoning and brain tumors should be considered as well. Roscoe needs to see his vet ASAP in order to find out what is going on, and start treatment. If these are seizures, the longer they go undiagnosed and uncontrolled, the more likely he will have one that he won't come out of. Get him seen ASAP.