My dog yelps loudly, muscles tighten briefly. Is it a seizure?

This could be a form of seizure activity. I recommend getting your dog seen by your vet as soon as possible for an exam and lab work. If you can get a video of the episode, please do, so your vet will know what you're seeing. Sustained or repeated seizures can cause the body temperature to rise to dangerous levels and increases the risk of brain damage. When you have a chance, take a look around and see if you can find anything he might have gotten into, since poisoning is one of the causes of seizures. If he has a history of liver or kidney disease, this is also a potential cause. Sometimes we never know why a pet has a seizure. If he does have a series of seizures, your vet will want to do an exam and bloodwork to try and determine a cause and potentially put your pet on anti-seizure medication to lessen the chances of this happening again in the future.

It sounds like seizure activity to me based on your description. I suggest you monitor him closely and if it happens again try to video the episode with your phone so you can show your vet. Some dogs have one seizure and then never again. Some have one and then start having them very frequently. Some have one and then have them infrequently. I would not be concerned necessarily with one episode but if it happens again you need to speak to your vet about a work-up to try and figure out the underlying cause of the seizures. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello. This sounds very suspicious of a seizure. The average age of onset of seizure activity for epileptic dogs is from 2-4 years of age. Since this is a first time occurrence...or the first that you have witnessed....you may have to wait and see if it happens again. It may help your veterinarian if you can video the episode if it happens again. It is always a good idea to have your veterinarian examine her to make sure there are no other problems and discuss the possibility of seizures. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

What you are describing is not consistent with a petit mal seizure. Petit mal seizures are very subtle and rarely seen in animals. They also tend to have some loss contact with their environment without muscle involvement. There are certain types of seizures known motor seizures that could cause muscle fasciculations like this. With motor seizures they are still coherent while the seizure is happening. However, there are other possible causes of the muscle faciculaltions such as electrolyte disorders, nerve disorders and muscle disorders. The best way to get an accurate diagnosis of the problem is to take a video of Maggie when she is having these episodes. Ideally, this should be done when she is awake, to show that it is not normal twitching that occurs when dogs sleep. You can then schedule an appointment with a vet and take the video with you to show them. This will be very helpful for an accurate diagnosis and possible treatment. I hope that helps and all is well with Maggie.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Pinkie. The events that you are describing sound similar to a seizure event. Seizures can present in many different ways, not only the generalized full body seizures but also more subtle or focused events with tremoring or shaking. When a pet has a seizure they become unresponsive to stimuli and are not mentally present, meaning that they will not respond if you call their names or try to get their attention. Additionally after a seizure the brain goes through a recovery period where Pinkie may appear improved but not quite right. I would recommend having Pinkie evaluated by a veterinarian for examination and further testing if warranted. It would be helpful if you could take a video of these events as well as keep a log of when these events occur and how long they last. If Pinkie has an event lasting more than five minutes, more than 1 event in 24 hours, or continuous events without recovery she should be seen immediately by a veterinarian. Hope this helps, good luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bailey definitely may have had a seizure. Other signs of seizures would be strange behavior before the seizure, the seizure itself can include shaking or tending of all the muscles, Bailey may urinate or defecate during as well. I recommend keeping a close eye on her and trying to film this if it happens again to show your vet. They can determine the cause of the seizure with blood work and more advanced imaging such as a CT scan. If seizure activity is confirmed, Bailey will likely be placed on anti-seizure medication. I hope all is well!