12/03/2026
Poor Ida. Worth a share so you know what to do if this should ever happen to your dog..
Staff dog Ida is a lurcher who is 6 in July. Previously of good health, last night I was woken by banging which I instinctively knew was one of my dogs having a seizure so I thought I would share this experience as it can be very frightening to see. I will outline what to do if your pet ever has a seizure.
Toxins such as chocolate, rat poison and slug pellets can cause seizures but Ida had not had access to any toxins.
Ida was on the landing sleeping - there was nothing around like furniture - the first thing is to move anything your pet could injure themselves on, clear a space around them.
Seizures seem like they last a long time but are usually quite short, if someone is near ask them to set a timer on their mobile. Any seizure that lasts more than 2 minutes needs veterinary treatment right away, or if they have had a previous seizure within 24 hours.
Keep all noise to a minimum and dim any artificial lighting. I gently spoke to Ida - it’s really distressing to see but very important to stay calm. If you can video your pet - this provides useful information for the vet.
Once they are out of the seizure they may still paddle, seem confused, vocalise, excessive drooling or frothing at the mouth, and pass urine. Ida was very vocal for a few seconds which soon changed to a whine, hypersalivating, and passed some urine. She seemed very spaced out and confused. I didn’t touch her at this point and kept a bit of a distance as they can on occasion be aggressive. I just spoke calmly to reassure her.
It is important not to restrain them, or try to bring them round. Stay away from their mouth and don’t cover them up, because they can over heat.
After the seizure Ida did a bit of pacing, she seemed unsettled. She was very thirsty and once she appeared back to her normal self I gave her a small amount of food, as they are often very hungry after one of these episodes. I made sure she was back to her usual self and not confused or unsettled before I fed her.
Ida will now be having a full check over and some blood tests to make sure she is in good health.
The photo is of her today feeling back to her usual self 🐾
