Seizures can be sudden, dramatic, and deeply upsetting to watch. Some pets fall onto their side, paddle their legs, shake, drool, urinate, or seem completely unaware of their surroundings. Others have shorter or less obvious episodes involving collapse, twitching, facial movements, or abnormal behaviour.
If your pet is having a seizure, the most important first step is to keep them safe and call for advice.
Move furniture, objects, or anything nearby that could cause injury. Keep your hands away from your pet’s mouth and do not try to hold their tongue. Most pets do not know what is happening during a seizure, and trying to restrain them can cause injury to both you and them.
If possible, note the time the seizure started and how long it lasts. If you can safely record a short video, that can also be very helpful.
Do not put anything in your pet’s mouth. Do not try to force food, water, or medication while the seizure is happening. Do not attempt to carry or move them unless they are in immediate danger.
The goal is to reduce injury and observe what is happening, not to physically intervene.
Call immediately if this is your pet’s first seizure, if the seizure lasts more than a couple of minutes, if more than one seizure happens close together, if your pet does not recover normally afterwards, or if they are having trouble breathing, collapsing, or remaining disoriented.
Repeated seizures or seizures that do not stop promptly can become a medical emergency very quickly.
Some pets recover fairly quickly. Others may pace, seem confused, restless, blind, hungry, or unusually tired for a period afterwards. This recovery phase can be alarming, but it is common.
Even if your pet seems better, a seizure still needs proper assessment, especially if it is the first time or the cause is not already known.
Seizures can happen for many different reasons, including epilepsy, toxin exposure, metabolic disease, liver problems, low blood sugar, head trauma, brain disease, or other underlying illness.
That is why the seizure itself is only part of the picture. The next question is why it happened.
Return to the main emergency page for what to do and how to contact us after hours.
Use this broader guide when you are unsure whether a problem can wait.
A swollen or tight abdomen with distress can be life-threatening and needs urgent advice.
If your pet is having a seizure or has just had one, call our after-hours team so we can help assess how urgent the situation is and what should happen next.
Toxins are one possible cause of sudden neurological signs and urgent illness.
Watch practical advice on deciding what to do before or during urgent care.
Follow-up testing may be needed when a seizure has no obvious cause.
