I found the above the morning after my doxie had a seizure so I haven’t gotten to try this yet. Sammy has a seizure maybe 2 or 3 times per year…and they’re very scary.
At the first sign of aura or seizure, place a large baggie filled with ice on the middle of their back. The size of the baggie would vary depending on size of dog. Sammy is 20 lbs, so a quart size would do. My doxie is a smooth-coat, so very little hair. If I had a dog with longer hair who had seizures, I might be proactive and shorten the hair at least at that area …just in case.
The result of placing the bagged ice onto their backs is hopefully ending the seizure or at least shortening the time length.
Also, people have reported that their dogs disorientation, which is usually substantial after a seizure, is lessened. My own dog will be very disoriented for a few hours after, so I hope that not only will this stop or lessen a seizure, but will eliminate that multi-hour disorientation.
I now have a baggie filled with ice “at the ready” in my freezer which I’ll use the moment I sense that Sammy is having an aura or a seizure has begun.
The baggie is to be immediately placed in the middle of the spine/back area…about where the ribs stop and right below. (Maybe someone here can better describe where the best placement is…but that’s what I’ve determined.)
Hope this helps someone out there and their precious pooch!
I have a dachshund with seizures -she takes phenobarbital - If she has one again (unlikely -unless I forget meds ) I will try it. The aftermath is worse than the seizure itself for her . Actually that is why she got on meds -she had 3 in a row and didn’t seem to bounce back after them.
She is doing well now. It is not the one in the picture. We have another one -a smooth red
Yes, the aftermath can be worse. Sammy had a seizure a few days ago, at around 1am, and although the seizure didn’t last very long, maybe a minute, he didn’t settle down until 6am. Then he slept nearly the rest of the day.
How old is your dog? When did seizures start and frequency? Any other health issues?
She is 10, they started when she was 7 or 8. She also has skin issues. One day she just got this strange look on her face and lost control of her bowels and bladder. It was right after she had gotten really upset with the UPS man . She couldn’t walk - just fell over. After about five minutes she seemed OK -she did it a few more times over the next week or two and seemed a bit lethargic. After a couple of vet visits she was put on phenobarbital -which works for her really well. So now she has about 1 a year. The phenobarbital makes her want to eat more.
What kind of aura does your dog have? My dogs seizures seem to come on suddenly.
A couple of times, I was asleep so I didn’t get to see the aura. The 2 auras I’ve seen can be described as a funny look on his face, and his body sort of becoming stiff. One time I was walking him on the grass and he started walking funny, and within about 1-2 minute, the seizure began.
I’ve tried to isolate what his triggers are. Since 2 or 3 began while sleeping I can’t imagine what those triggers were. One time we were outside on a hot day, he had plenty of water and was in the shade. Once we got into the car, within about 3 minutes, he began a horrible seizure. One time he had his face outside the car window (he loves that), but then he had a seizure (described above) while walking on the grass (started with walking funny). I don’t know if all the wind/smells while having his head out the car window proved to be too much or what.
Update: Tonight Sammy had a seizure. I wasn’t with him at first, DH called me into the room and I then immediately grabbed the ice bag and applied it to the middle of his back. The seizure ended within a couple of seconds…simply amazing. I quickly tested his blood sugar (he’s diabetic) and that was fine, so that wasn’t the cause.
Never heard of the ice bag trick. We have a 12 year old Maltese who’s had seizures since he was about 7. He’s been on phenobarbitol and a couple of other meds for years now, and hasn’t had a seizure in about 3 years. But his liver is now badly damaged from the phenobarbitol, so we’ve taken him off it. So far, so good on the seizures, but the veterinarians say his life expectancy is short due to poor liver function, which is apparently irreversible. We’re just trying to make him as comfortable as possible in his declining months.
This thread appeared at the perfect time for us - Honey had what we think was her first seizure last night, and we were terrified. She had an episode a couple weeks ago where the vet thought she ate something toxic in the backyard, but now I’m wondering if that may have been caused by a seizure that we didn’t witness. Perhaps the symptoms we observed were actually her post-ictal recovery. She seems fine today, but I have already prepared an ice pack just in case. Thanks so much for the information.
Another non-medicine method to use is “ocular compression therapy.”
The above link describes doing this during a seizure, but I’m also trying to find the other link that tells you to ALSO do this every day before your dog goes to sleep at night. I’ve actually been doing in a couple times a day because Sammy takes a good nap during the day as well. Just light finger pressure on their closed eyelids at least once a day, but also during a seizure.
She couldn’t walk - just fell over. After about five minutes she seemed OK -she did it a few more times over the next week or two and seemed a bit lethargic. After a couple of vet visits she was put on phenobarbital -which works for her really well. So now she has about 1 a year. The phenobarbital makes her want to eat more.