Seizure First Aid

A seizure happens when the brain's electrical activity suddenly goes haywire, causing your pet to lose normal control of their body. It can look like violent shaking on the ground, or something subtler like staring blankly, twitching an eyelid, or repeatedly snapping at invisible flies. Whatever form it takes, watching your own animal go through this is frightening, and knowing what to do in the moment makes a real difference to keeping everyone safe.

The most useful thing you can do during a seizure is very little, physically. Don't try to hold your pet down or wake them by shouting or shaking them, since this won't help and could make things worse or get you bitten, because they have no awareness or control of themselves while it's happening. Instead, clear away anything nearby that could cause injury, such as furniture edges or stairs, and if they're on a raised surface like a sofa, gently ease them down to the floor first. Dimming lights and keeping the room quiet and cool can help, since body temperature tends to rise during a seizure. Start timing it as soon as you notice, and if you can safely grab your phone, filming a few seconds is genuinely useful for your vet, since seizures can look very different from each other and a video says more than a description ever could.

Once the shaking stops, your pet will likely go through what's called a postictal phase, a period of confusion, disorientation, or even temporary blindness that can last anywhere from minutes to, in some cases, much longer. They may seem lost, clingy, or uncharacteristically snappy, so keep children and other pets away and let them come round somewhere calm and contained. Speaking softly can help settle them as their awareness returns.

Knowing when to actually call the vet matters as much as the first aid itself. As a general rule:

• Seizure lasting more than two minutes: this needs urgent veterinary attention, since a prolonged seizure can push body temperature to dangerous levels and become a medical emergency.
• More than one seizure within 24 hours: this also warrants an immediate call, since repeated seizures without full recovery between them are treated as urgent.
• A first-ever seizure, even a short one: worth a call for advice once your pet has settled, since it could point to an underlying illness worth investigating.
• A pet already on seizure medication having ongoing episodes: their treatment plan may need reviewing.

Seizures can be a one-off event, or a sign of an ongoing condition such as epilepsy, or linked to things like an underlying illness, a toxin, or a head injury. None of that needs sorting out in the moment, that's what the follow-up vet visit is for. Your job during the seizure itself is simply to keep your pet safe, keep the environment calm, and gather the details, timing and video, that will help your vet work out what happens next.