I recently rescued a miniature Labre doodle that is two years old and he has just had a seizure looking for some info

Hey Leah,

A reputable vet is going to be far and away your best, most accurate info for your dog's medical concerns, especially considering seizure disorders often require medications and strict environmental control to maintain. They can help you figure out if he has a chronic condition and what his triggers may be. Good luck!

Aside from the vet--which you obviously need--you said you recently rescued the dog. All the reputable shelters/rescues should have examined the dog on intake, and some provide a certain number of days of free veterinary care. When I rescued my dog, he immediately developed kennel cough and I took him into their clinic for medications. Seizures are a serious thing and a professional needs to assess the situation; it isn't something to Google.

There are two support groups for parents of epi dogs on facebook. I find them very helpful.

Hi Leah,

Seizures are fairly commen in dogs, at my clinic we have quite a few dogs that are on medications.

Was this your dogs first seizure? How long did it last? How long was the postictal stage (time after seizure where they will seem confused, dizzy, wobbly, etc)? Did your dog loose bladder control?

Usually medications are not started after just one seizure. Usually they are started when it becomes repetitive or when they experience sudden cluster seizures.

The main go to medications for seizures are phenobarbital and zonisamide. Both of these are the top choices by the AVMA.

As with any medication it is recommended to do bloodwork prior to starting - to get a baseline. Then re checking the bloodwork 2-4 weeks after starting to make sure that organ function is good and that your dog is tolorating the medications. This will also decide if your dogs dosage needs to be changed. While on these medications the bloodwork should be done every 6 months.

Seizures can happen for a number of reasons, epilepsy, toxin ingestion, tumors, etc.

Epilepsy is diagnosed by ruleing out the other options- this can be done with bloodwork, X-rays or even a CT Scan.

Keep in mind your dog will still most likely have seizures, this will not "cure" but will help suppress them.

Please seek veterinary advice.