What to do when your dog or cat has an epileptic seizure

Based on the international veterinary neurology guidelines (IVETF, ACVIM). Updated 19 October 2026. 5 min read.

What should I do when my dog has a seizure?

The first thing is to stay calm and make the area around your pet safe. Once a seizure has started, the owner cannot stop it. What you can do is prevent injury, time the seizure and observe. The steps are the same for dogs and cats:

1. Stay with your pet and keep calm. In generalised seizures, the animal is usually unconscious and does not respond to your voice or touch.
2. Move away objects it could hit or that could fall on it: chairs, bowls, anything breakable. If your pet is near stairs, a swimming pool or on a high sofa, try to stop it falling, but only if you can do so safely. You can put something soft under its head.
3. Do not hold it tightly or try to stop its movements.
4. Do not put your hand, your fingers or any object in its mouth.
5. Check the clock or start the stopwatch on your phone as soon as the seizure begins.
6. Film the episode if someone has their hands free.
7. If your vet has already prescribed a seizure medicine and shown you how and when to use it, do exactly as you were told.

Can a dog swallow its tongue during a seizure?

No. A dog or cat cannot swallow its tongue during a seizure. This is a myth, and trying to “pull the tongue out” or put something between the teeth is dangerous: during a seizure the animal clamps its jaws hard without any control and can bite you badly. An object put in the mouth can break and injure your pet or end up in its throat. If your pet is drooling a lot, you can leave it lying on its side without touching its mouth.

Why is it important to time the seizure?

How long the seizure lasts decides whether it is an emergency. Most generalised seizures last under 5 minutes, usually 1-2 minutes. A seizure that goes past 5 minutes is considered status epilepticus, a life-threatening emergency. Without a clock it is almost impossible to judge correctly: a few seconds of seizure feel like whole minutes to the person watching. Note the time it started and the time your pet stopped moving.

Why does filming the seizure help?

The vet very rarely sees a seizure as it happens. A video helps them work out whether the episode really was an epileptic seizure and not fainting or a balance problem, and what type of seizure it was. The beginning matters most, so start recording as soon as you can.

What happens after the seizure?

After the seizure comes the post-ictal phase, the period in which the brain recovers. It can last from a few minutes to several hours. During this time your pet may be:

• disorientated, bumping into things or walking unsteadily;
• temporarily blind or not responding to its name;
• restless, frightened or even aggressive, without recognising you;
• very tired, or on the contrary hungry and thirsty.

Leave your pet in a quiet, dimly lit place, away from stairs and other animals. Talk to it calmly, but do not insist on touching it until it recognises you. Do not give food, water or medicines by mouth until it can swallow normally and walk steadily. If the post-ictal phase lasts longer than 24 hours or the signs are severe, tell your vet: this is one of the criteria used to decide on treatment.

What should I write in the seizure diary?

The seizure diary is one of the most useful tools for the vet and is explicitly recommended in the international guidelines. For each seizure, write down:

• the date and time;
• what your pet was doing beforehand (sleeping, playing, eating) and whether you noticed any changes in the preceding hours or days;
• what the seizure looked like and how long it lasted;
• whether your pet drooled or passed urine or faeces;
• how long recovery took and how your pet behaved afterwards;
• whether there was more than one seizure on the same day;
• any dose of medicine that was missed, vomited up or given late, and any change of food.

Bring the diary to every check-up. It shows whether the treatment is working or needs adjusting. You will find tips for the daily routine in the article on living with an epileptic dog.

When is a seizure an emergency?

Go straight to the nearest emergency vet clinic that is open now if:

• the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes;
• your pet has two or more seizures one after another without recovering in between;
• there are several seizures on the same day (cluster seizures), even if your pet recovers in between, and your vet has not given you a plan for this situation;
• it is the first seizure in a puppy or kitten and there are other symptoms too: weakness, vomiting, tremors, an unsteady gait, drowsiness;
• you suspect poisoning: slug pellets or rodent bait, insecticides, antifreeze, human medicines, a parasite treatment for dogs put on a cat;
• your pet has had a head injury or does not recover after the seizure.

If the seizure stops on the way, go to the clinic anyway. Phone ahead if you can, so that the team there knows you are coming.

What if it was just one short seizure?

If your pet has had a first short seizure and has fully recovered, book a vet appointment in the next few days. A single seizure does not necessarily mean epilepsy, but it does need investigating. You will find what comes next, from tests to diagnosis, in the article on epilepsy in dogs.

Frequently asked questions

This article is for information only and does not replace a veterinary consultation.