My dog had a seizure, what should I do?

Dogs and cats can have seizures for numerous reasons ranging from epilepsy to low blood sugar to cancer. If you pet has a seizure for the first time and it is short-lived and stops on its own, you can monitor your pet at home and make an appointment with your veterinarian for evaluation. If your pet has a single seizure lasting more than five minutes or more than 2 seizures in a 24-hour period then he should be seen immediately. At a minimum, blood work will be recommended. To get an exact diagnosis, often an MRI and/or spinal tap is needed. If seizures are happening frequently then your pet will need to start anti-convulsant medication to control the frequency of seizures. It is always safest to have a pet evaluated by a veterinarian after a first-time seizure.