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Pet
Seizure
Hub
Understanding Pet Seizures
What does a seizure look like in dogs and cats?
Understanding the different types of seizures
and what you may see
By Dr. Dillon Devathasan, DVM MS DACVIM (Neurology)
Board certified veterinary neurologist
On this page
Generalized seizures
Focal seizures
What happens before & after a seizure?
Other conditions that may mimic seizures
May 20, 2025 | 5 min read | Start here series
Seizures can look very different from pet to pet. Some are dramatic and easy to recognize. Others may be subtle and sometimes missed. Knowing what to look for can help you provide the right description when talking to your veterinarian.
Key Takeaways
Seizures can look very different. Some non-neurological conditions mimic seizures
Knowing what is normal for your pet is important
Videos are extremely helpful for diagnosis
Contact your veterinarian if the seizure lasts > 5 minutes or clusters occur.
Caring for a pet with seizures
can feel overwhelming, but
support is here.
1. Generalized seizures (grand mal)
These are the most recognizable type of seizure. They involve the whole brain and often cause loss of consciousness.
What you may see: Stiffening, falling, paddling of the legs, jerking movements, salivation, urination or defecation, and loss of awareness.
They typically last 30 seconds to 2 minutes, followed by a recovery (post-ictal) period. A generalized seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes is considered status epilepticus, a potentially life-threatening emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention.
2. Focal (Partial) Seizures
These seizures affect only a portion of the brain, so signs may be subtle and vary between animals.
What you may see: Facial twitching, lip smacking, chewing
head turning, staring spells, twitching or contraction of limbs,
excessive salivation or behaviour changes.
In some cases, focal seizures can progress into generalized seizures.
3. Before and after a seizure
Some pets show changes before a seizure occurs, known as the pre-ictal phase. This may last for seconds to minutes before the seizure. You may notice restlessness, anxiety, clinginess, hiding behavior, pacing, vocalizing or unusual attention-seeking before the seizure.
After the seizure, pets may enter post-ictal phase lasting anyway from minutes to hours (sometimes days!). During this time, pets may appear disoriented, restless, temporarily blind, hungry, tired, unsteady or behave abnormally.
Status epilepticus refers to a sizure lasting 5 minutes of more.
Cluster seizures refer to 2 or more seizures in 24 hour period.
4. Conditions that mimic seizures
Not all episodes that appear seizure-like are caused by seizures. Several medical conditions can mimic seizure activity and may sometimes be difficult to distinguish without veterinary assessment.
Examples include syncope (fainting episodes), vestibular disease, severe neck or spinal pain, movement disorders, myasthenia gravis, narcolepsy, collapse episodes, toxin exposure, muscle tremors, cardiac disease, and behavioral events.
Whenever possible, safely recording a video of the episode can be extremely helpful for your veterinarian or veterinary neurologist in determining the cause of the event.
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