Your 8-month-old Border Collie, Nova, just had a seizure. She collapsed, paddled her legs, salivated, and lost consciousness for about 2 minutes. She's now disoriented and wobbly. This is the first time. What do you do?
Warning: Seizures lasting > 5 minutes or multiple seizures without full recovery (status epilepticus) are life-threatening. Protect from injury during a seizure—don't put hands in mouth. Seek emergency care if seizure continues or recurs.
Move furniture, cushion the head, don't restrain. Never put hands in the mouth. Time the seizure. The Triage/Emergency Specialist advises: First seizure—veterinary evaluation recommended. If seizure > 5 min or clusters, emergency. The Emergency Drug Calculator provides diazepam dosing for status epilepticus.
The Neurology Specialist outlines differentials: Reactive (toxins, hypoglycemia, hepatic encephalopathy). Structural (brain tumor, malformation). Idiopathic epilepsy (genetic, typically 6 mo–6 yr). Workup: bloodwork, bile acids, MRI/CT if indicated. Single seizure in a young dog may be idiopathic epilepsy—treatment often starts after 2+ seizures/month.
Use Triage/Emergency Specialist, Neurology Specialist, and Emergency Drug Calculator for seizure guidance.
- Protect from injury during seizure—don't put hands in mouth.
- Status epilepticus = seizure > 5 min—emergency.
- First seizure workup rules out toxins, metabolic, structural causes.
- Idiopathic epilepsy common in young dogs—Border Collies predisposed.
- Treatment often starts after recurrent seizures.