Tell Us What You Think

When a senior dog has a single seizure, most pet parents end up in the emergency room the same night, and many walk out with a prescription for anti-convulsants before anyone's confirmed what caused it. In this episode, Dr. Angie Krause and JoJo unpack why that reflexive approach concerns Dr. Angie after treating six or seven senior dogs with new-onset seizures in just the last few weeks. They walk through what actually qualifies a dog as "senior" for seizure purposes, what a seizure looks like versus fainting or a vasovagal episode, and why post-ictal confusion is the tell. Dr. Angie explains what ER bloodwork can and can't reveal, why a brain tumor becomes the leading concern in older dogs, and why some dogs who seize once never seize again. They also get into the specifics: phenobarbital versus Keppra and why the wrong anti-convulsant sometimes gets prescribed, the real risks of starting steroids preemptively, when cluster seizures change the treatment decision entirely, and where CBD and Chinese herbs fit into long-term management. The episode closes with practical guidance for what to do, and what not to do, if a senior dog seizes at home.

Key Takeaways

• One seizure in a senior dog doesn't automatically mean medication.
• "Senior" for this purpose is roughly 9+, or 7+ in giant breeds.
• Post-ictal confusion is what helps identify a seizure, not fainting.
• First-seizure bloodwork rarely finds the cause — it mostly rules out things like severe hypothyroidism or electrolyte problems.
• The real concern in seniors is a brain tumor, but many dogs never seize again after one episode.
• Waiting for a second seizure gives useful information about timing and progression without meaningful added risk.
• Anti-convulsants become the right call once seizures recur, especially if they cluster (more than one in 24 hours).
• Steroids and anti-convulsants started reflexively at the ER can bring real side effects and complicate long-term management.
• At home: give space, don't touch the mouth, don't feed right away, protect from falls.
• CBD and Chinese herbs are for ongoing management once there's a pattern, not a treatment for one seizure.

Sound Bites

"After twenty years of practice, when I watch an animal seize, it still alarms something inside me." — Dr. Angie

"It's one of my least favorite things to witness." — JoJo

"Seizures beget seizures." — Dr. Angie

"After one seizure, putting your dog on an anti-convulsant, in my opinion, is incorrect." — Dr. Angie

"Everybody wants to just pull them close and hold them, and your dog's just not in their normal state of being." — JoJo

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