Seizures in dogs can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Idiopathic epilepsy: This is the most common cause of seizures in dogs and is an inherited disorder, but its exact cause is unknown.
• Extracranial causes: These originate elsewhere in the body but can still affect the dogs brain and cause seizure activity. The most common extracranial causes are hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hyperthermia, hypothyroidism, liver disease, or ingested poisons such as caffeine and chocolate.
• Intracranial causes: These are diseases that cause either structural or functional changes inside the dogs brain. The most common intracranial causes are genetic epilepsy, trauma to the brain, tumors, nutritional imbalances, autoimmune disease, or infectious diseases such as canine distemper virus (CDV) and rabies.

Symptoms of seizures in dogs can include collapsing, jerking, stiffening, muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, drooling, chomping, tongue chewing, or foaming at the mouth. Dogs can fall to the side and make paddling motions with their legs. They sometimes poop or pee during the seizure. They are also not aware of their surroundings.

If a dog has multiple seizures within a short period of time (cluster seizures) or if a seizure continues for longer than a few minutes, the body temperature begins to rise. If hyperthermia (elevated body temperature) develops secondary to a seizure, another set of problems can occur.

Its important to contact a veterinarian if a dog experiences a seizure. Treatment of seizures in dogs depends upon the underlying cause. The vet will run a number of tests to determine the cause of the seizures, and if no cause can be found, the disease will be diagnosed as idiopathic epilepsy. Following a diagnosis, the vet will work with the owner to determine the best course of treatment for the dogs seizures. Treatment can range from medications to simply keeping a seizure diary.