Treating Dog Cluster Seizures

by David Sanderson
(Brookeland Txs)

Is it common for black labs to have cluster seizures and how can we prevent them? Poor girl has one every three to four months gets rigid muscle spasms, panting, dog hair loss and glazed over eyes.

Please can anyone tell me how to prevent or ease this problem?

Thank you in advance



Vet Suggestion for Treating Dog Cluster Seizures


Hello David,

Cluster seizures are not that common in dogs and are generally more serious than are seizures that occur individually. Without more information, I can’t really say why your dog has developedthisproblem, but generally speaking, idiopathic epilepsy is one of the more common reasons.

Most veterinarians handle cases like these by getting a detailed description of the episodes, performing a physical exam, and running some basic laboratory tests to rule out other potential causes of seizures (e.g., liver disease, endocrine dysfunction, brain tumors). If the dog’s health looks good otherwise, a working diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy is reasonable.

If the dog’s seizures are severe or frequent enough, the veterinarian will prescribe medications to control them (often phenobarbital or potassium bromide). These drugs are usually quite effective at decreasing seizure frequency and severity. If not, other medications are also available.



Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM