We have had our 4 year old rescued Weimaraner for 12 months now with no signs of ill health in fact I would say she is the picture of health and now regularly undertakes walks between 5 and 15 miles and loves every inch of them.
However in the early hours of this morning (5am) she went into a fit, crashed onto her side with her back legs outstretched and still and her front legs moving as though she was frantically running, she was foaming at the mouth and appeared to be struggling to breath.  I opened her jaw and ensured that her tongue was not blocking her airway (basic human first aid). We also noticed a small amount of vomit on her bed. After about 3 minutes or so comforting her she slowly came around with her eyes wide open and not really re acting to anything but within probably 15 minutes of the occurrence she was wagging her "stump" and having her usual "good morning" sniffing session with our other 2 dogs.Obviously she has today been to the vet where they checked her heart and all seems ok.
She has had a walk down to the park this afternoon and is her usual noisey bouncy "paddle" loving self.
I am led to believe that it is not uncommon for fitting to occur just once with no further re-percussions.
She has had a normal appetite for food and water and showed no signs of anything other than being a healthy hound.
Does anybody have any advice other than to keep a close eye on her?

I have an epileptic dog (in fact he's the second I've had). The thing is, there is nothing the vet can do or test for without seeing it happen, so what I did with mine, when the fits continued, I filmed him and showed it to the vet. My dog then had to go on medication as he was having fits every 6 days or so. Hes been on medication for over 2 years now and is doing well.

One thing to remember, if your dog has another fit, DON'T touch her, as that can make things worse and make it last longer. You also risk getting bitten. Keep the room quiet and if at all possible dark and just wait for it to end. Oh and make sure there are no other dogs nearby.

Hypothyroidism can be one cause of fitting, so if your bitch is exhibiting any of the commoner symptoms for this, weight gain, lack of energy, poor /patchy coat growth, especially on flanks then it may be worth getting a full thyroid panel done.

Hi There

I know how scared you must be feeling right now. My border collie, Finn, had his first fit when he was aged 4. He's now 10 and takes medication twice a day and is very well controlled.

Yes, it is possible for a dog to only have one fit. In fact, my youngest dogs mother had one fit aged 5. She was spayed and, 2 years on, has never had another fit.

All your vet can do at the moment is a blood panel to check for any abnormalities. As infection can also cause seizures, I would also be inclined to carry out the usual urine and temp tests. If all shows as normal....it's unfortunately a waiting game to see if any other seizures occur. Epilepsy is only diagnosed following repeated seizures and the absence of any other abnormalities.

In the meantime, I would consider your dogs diet. There is some evidence that preservatives in dog food can lower the seizure threshold (causing seziures in lab rats).

I would also think about leaving your dog in a separate room from your other dogs when you go out. Dogs have been know to attack a seizing dog - mainly through fear. Also, a dog is very disorientated following a seizure and may show signs of aggression both towards yourself and other dogs they know well. I truly hope your dog has no further seizures but, if so, just allow them their own space to orientate themselves (allow them to approach you rather than approaching them - Finn used to sniff me to death before demanding a very large reassuring hug!). As seizures are very energy consuming for a dog, I used to keep a little organic ice cream for Finn to have a small amount of following a seizure. Don't allow solid foods immediately following a fit, this is in case they go into a repeated seizure and there is then an increased chance of choking. About an hour after a fit, I would give Finn a small amount of his normal food for a more sustained energy release.

Lastly, I read some dreadful stories on the internet about epilepsy in dogs. So, if the absolute worst happens, please don't despair. Finn is very well controlled and, aside from a little bit clumsy and trembling back legs from the medication, he has the normal lust for life that you would want a dog to have

xxx