There is nothing worse that seeing your dog have a seizure and feeling totally powerless to help your beloved pet and with dog gulping seizures being a relatively common problem with dogs, we have seen a large number of people reaching out about managing the condition.
Although the more common causes of gulping seizures in dogs are due to an inherited disorder and are not treatable, you are often able to manage the condition to reduce the frequency of the seizures.
In this article, we are going to be going over the most common questions that we have seen the community asking about relating to gulping seizures in dogs.
Our hope is to be able to help as many people manage and prevent their dog from having as many seizures as possible while also touching on some common mistakes that we see people make time and time again.
Please note though, it can always be a good idea to get professional advice from a veterinarian if you notice that your dog is having seizures as there are multiple conditions that have seizures as a symptom.
You are able to book a quick video call with a vet to have them give your dog the once over if needed with these video calls often being much cheaper than a trip to your local veterinarians.
What Causes Dog Gulping Seizures?
There are a number of causes of gulping seizures in dogs but the most common cause is idiopathic epilepsy, an inherited disorder that presents a number of health issues with various types of seizures being one of the main symptoms.
Idiopathic epilepsy is not treatable but can be managed to reduce the number of seizures that your dog will have.
The other causes of gulping seizures in dogs include but are not limited to liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumours, brain trauma, and blood toxins but they are generally less common than idiopathic epilepsy.
There are some other very rare causes of gulping seizures in dogs too but they are so rare and specific that it’s generally not worth even investigating them as a potential cause.
Although some people do presume that the age of the dog can be a cause, it is just a correlation and not a direct cause of your dog having various types of seizures.
For example, the older a dog gets, the more likely it is to have some of the causes of seizures but the age of your dog is not the direct cause.
How Do You Treat Dog Gulping Seizures?
Some common causes of gulping seizures in dogs are not treatable but can be managed.
If your dog is having gulping seizures due to head trauma or blood toxin problems then the seizures can often be treat relatively easily and in some cases will treat themselves given time.
This is why we usually recommend that our readers get some advice from a vet as soon as they noticed that their dog is having seizures, especially if it has them on a regular basis.
A fully trained veterinarian will be able to look into the specific situation and circumstances for your dog and potentially come back with a way to treat the seizures in your dog depending on their cause.
A vet will also be able to help you identify the triggers of the seizures in your dog and advise you on how to avoid them. One of the most common triggers is to give your dog “treats” that are food designed for humans rather than dogs.
Switching over to a freeze-dried meat-based dog treat is a much better dog treat with a high-quality dog food or a custom made dog food being great options for their main meals.
Can Dehydration Cause Seizures In Dogs?
Although rare due to extreme dehydration being required, the chance of your dog having a seizure does start to increase if it is dehydrated.
This is generally a symptom of the brain swelling and issues developing in the kidneys and liver rather than due to the dehydration itself though.
Thankfully, this should not be a problem for the vast majority of our readers as your dog should have quick and easy water throughout the day.
Even if you are at work and your dog drinks all of its water, a healthy dog should easily be able to go a few hours without having problems with dehydration.
One thing that we would point out is if you have a working dog that is out working all day in hot sun. The combination of its activity levels, hot sun, and body heat are able to cause dehydration to set in very quickly.
That’s why we would recommend that you pick up a cheap, travel pet bowl and carry a source of water with you when out working with your dog.
Why Does My Dog Vomit Then Have A Seizure?
Some dogs will vomit prior to having a seizure but the vomiting is not the trigger for the seizure, it is another symptom of the cause of the seizure.
It is usually associated with high blood toxin levels, head trauma, brain tumors, and some other less common issues causing your dog to vomit and then have a seizure.
Although it is not always the case, if you do notice that your does vomit prior to having a seizure rather than just having a seizure then it can be a sign that the cause of the seizure is serious and requires assistance from a vet as soon as possible.
As we touched on earlier in the article, booking a video call with a professional vet is usually the quickest and cheapest option for getting advice from a vet.
Please try not to worry if your dog is vomiting prior to a seizure though, there are still some causes that are not serious.
For example, in a recent case a dog was trying to pull food dog from a counter and knocked the toaster off causing it to fall and hit the dog in the head making it vomit then have a seizure with the dog being fine the next day.
It is usually just better to be safe than sorry if you do notice your dog vomiting and having a seizure.
Why Do Dogs Have Seizures At Night?
It is surprisingly common for young dogs to have seizures at night and they will usually grow out of it within a few months.
The problem is the higher energy levels of a younger dog as well as their brains not having adjusted to the chemical changes in their body while they sleep.
In older dogs, a seizure at night can be due to blood toxin levels and can be pretty easy to treat but will often need their diet to change.
As we touched on earlier in the article, if you are giving your dog human good as treats, particularly processed food then cutting this out and using a freeze-dried meat-based dog treat could be enough to stop the problem.
We know that people love their dogs and want the best for them but giving dogs processed human goods is usually causing more harm than good, especially in older dogs.
This is why so many people put their older dogs on a custom dog food when they are seniors as it ensures that they are getting exactly what they need.
What Is A Dog Licking Seizure?
The term “licking seizure” is not actually a medical term with a set definition but it is usually used to describe a dog that displays chewing motions, salivation, gulping, and excessive licking of the air around its head prior to a seizure.
There are a number of causes of licking seizures with some being serious and others being treatable.
Although a licking seizure is slightly different to a gulping seizure, you should still be trying to get advice from a vet as soon as possible once you realize that your dog is having licking seizures.
This will give you a better idea of if you can actually treat the causes of the seizure or if you will have to focus on ways to manage it and reduce the number of seizures your dog will suffer from.
Licking seizures and gulping seizures in dogs do usually have the same causes including idiopathic epilepsy, liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumors, brain trauma, and blood toxins.
Some dogs will display the symptoms of a licking seizure and a gulping seizure at different times for the exact same causes too.
Is This Dog Hiccups Or A Seizure?
It can be difficult to know if your dog is simply suffering from hiccups or is about to have an actual seizure at times.
Usually, if your dog has been hiccuping for over fifteen minutes and has not had a seizure it is often just normal hiccups and nothing to worry about though.
What Is A Dog Lip Smacking Seizure?
The term “lip smacking seizure” is usually used to describe a dog that smacks its lips prior to having a seizure. This can sometimes appear as if your dog is trying to blow you a kiss before it has a seizure.
The causes of a lip-smacking seizure are similar to that of a gulping seizure or licking seizure in dogs but also have the added potential cause of a lack of oxygen in the blood.
Although there are treatments available, your dog’s specific cause may not be treatable meaning that you just have to take steps to manage the condition.
Should I Put My Dog Down If He Has Seizures?
Most causes of seizures are manageable with the correct plan with some being treatable to prevent the issue so usually, you will not have to put your dog down.
Unfortunately, some causes of dogs having seizures are very serious and will often mean that your dog is in pain throughout the day so putting your dog down may be the better option to free it from the constant pain.
This really is a question for you and your vet though due to there being no way for us to take all of your dog’s symptoms and specific situation into account.
A simple video call with a vet will usually be able to offer a quick diagnosis on the potential causes of the seizures in your dog and offer a better idea of your options.
Even common causes of some types of seizures in dogs such as liver disease, kidney failure, and brain tumours can be serious but manageable if you catch the condition early enough.
This is why we always recommend you get a vet involved as soon as possible when you noticed that your dog is suffering from seizures.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over how to manage, treat, and prevent dog gulping seizures and other types of seizures in dogs to an end. We hope that we have been able to help you and although seeing your dog have a seizure can be terrible as we always think the worst, most of the time, the issue is manageable and treatable.
