I almost feel that it is impossible to know what to do when your Pomeranian has seizures. Sadly seizures in Pomeranians can be common. If you are a Pommy Parent who has a Pom with seizures, what do you do when they are having a seizure? Do you give them space? Do you hold them? In addition to making sure they have the proper medication, what’s the best thing that you can do to keep them comfortable?
When your Pomeranian has seizures and are in the throws of a spasm for the first time it can be a horrific experience—and very painful as a Pommy Mommy to experience. Don’t freak out. There are ways to understand the mechanism of the seizure, what you can do to keep your Pomeranian comfortable, what actually causes seizures, and what treatments can help your Pom. when your Pomeranian has Seizures
A seizure is an abnormal, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain that can look like almost anything from a slight twitch to uncontrollable shaking to falling down that lasts less than a minute. If your Pom has a seizure lasting more than that up to four minutes consider it an emergency.
When your Pomeranian has seizures, they will get a dazed look in their eyes and will most likely be unsteady on their feet. My Sheika when she was still with us, would hide, seem confused and seem like she was staring off into space. Even if you may be watching closely it may be very hard to determine what is going on just before the seizure. So it is important to observe very closely their behavior and determine what is happening when you see it. This will help you in determining the mechanism of the seizure your furry baby is going through. when your Pomeranian has Seizures
Almost anything that irritates or damages brain cells can cause a seizure. This includes toxins such as pesticides and poisons, certain infections, or trauma (hitting) to the head. Anxiety, especially doing something off your Poms routine can trigger a small seizure. All seizures are classified as general or central… and this depends on where and how the body reacts to the seizure.
There are two types of seizures common in Pomeranians. One is a grand mal, where your Pom will usually fall down and become unconscious or a partial/petite mal that only includes a body part such as a twitching of the head. Sometimes if your Pom is staring into space, is biting at the air for no reason, or begins circling and barking they may be having a “psychomotor” seizure. This is a little less common in Pomeranians… but still happens.
The most common but unknown cause of seizures is idiopathic epilepsy, where your Pom’s brain cells become extremely excitable and causes small short circuits. Some other causes include… and don’t start jumping to conclusions, but they do include brain tumors, over-toxicity or poisoning, and some metabolic diseases such as Hypoglycemia and Diabetes.
What to do when your Pomeranian has Seizures:
1) Avoid Pomeranian’s mouth and head. Hold your furry baby by the body not touching the twitching area. when your Pomeranian has Seizures
2) Move your Pom away from anything that could hurt them or fall on them, such as stairs, furniture, sharp objects. If you don’t know what could be harmful just move them to an open space. when your Pomeranian has Seizures
3) Don’t ever put anything anywhere in or around your Pomeranian’s mouth… they will not swallow their tongues.
What to do after a Seizure:
1) Watch your furry baby to make sure they recover… it can take several minutes to several hours. Just keep monitoring them.
2) Make sure to speak softly and touch them so that they hear your voice and feel your touch for reassurance.
3) Remain as calm as you can and try not to become anxious. Pomeranians are acute at detecting feelings and will take on those feelings from you. If you show fear, so will your Pom. when your Pomeranian has Seizures
4) Be very observant about the seizure. Record when it happened, what your Pom looked like and how long it lasted. This will give your Vet the information he/she needs to help treat the seizures.
The best thing to do is ask your Veterinarian to do a serum chemistry profile, which is much like a CBC (Complete Blood Count), that provides a broad database of your dog’s general health. The results can bring to light and problems currently related to your Pomeranians seizures or any future health issues. If your Vet determines that there is reason or the seizures become sever than an EKG, CAT scan, spinal fluid analysis and an MRI may be warranted. Upon completion of the tests, your veterinarian may prescribe either phenobarbital or potassium bromide. There are two newer drugs being used which are KEPPRA (levetiracetam), which is an antiepileptic drug and Zonisamide, an anticonvulsant drug. Ask your Vet if he/he is familiar with these newer drugs and if they could be a better treatment for your furry baby.
Although the drugs can work well… I have been working with several Veterinary Scientists and Pet Nutritional Consultants to develop my EnzymX™ Antioxidant Formula ever since our baby Shieka passed from a massive seizure. We have seen amazing success at reducing the severity and frequency of seizures just by adding EnzymX™ Antioxidant Formula to each meal. For questions about how to help your Pomeranian get relief from seizures call us now: 702.534.7984. If you would like to know more about other Pomeranian health issues, please click the link. when your Pomeranian has Seizures
37 comments
Pommies are the only breed of dog I’ve ever had. We got our first when I was about 8. The one I have now is the only one to have had seizures. We did some sleuthing and determined that it was his food causing the problem. Once we switched him to a different brand, he’s not had another seizure.
Thanks for the info, my baby coco (8 yrs aprox rescue) used to have them a lot and I was terrified, I took him to the vet and everything was fine, but now I know it’s an usual thing for poms
I LOVE POMPOMS!!!BEST DOGS!!
My baby Sheika had them terrible… we had them under control until one day she just started having one right after another… then she passed.
thank you
thank you
We had 1 for about 10 yrs(he was 13 when he crossed the bridge) and he had them his entire life. He bit into an electric cord as a puppy and survived. I was advised to touch his tongue with a bit of honey and about 99% of the time it would shorten the seizure. We would hold him as he would try to jump off furniture or bump into things so we didn’t want him to break something. He lived a good long life until he got arthritis in all 4 legs. I continued to care for him until the pain got too great for both of us . . .
My pommy mattheu also get them. When he was little he fell into the swinningpool and drowned, when my aunt got to him he was already on the bottom of the pool and she took him out did CPR and he lived. Hes about 10years now, but his seizures started last year. Could it also be of the drowning that his brain got hurt?
Why is this and heart problems so common in Pomeranians is what I would like to know.
did not know, I have an 8 year old pom, parti colored I love him, guess I’m lucky
Our Pom Cookie has been on meds for 2 years now with no seizures…she had 3 before we knew what was going on, and the last one was in the Vet’s office which was quite convenient.
what a great article! My 9 year old Pommy Bandit has had epilepsy now for about 6 years….seizures are very scary to experience as a pom mom….I hope one day we can find a reasoning to why this happens 🙁
what a great article! My 9 year old Pommy Bandit has had epilepsy now for about 6 years….seizures are very scary to experience as a pom mom….I hope one day we can find a reasoning to why this happens 🙁
My black Pom Shadow has seizures, They are frightening and he is out of it for awhile. He is on phenobarbitol, but still breadks through. My Himalyan Cat Sparkleis with him all the time and will lay on him if he seizes. She never lets him far from her sight.
There are a couple of videos on my FB page of me having seizures. I take meds for mine and still do my therapy dog visits.
My Pom, Spiffy has seizures and I did change his food and now he gets them less often. When he does have one, I give him a doze of benadyrl and he usually brings him right out of it. I also hold him and rub his belly and throat and talk softly to him until he gets ok.
This is going to sound crazy but I noticed our pomeranian Mikey was having seizures and it was right around the time they were finding some dog food from China to be hazardous. I stopped giving him the store bought snacks that were begin strips and his seizure’s did stop completely. Six months later I gave him some training treats I bought at Petsmart and a week later he laid down next to me and started having a seizure. He was shaking and could not move. I removed those snacks from his diet and I only give him homemade treats or from specialty shops. Be careful what you feed your dog cheaper is literally what you get. Our dog is so much healthier and no seizures for one year. Go on internet and look up the different dog foods and treats that are safe.
This was so helpful as my pommy had two seizures just two weeks ago, and I had no idea what to do. Turns out her blood sugar levels were really low, at 60… So thanks for posting this!
My Pom Judy has had seizures since she was 3, she’s now 13. Epiphen meds work really well. She has taken these for 4 years now as the seizures increased in frequency and severity as she got older.
I always lay on the floor beside her to reassure Judy that I was there, it’s scary but Epiphen does work
My beautiful baby Jasmine has seizures. The vet put her on meds and they got worse. I started a journal about what was going on around her when they occurred. I realized that she would get worse about 15 minutes after her dose of medications. I also noticed that they were much worse if I picked her up and held her on my lap when she was having the seizures. We changed her meds and her number of seizures dropped significantly. When I talked her though them they were about 1/4 the time as before and before long they stopped completely. She was my baby, she was such a momma’s girl, always in my arms. I would tell anyone who has to go through this to just talk to them, comfort them as best you can. She gave me so much more than I could ever give her. She was my life!
My baby boy Leo the Lion has seizures. I learned from Shands in Gainesville to use baby beef. Regular baby food jar .. Gerber in the blue is best. It breaks my heart to watch.
My little guy Diezel had seizures several years ago. We were able to actually link them to his food (allergy to both Wheat and Chicken). Since I’ve removed both Wheat and Chicken from his diet, he’s been seizure free. My vet was awesome at supporting and wasn’t quick to recommend meds until we did some further research which I was grateful for. In his case, his seizures seem linked to food issues. Knock on wood he’s not had one in several years now.
My pom had them her whole life. She would come to me and want to hold her before she had them. I would hold her like a baby and rub her back legs. I found that helped her out. But every dog is different. Then when she would stop put her in her bed. I will tell yall if you take your pom to petsmart to be groomed make sure you tell them that they have seizure. I took my pom to petsmart one time and she had a seizure while they were grooming her. They took her to one of the vets there and the dumb vet there most have not known that poms are known to have seizures. (I think if your good vet you should know this) They told me that they were going to call animal services on me. I told the vet and the groomer they need to read up on the history of poms.
The Pomeranian descended from the Spitz family of dogs, the sled dogs of Iceland and Lapland. The breed takes its name from the historical region of Pomerania that makes up the southern coast of the Baltic sea (now present day Germany and Poland), not because it originated there, but because this was most likely where it was bred down to size. In its larger form, the dog served as an able herder of sheep. When it first came to notice in Britain in the middle of the 19th century, some specimens were said to weigh as much as thirty pounds and to resemble the German wolf spitz in size, coat and color.
In 1870 the Kennel Club (England) recognized the so-called spitz dog. In 1888 a Pomeranian named “Marco” was sent from Florence, Italy to become the beloved companion of Queen Victoria of England. Because the Queen was a popular monarch, the breed’s popularity grew as well. In fact, the Queen is credited for advocating the trend toward the smaller Poms.
Pomeranians were shown in the United States in the Miscellaneous Class as far back as 1892, but regular classification was not provided until 1900 at New York. In 1911 the American Pomeranian Club held its first specialty show. Early American winners were heavier in bone, larger in ear and usually weighed under six pounds. They had type and good coat texture, although they lacked the profuseness of coat in evidence today.
My Pom is 11 & has had seizures since he was 3, has had blood work & can’t find anything. I just sit with him & pet him. He loses feeling in his back legs & has no control of his bladder & then throws up 20 min later. He then hides under the bed for about an hour & then is back to normal.
First thing I would do is find a Medical Marijuana caregiver and acquire some oil or a tincture. One drop should stop all activity and a daily dose should keep them at bay. I know from experience. Also I had a cocker spaniel that had them for years until I found MM. Also created a tracking program (it is online to use to track the duration and such. If anyone interested let me know.
I’ve had idiopathic seizures since I was two years old. I am on twice daily Medication of PhB and KBr. If I have a “break-through” seizure, Bill has valium for me to take. He holds me and talks to me in quiet tones. I am certified therapy dog with TDI with well over 250 documented visits. I am also over 7 yrs. old and will not let these seizures stop me.
Thank u for this article, my Shelby is 6 yrs old and has only had one about 6 months ago..it only lasted about 15 seconds or so but it scared the daylights outa me and her dad!! Of course we called the vet right after and wanted to bring her in but it also was late at night and he suggested for us to just keep an eye on her the rest of the night and wait till mornin to bring her in…as there was nothing he could do in the middle of the night afterwards. So luckily she hasn’t had another since and vet said unless she had another that it may have just been a rare occurrence and suggested we not test her unless there was another. I’m hoping he gave us the right advice, we surely think of her and her brother as our kids and u can bet that if she has another one I WILL take action and do whatever necessary to keep my baby’s healthy and happy. No matter the cost! Again, thank u for the article, they are always so helpful to us other pommy mommies !!
The Pomeranian I had with seizures is passed (not from seizures) but his seizures were controlled by what I believe was Phenobarbratol (or however it is spelled) and it worked really well, as long as it was administered he did not have any seizures.
My pom had 4 grandmal seizures the day she died at age 13 yrs….the MRI showed a massive brain tumor that was inoperable & had apparantly been growing for a long time undetected. On retrospect I realized she had been probably having petit mal seizures (staring into space) for several years before that.
My black Pom Shadow has seizures. The first one was truly frightening, He is on phenobarbital twice a day, but he still has break throughs. He had one this morning, I have a big Himalayan cat who seems to know when he is going to seize. She stays with him and has laid on him while he was seizing. When he comes out of the seizure, he will walk to a corner and stay there without moving for several minutes. He is very unsteady on his feet for about an hour, and seems tired for the rest of the day. The doctor has done all kinds of tests, but she believes it is the ideopathic seizure issue for him. He is such a good boy and I hate to see him suffer.
Thank you so much for this article. I follow you on Facebook so I had read it in the past. At that time I thought thank goodness Marley does not have seizures. Well… he had his first one today. He is 9 years old and it scared me so bad. BUT I knew what was going on and was able to stay calm and help him through it. He is doing fine now. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! 🙂
I recently heard that not only is marijuana medically proven to help humans with a variety of medical problems, but can also benefit dogs as well with issues such as seizures and cancer. Has anyone heard this?
Foxy Pheona is 2.5 years old ,she has seizures ,gets super hot and then shakes some and goes like she is in a trance her tongue doent come out she just pants alot before and after ,I am very worried about Her ,she has high anxiety ,hard to leave her alone at all
I have two poms, the older one (Oreo) is 10yrs old and has had seizures most her life. They mostly last about 3-5min, and she recovers, sometimes faster than others. She only gets them once a month our every couple months. I asked her very about it and he says not to worry too much unless she starts to have them more frequently, every week our every day and if that happens he would then consider putting get on medication. She always runs to me for comfort right before it hits. She always knows when she’s about to have one. I’ve always just held and wrapped her with a soft blanket or towel. And I constantly talk softly to her and kiss her. This morning was her worst one yet, about 20min long. She’s doing fine now and already back to normal about 20-30 min after her seizure ended. It always scares me when she gets one cause you never know how severe its gonna be. And she will usually throw up a foamy substance afterwards. When she does that I know her seizure has finally ended. Should I address this situation again with her vet?
Same here Terri, i had to experience my coming up 10 years old Pomeranian uncontrollable shakes and didnt know what it was untill i read about here. it was scaring but i was able to stay calm to comfort my baby. Can you or someone please tell me if the enzym advertised above would help with seizure?
My male Pom is 10. He just started having Small seizures. All blood work and full body X-ray are clean. I just can’t believe it could be a tumor in the brain. Your article is very helpful. Can you advise further???
Hi .. my sister has a pom now 5 yrs old.. been taking seizures every month for 2 yrs, meds not helping ,, shot in the dark here does anyone know of anything to help. . next one she’ll have to put her down .. she can;t afford any more test or week stays we all love this pom,, her name is sasha .. but after yrs of this my sister is at the end of the rope .. no more money so sad i know .. thank you for reading