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My dog fell and seemed confused. Could it be a seizure or heart issue?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Havanese | Female | spayed | 12 years and 5 months old | 25 lbs

Hi My dog Lily just had an episode where she lost balance in her legs and fell to one side. Once she was on the ground she curled up and looked disoriented. Around 15 seconds later she got back up and acted fine. Is this a seizure?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 19th, 2017

Yes, this sounds like seizure activity. Unfortunately at her age if she is just now starting to have seizures that is not a good thing. Seizures starting at her age are usually indicative of an underlying brain lesion. I would recommend you take her in to your vet for an examination and some bloodwork. In the meantime, monitor her closely and if it happens again I would video tape the episode so you can show it to your vet. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Lily.

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi, without seeing the event this could be either a seiszure of syncopal episode. A syncopal episode is a collapsing episode where they don't lose consciousness but are temporarily very weak and may be unable to move. The cause of this is usually heart disease. A seizure usually has a post ictal phase where the dog is disoriented and not acting right. Because she was fine after, and given her age, I would be concerned for her heart. She should be taken to a vet for a check up in the morning. Try to do this sooner rather than later. If she has another episode tonight, go to an emergency vet as this can be dangerous. Another rule out is a neurological cause, which originates in the brain. A vet can help you distinguish which she had. Also, if she has another one try to video tape it to show to the vet. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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