Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Fly biting seizures.

Species: Dog
Breed: Newfoundlander
Age: 2-5 years
At night with the lights on, Misha snaps at the air as if she's catching flies. There are no flies in the room! I checked her eyes for foreign objects and cleaned out her mouth too in case she was actually trying to spit something out. She does this until I close the lights and then she goes to sleep. What do you think is going on?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

It is possible that your dog has something called "fly biting seizures". This is a type of seizure that makes the dog look like it is snapping at flies. I found a youtube video to demonstrate. (Just ignore the audio on it though):



Fly biting is a type of epilepsy that only affects the temporal lobe of the brain. Many dogs with this problem can be treated with anti-seizure medication such as phenobarbital.

There is another possibility. I once had a schnauzer patient who looked like he had fly biting seizures but he did not respond to medication. Then, one day after he was groomed, the behavior went away. We think that he kept seeing his eyebrows and thought they were a fly buzzing around his head. Once the eyebrows were trimmed, he was cured! That's not likely the case with a newfie dog though.

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Anxious cat - medicine? Hello, My Cat Guen shows MANY attention seeking behaviors. She chews chords,... (23289 views)

Goopy eyes. My kittens eyes are BOTH gooping up a lot. I do not know if it is an infection, or... (13543 views)

How long is FIP contagious? Hi Marie. Here's my situation. Adopted Charlie in August 2010. On March 1, this year... (20220 views)

Hungry and losing weight. Our 17 year old indoor cat, one of two from the same litter, has always been skinny,... (15752 views)

Licking his penis. my indoor cat is constantly going to his litter box about every 10 mins or so and... (13337 views)

bloat in boerboels Hello. I'm currently looking at information about the boerboel. I'm thinking about... (13757 views)

Healthy cat died suddenly. Why did my cat die? I came home from work today to find that my cat had died. I... (33300 views)

Trouble waking and dandruff. My male, neutered cat came from the back alley. I can't remember if we initally had... (7873 views)

Cat has diarrhea. Hi, Our cat has diarrhea - it seems that she licks and licks herself and then it... (11332 views)

Black spot on dog's nose. Hi my name is Joanne I noticed about a week ago my 8 year old lab had a small black... (33869 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.