COOLING DOWN AN EPILEPTIC DOG: WHERE DO I PUT THE COOL PACKS?

Updated: November 13, 2025

 

When a dog goes into a seizure, their body temperature can rise dangerously high. In an effort to keep them cool, research has been done on where to place cool packs on your dog.* When my own Gibson had his first seizure, all I had was a loaf of frozen Italian bread and a bag of frozen peas in my freezer. And that's what I used! Along with our veterinarian, I developed this "Cooling Down an Epi-Dog: Where Do I Put Cold Packs?" to help others with Epi-dogs understand the importance of cooling down a seizing dog, as well as tips for keeping them cool before, during, and after a seizure.  I'm super proud of my cooling down an Epi-dog poster and happy to know it has helped Epi-dogs across the world to #LiveGibStrong! Today, there are some pretty cool cooler vests, and even a human one our friends over at Oh, the Life of Olivia shared on our page, but with Gibson being a 98 lb - 120 lb (at times due to meds), and with with being a wooly Husky with a lot of fur, and double coat, they would not have worked well for him. But, they do for many other dogs, especially single coated pups, so do try as they both are very good ideas as well.

*If you have a double-coated dog, like my wooly Husky Gibson, you can lay the cool packs on their fur. If you have a short-haired dog, or a single-coated dog, wrap the cool packs in a cloth. Crushed ice in a freezer bag will also work if you do not have any cool packs. We keep snap-cooler packs in our Epi First Aid Kit. 

   

Click on image to enlarge.

  

Poster is a Great Resource for: 

 
✔︎ Veterinarian Offices

✔︎ Vet ER  Hospitals

✔︎ Rescues & Shelters

✔︎ Dog Wardens & Animal Control Officers

✔︎Therapy Dog Handlers 

✔︎ Trainers

✔︎ Groomers

✔︎ Dog Walkers 

✔︎ Dog Parks 

✔︎ Pet Supply Stores & Boutiques

✔︎ Dog Friendly Businesses

✔︎ Police Departments

✔︎ Fire Departments 

  

If you'd like to read more about the 2019 debut of this poster, please visit my previous post by clicking on the image below!


 

 To view our #LiveGibStrong materials online FREE, visit our #Paws4Purple initiative at The Anita Kaufmann Foundation/Purple Day®Every Day site HERE! 

 Did you order our  FREE bookmarks?

You can! For Free! 


To request printed copies of materials, simply send an Email with #Paws4Purple Bookmarks in Subject line and how many, to:

Debra@AKFUS.org
 of the The Anita Kaufmann Foundation/Purple Day® Every Day  

*

*All #FiveSibes #Paws4Purple materials on the #Paws4Purple site are FREE. While not required, a donation to help the non-profit AKFUS organization cover postage & printing is always appreciated. 

*

A Special Note of Thanks to: 

Dr. Arnold Rugg, founder and former medical director of Kingston Animal Hospital and Gibson's lead vet for his expertise and input on this poster. Thanks also goes out to artist Cameo Anderson for her depiction of my beautiful Epi-boy, Gibson.  

 *

Visit our award-winning #FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong Online K-9 Epilepsy Resource Library for important Canine Epilepsy vetted information, videos, articles, book info, resources, and much more. Click on image below to visit our always free library:

 



 



Comments

  1. Brian's Home BlogSeptember 2, 2021 at 1:15 PM

    That's really a nice tool. Your header sure is pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tails Around the RanchSeptember 2, 2021 at 4:24 PM

    Thank you for sharing his valuable poster. We keep a stash of ice packs in the freezer just for seizures and this really has helped. Love the new blog look! đź’śđź’śđź’ś

    ReplyDelete

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