Lab with seizures

Question
I have a male labrador that is about 100lbs. and is 6-8 years old.  He has started having seizures after bursts of physical activity.  For instance, I throw the ball, he retrieves it (happy as a lark), and then falls over for about 30 seconds, then "comes to".  They are not violent fits.  He is not responsive, but afterwards seems to be fine.  Then, he will continue playing for as long as I do with no other problems. He's my buddy and I hate to see him headed downhill.
Thank you in advance for any insight you may be able to offer!

Answer
John,

I have to question whether he is having a seizure, or syncope.  A seizure is an electrical disturbance to the brain that causes behavior changes, loss of consciousness, loss of bladder/bowel control, muscle tremors, or any combination of the above.  Syncope is basically a lack of oxygen to the brain, it's more like a faint where the brain just shuts down for a few seconds.  

Seizures are a neurological problem and syncope is typically a cardiac or respiratory problem.  There are also some rare peripheral neuropathy or peripheral musculoskeletal diseases that can cause symptoms such as you describe.

The key is to start with a thorough physical exam, bloodwork and possible chest radiographs and/or EKG to try and figure out what is happening.  Sometimes it's obvious (My last case like this turned out to be syncope and was diagnosed on EKG with an electrical heart disorder) and the right path can be taken immediately based on physical exam findings.  The case that I mentioned had an obvious heart arrhythmia that I detected just by listening to her chest with a stethoscope.  Some, however, are a little more difficult to pin down and may need further testing or referral to a specialist.

A good veterinarian should be able to help you determine what is going on and whether it is something that needs to be treated or not.

Good Luck to you both.