Is this some type of seizure?

[jschmidt]

I have a four year old golden retriever. She has experienced occasional episodes where she has rapid swallowing action, rapid tongue "lapping", and repeated neck extension and contraction movement. This may last anywhere from 30-45 seconds or continue for several minutes. During this period it is difficult to determine if she is able to breath well. She gets quite frightened and paws at you in a "help me" fashion. We cannot pinpoint any specific activity that precipitates this occurrence.

This is very unnerving to watch. Her mouth appears clear of any obstruction. It doesn't always happen after eating or drinking something (although it has at times). She can just be resting peacefully then this start happening to her. She may have this happen several times within a few day span then go for a few weeks with no occurrence. I have questioned my Veterinarian about this but they seem puzzled and have no answers. Is this some type of seizure activity that we are seeing?