Epilepsy in dogs
Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder in dogs. It causes fits (seizures) in affected dogs, which often occur when they are resting. The fits usually last a few minutes only, and dogs may be confused for 5-15 minutes afterwards. We recommend if your dog has a seizure, they are left quietly with the lights off, ensuring they cannot fall down any steps or stairs. As they can be confused afterwards there is a risk of being bitten, so they should be left to recover alone. Occasionally a dog will have one seizure, and will never have another one, but in most cases the seizures will recur.
Diagnosis of epilepsy- there is no single test for epilepsy so we rely on ruling out other potential causes of seizures. This generally involves blood tests, and may include urine tests, x-rays and spinal fluid analysis. MRI scans may be performed to rule out brain tumours ( although rare in younger dogs).
Treatment of epilepsy is generally recommended if your pet has more than 1 seizure per month, or if your pet has cluster seizures (one immediately after another).
