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).
