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Content by Dr Siân Burwood MA VetMB MRCVS
Epilepsy is a long-term neurological condition where a dog has seizures (or fits) while being entirely normal in-between.
A seizure is disorganised electrical activity in the front part of the brain that causes loss of consciousness and uncontrolled muscle spasms. Seizures have many causes, but the word epilepsy is usually used in relation to ‘idiopathic epilepsy’ – where we don’t know what the underlying cause is, but recognise the disease.
A seizure (or fit) happens when the forebrain of the dog experiences disorganised electrical impulses and everything is firing at once. Seizures can have many causes:
If none of the above are found to be the cause, a dog is said to have ‘idiopathic epilepsy’. ‘Idiopathic’ is a fancy scientific term for ‘we don’t know the cause’… But what is well known is how the disease of epilepsy presents and how it can be treated. We also know that it can be inherited in certain breeds.
Seizures related to idiopathic epilepsy are most commonly seen in young adult dogs, with typical diagnosis somewhere between 6 months and 6 years old.
We know around 1 in 200 dogs in the UK are epileptic. It can affect any breed, but it is seen more commonly in:
The main symptom of idiopathic epilepsy is seizures, which have 3 distinct phases. You may not see all of these, as dogs often fit in the middle of the night when they’re asleep. Sometimes you only realise a fit has happened after the event.
When your dog is about to have a seizure, they may appear not quite right beforehand: distracted, restless, clingy, unsettled, off their food. This can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours before the seizure actually happens.
During a full ‘grand mal’ or ‘tonic clonic’ seizure, your dog will lose consciousness and fall to their side. All their legs will be stiff and moving in a jerky way. They may drool or foam at the mouth, and may lose control of their bladder and bowels. This phase should last 1-2 minutes before spontaneously stopping.
After a fit, your dog is likely to be exhausted and feel very hot. They may well want a big drink and may act a bit drunk for a while, seeming a bit wobbly and clingy. This can last for a few minutes to a few hours.
It can be very distressing to watch your dog have a seizure, especially for the first time. The most important thing to do is to stand back. It’s very natural to want to comfort them, but when they’re unconscious and cannot control their muscles (including their jaws!), it’s very easy to get bitten.
Start a timer. Turn the lights off, turn the TV or radio off and open a window to keep the room quiet, cool and dark. You can move any hazards around your dog if it doesn’t put you in danger of getting bitten.
When your dog comes out of the seizure, stop the timer and make a note of how long it lasted. Keep them quiet and calm until you’re certain they’re fully back to normal.
If your dog doesn’t come out of the seizure on their own after 2 minutes, call your vet for advice. If you’re a Petgevity customer, you could also video call FirstVet for free.
Over time you may find you recognise certain triggers for your dog having a seizure: loud noises, bright lights etc. You can then make sure you avoid these as much as possible.
It’s very rare for a vet to actually see a fit happen, as they should be over long before you get to the practice. In most cases, it’s best to wait until your dog is fully recovered so they don’t have another fit while travelling.
Your vet will take a history, and it’s really useful if you’ve taken any videos of what happened. Blood tests will likely be suggested to check for any liver or kidney issues. If the presentation seems odd or to make sure there’s nothing wrong in the brain, your vet will refer you to a neurologist for an MRI scan and assessment. In many cases, a diagnosis is made on the basis of history and normal blood tests alone.
You don’t always have to treat idiopathic epilepsy. Some dogs have fits so infrequently that they cause neither owner nor dog any problems, and so monitoring is considered enough. Your vet will ask you to keep a seizure diary so any patterns or changes in the fits can be recognised.
…your vet will likely advise starting medications. While they may not stop the seizures altogether, they can reduce the frequency and severity to manageable levels for both dog and caregiver.
There are several types, and they work by reducing the excessive brain activity that causes the seizure. The most common drugs will require blood tests to be taken every few months to make sure that they are at a safe and effective level in the blood, and that the liver is coping OK with these medications.
Some dogs stay on the same dose forever. Others will need more drugs added in as the disease progresses with time, or special drugs to use around the time of seizures to bring them under control quicker.
Some prescription diets containing medium-chain triglycerides have been shown to help reduce seizure frequency.
The prognosis for true idiopathic epilepsy is very good, and many dogs lead full and normal lives with the disease. Even if your dog needs medication to control the frequency and severity of the seizures, their prognosis is good if you maintain regular check-ups with your vet.
At these check-ups, as well as a physical examination and blood tests, your vet will mostly be checking that both you and your dog are coping with the level of symptoms. They’ll also check that the diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy still makes sense.
Cluster seizures are when a dog has barely finished having one fit before they go straight back into another one. This is dangerous as the body temperature rises uncontrollably and oxygen getting to vital organs is affected.
Any seizure lasting more than 5 minutes is called ‘status epilepticus’, and this is why any fit lasting more than 2 minutes needs a phone call to the vets. As with clusters, the continual muscle activity causes dangerous overheating and damage to vital organs.
Diagnosis involves history and blood tests, but more advanced imaging like MRI scans are more likely to be offered to see why the seizures are more severe.
A dog having cluster seizures is always a reason to medicate. Additional medication might be needed for a dog already on treatment to be given on the days when they do have seizures.
Status epilepticus is an emergency and should be seen by your vet, or their out-of-hours cover. Special drugs will be given directly into the bloodstream to try to stop the seizure, and sometimes your dog will need to be put under anaesthetic. This will all involve a period of time in hospital on fluids with constant monitoring.
If seizures cannot be brought under control in this way, euthanasia may sadly be the only option.
Cluster seizures can still carry a good prognosis if they’re controlled well with medication and regular check-ups.
Status epilepticus carries a poor prognosis as it often results in damage to the whole body, and euthanasia may be advised.
“Epilepsy is the commonest neurological disease I see in practice. While it can seem scary at first, I’d really urge all owners to treat it! These dogs can lead completely normal lives, both those on or off medication. And while we need to monitor the drugs they’re on, I have no concerns about prescribing them.
“The main thing I need to know as a vet is how much you and your individual dog can cope with. Some caregivers are fine with their dog having a seizure once a week, for others that’s too much… Then together we can form the best treatment plan.
“Remember not to try to ‘help’ a dog who’s fitting, as there’s a high risk you’ll get bitten!”
Dr Siân Burwood, MA VetMB MRCVS
When getting a quote for Petgevity Lifetime Plus dog insurance, tell us about your dog’s epilepsy, plus any other conditions they’ve had in the past two years*.
It’s really important to list your dog’s conditions when taking out pet insurance. This increases your chances of making a successful claim.
Find out more about our dog insurance for pre-existing medical conditions.
Choosing Petgevity to protect your pets gives you more than just vet fee cover. Here's what you get from our policy.
Dental accident
Covers your pet up to the chosen vet fee limit if they have a dental accident or injury. Always be sure to take your pet for annual dental check-ups, and follow your vet’s advice.
Behavioural treatment
Get expert help with your pet’s mental and emotional wellbeing, as advised by your vet. Cover up to your chosen vet fee amount or the cost of up to 12 sessions, whichever is lower (Lifetime Plus); or up to £1,000 (Lifetime).
Complementary therapy
As advised by your vet, this covers alternative treatments like acupuncture or hydrotherapy. Cover up to your chosen vet fee amount (Lifetime Plus); or up to chosen vet fee amount or £1,500, whichever is lower (Lifetime).
Emergency care
If you can’t look after your pet due to an emergency, such as an unplanned hospital visit, this covers you for up to £1,500 (Lifetime Plus) in minding costs.
Third-party liability for dogs
Covers you for legal costs if your dog causes injury to somebody or their pet, or causes loss or damage to someone’s property. Protects you for up to £2 million in a legal action.
Choice of optional extras
Need extra protection? Choose from several optional extras to cover your pet’s needs, including dental illness, or cover if your pet is stolen or lost.
Defaqto 5 star rating when you choose vet fees over £4,000 with all optional add-ons included.
Basic cover alone has 3 star rating
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Awarded Best Pet Insurance Provider at The Money Mentor Awards 2024
†For Lifetime Plus policies only – details correct as of 10 September 2024 via competitor websites. Competitor products are subject to their own T&Cs and can have different limits and requirements for cats versus dogs at different ages. For full details, please check the relevant policy wording. For full details of Petgevity pet insurance, please read our policy wording.
No, epilepsy cannot be cured as it’s a lifelong condition. But it can be managed successfully as long as there are no underlying causes for it.
It really varies! Some dogs have one a year, others one a month, sometimes it becomes more frequent. When the seizures are happening more often than you or your dog can cope with (or if they’re becoming dangerously long), then it’s worth using medications to help reduce how often they happen.
It can be. While we don’t know the exact genes that cause idiopathic epilepsy, it’s certainly recognised more often in certain breeds and in some breeding lines. To stop this happening, any dog with epilepsy should not be bred from – although it cannot be known if they’ll develop the disease after they’ve been used for breeding.
Yes, stress has been known to trigger seizures. Keeping epileptic dogs calm, cool and stress-free as much as possible can really help with how often they have seizures.
Keep your dog in a quiet, dark and calm space, and time how long the seizure lasts for. Remember not to touch or comfort your dog, as they’re unconscious – and may accidentally bite you. Call your vet if a seizure lasts more than 2 minutes.
†Lifetime Plus policies only
*Cover for pre-existing medical conditions is subject to acceptance. They will not be covered unless you have declared them and they are shown on your Confirmation of Cover.
**Illnesses and symptoms won’t be covered in the first 14 days and accidents won’t be covered in the first 2 days of the policy. This is unless you are switching from another lifetime pet insurance product with no break in cover and the claim you want to make would have been covered by your previous policy. Other exclusions may apply to other sections.