Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes seizures. Since there is no test for epilepsy, this diagnosis is obtained after other causes of seizures are eliminated. While seizures are scary, they are not life-threatening unless the patient is having many seizures in a row.

The actual cause of epilepsy is unknown, but there appears to be a genetic component.

Most patients with epilepsy will begin to have seizures between the ages of 1 and 5, but some pets as young as 6 months have been diagnosed with epilepsy. Most seizures occur when the patient is asleep. They will fall over, become stiff, and may drool, urinate, or defecate while convulsing. Most seizures last less than 90 seconds. All patients will experience a "post-ictal period" after the seizure where they can act disoriented, blind, thirsty, or hungry. This period can last up to 24 hours.  

As a general rule, anti-seizure medication is not started until the patient is having 2 seizures a month. If the seizures are clustered, meaning they are close together, medication may be considered even if the patient is not having 2 a month. It must be taken into consideration that it is very likely the patient is having seizures when the owner is gone and unaware. It is highly recommended to keep a journal of the date of each seizure and how long it lasted. It is also advisable to write down any instance where the owner has come home and the patient is acting odd in any way-they may have seizured earlier and are now in the post-ictal period. This journal can help tremendously in assessing when the pet needs to start medication.Phenobarbital is the medication of choice in dogs to prevent seizures. Potassium bromide may be added at a later date if the patient is not responding well to Phenobarbital alone. It is very important to check liver enzymes and drug levels at least every 6 months to assess the need for medication adjustment. The patient needs to be on the lowest dose possible to prevent seizures yet not cause any side effects.