What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a chronic
medical condition produced
by temporary changes in the
electrical function of the
brain, causing recurrent
seizures which affect
awareness, movement, or
sensation. "Recurrent" is
a key word because a dog who
has an isolated seizure does
not have epilepsy. Also
note that epilepsy is not a
disease but rather a
neurological disorder that
affects the brain and shows
itself in the form of
seizures.
Will my dog die from it?
Dogs rarely die from a
single seizure or even a
couple of seizures of normal
duration of one to five
minutes. However, when a
dog has one long seizure or
several seizures in rapid
succession, it is a life
threatening situation that
needs immediate medical
attention.
In a study on the effects of
status epilepticus and a
dog's life span, researchers
found that dogs with
epilepsy who had never had
an episode of status
epilepticus, lived to their
normal life expectancy.
Dogs who had been in status
had only a slight reduction
in expected life span.
How is it treated?
There are two medications
that are most often
prescribed to treat
epilepsy, Phenobarbital and
potassium bromide. These
two drugs used either alone
or in combination with each
other control seizures in 80
to 95% of all dogs. For
dogs who are not controlled
with these two drugs, there
are other medications that
aren't as consistently
helpful but may be the
perfect medication for an
individual dog.
What are the side effects
of medications?
Phenobarbital and potassium
bromide both have the same
potential side effects of
excessive hunger, excessive
thirst, excessive urination,
sedation and ataxia (hind
end weakness). Not all dogs
will have all of these side
effects and most of the side
effects will subside or
disappear as a dog becomes
adjusted to the medication.
Phenobarbital and potassium
bromide also have more
serious potential side
effects that are seen in a
very small percentage of
dogs. Phenobarbital may
cause some changes in liver
function and these may be
serious. The small risk of
liver failure can be reduced
by frequent monitoring of
liver function through
chemistry panels and bile
acid tests.
Potassium bromide may cause
a condition called
megaesophagus when blood
serum is maintained at high
levels. This condition is
reversible and will resolve
when bromide levels are
reduced.
There is also growing
evidence that potassium
bromide may contribute to
pancreatitis. For this
reason, if your dog is on
bromide and begins vomiting
aggressive diagnostics and
treatment for pancreatitis
should be considered.
Will medication keep my
dog from ever having another
seizure?
The goal of medicating is to
reduce the frequency and
severity of seizures. Some
dogs never have another
seizure, however, most dogs
with epilepsy will have
occasional seizures despite
medication. An occasional
seizure will not affect your
dog's quality of life.
As a general rule, if
seizures are more than 30
days apart, it's considered
good control.
My dog is on medication
and still has frequent
seizures. What can I do?
If your dog has just started
on medication, be patient.
It frequently takes several
adjustments in medications
before the right dose and
combination of medications
are found. If your vet has
tried both Phenobarbital and
bromide and your dog still
doesn't have good control,
you should consider asking
your vet for a referral to a
veterinary neurologist who
may try other second and
third line medications.
Do seizures get worse
over time?
Left untreated seizures may
get worse over time.
Studies have shown that
early treatment of seizures
results in better long term
control of seizures. With
early treatment, seizures
should become less frequent
and less severe.
Will seizures cause
permanent brain damage?
In general, seizures do not
cause permanent brain
damage. The brain has an
amazing amount of unused
capacity and even if cells
are damaged during a
seizure, your dog should
have the ability to
relearn. If your dog has
had a cluster of severe
seizures you may notice some
changes in their behavior,
but these should be
temporary. Most dogs fully
recover from seizures in a
few days but for some it may
take a few weeks.