THE EVALUATION AND DIAGNOSIS

OF CANINE EPILEPSY

Idiopathic Epilepsy in dogs is diagnosed when no other cause of seizures can be found.  Your veterinarian will want to do a complete history, a neurological exam, a complete blood cell count , serum chemistry profile and a thyroid test.  Be prepared to describe your dog’s behavior before, during and after a seizure and to record the time of day and activity your dog was engaged in when the seizure occurred.  (See sample seizure record).

Symptomatic canine epilepsy is suspected when seizures start before 1 or after 5 years of age, the patient suffers from focal seizures, there is a sudden onset of multiple seizures or there are abnormalities between seizures.  

If symptomatic epilepsy is suspected your veterinarian will probably suggest additional testing which may include cerebrospinal fluid analysis (spinal tap), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electroencephalogram (EEG).  

Some causes of symptomatic epilepsy include: