Pet Healthcare Info: Canine Epilepsy

Affecting as many as 4% of dogs, canine epilepsy is an important part of pet healthcare. Pets with this condition experience frequent seizures, which are caused by either symptomatic or idiopathic epilepsy. Symptomatic epilepsy is the result of a separate disease, such as brain cancer, whereas dogs with idiopathic epilepsy are having seizures from no known cause, except possibly genetics.

Each type of canine epilepsy requires a different treatment course. Symptomatic epilepsy, as it is the effect of another condition, is treated by managing or curing the root disease. Alternatively, idiopathic epilepsy requires antiepileptic drugs, which reduce the frequency of seizures in about 2/3 of dogs. These drugs have some undesirable side effects, such as stimulating appetite and sedating the animal, so they are only recommended for dogs that have seizures more than every two or three months.

Dogs suffering from idiopathic epilepsy can often lead relatively normal lives with the help of antiepileptic drugs, however the need for medication will never go away, which can mean a large financial commitment on the part of the owners. For this disease and others, many pet owners trust a pet health plan to help them afford the necessary treatment.