Canine epilepsy causes recurring seizures and significant welfare burden, requiring accurate diagnosis and consistent long-term management to improve quality of life.
Epilepsy causes significant welfare burden through the seizures themselves, the post-ictal recovery period, and the ongoing anxiety that some dogs develop around recurrent episodes. Owners experience significant distress that affects the human-dog relationship and sometimes leads to relinquishment. Consistent medication administration is the cornerstone of seizure control; irregular dosing causes breakthrough seizures that worsen overall control. Regular blood monitoring ensures therapeutic drug levels are maintained safely. Dogs with well-controlled epilepsy can have excellent quality of life; the welfare objective is seizure minimisation rather than elimination, as complete seizure freedom is not achievable in all cases.