Canine epilepsy causes significant welfare harm during seizures and potentially between them, and evidence-based long-term management substantially improves affected dog quality of life.
Canine epilepsy imposes welfare costs both during seizures — the acute distress and injury risk of convulsions — and in the inter-ictal period, where anxiety, behavioral changes, and medication side effects affect quality of life between episodes. Medication management is effective in controlling seizures in the majority of dogs, substantially improving welfare by reducing seizure frequency and severity. The welfare assessment of epileptic dogs must look beyond seizure control to overall quality of life: medication side effects including sedation, weight gain, and increased thirst must be balanced against seizure reduction. Regular monitoring, owner education about emergency management, and honest quality of life assessment are cornerstones of humane long-term epilepsy management.