Epilepsy affects 0.6-0.75% of dogs and requires long-term medication management to reduce seizure frequency and improve quality of life.
Seizures cause significant suffering - during the ictal phase dogs lose consciousness and experience convulsions, and the post-ictal period involves disorientation, blindness, and extreme fatigue lasting hours. Dogs that survive single seizures may be profoundly distressed and disoriented in the aftermath. Status epilepticus - prolonged or uncontrolled seizures - is a medical emergency causing brain damage and death without intervention. Poorly controlled epilepsy with frequent seizures causes repeated trauma. Anticonvulsant therapy dramatically reduces seizure frequency for most dogs, though complete control is not always achievable. Quality of life assessment must account for both seizure burden and medication side effects.