As with all special needs dogs, finding a home for these special dogs is often difficult. The goal of this article is to provide information on canine epilepsy and what to expect if you can open your heart to one of these wonderful puppies. Canine Epilepsy is a genetic disorder of the brain where abnormal electrical activity triggers further uncoordinated nerve transmissions. This uncoordinated and haphazard nerve tissue activity scrambles messages to the muscles of your dog's body and the coordinated use of the muscles is then inhibited. Because there are many causes of chronic recurrent seizures in dogs, canine epilepsy is not a specific disease or even a single syndrome, but rather a diverse category of disorders.
Canine epilepsy is broadly divided into idiopathic and symptomatic disorders.
Idiopathic Epilepsy means that there is no identifiable brain abnormality other than seizures. Symptomatic epilepsy is seizures that are the consequence of an identifiable lesion or other specific cause. One of the major causes of symptomatic epilepsy is Autoimmune Thyroiditis, which causes low thyroid function. All dogs with seizures should receive a six-panel thyroid test to be sure they are not Hypothyroid. First and foremost one should be prepared for a very special bonding with their epileptic dog.