Epilepsy in dogs: new advances for diagnosis and research

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Epilepsy and dyskinesia are canine neurological disorders with overlapping clinical symptoms. An international team, led by Professor Andrea Fischer, neurologist at LMU’s Small Animal Clinic, and Professor Hannes Lohi, molecular geneticist at the University of Helsinki, has developed a novel multilingual questionnaire that standardizes the description and classification of seizures in dogs and reliably documents seizures of different kinds.

The importance of this topic becomes apparent when we consider that epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disease in dogs and has a genetic component. In so-called ‘werewolf syndrome,’ moreover, which has recently been observed in dogs, neurologic signs and seizures have been known to occur in acute cases.

“This survey not only collects high-quality data but also permits the classification of epilepsy based on practical symptom descriptions and provides dog owners with clear video examples. In this way, we reach a whole new level in clinical diagnostics and genetic research,” says Lohi.

The study is based on data from over 600 dogs of 96 different breeds. Its results show that owners were able to describe seizures with impressive reliability – in 90.1% of cases, their assessment matched that of experts. With video support, the accuracy of classification increased to 96.5% of cases. “The survey represents common and rare manifestations of canine epilepsy and dyskinesia with exceptional reliability. Seizures are subdivided into five types based on motor, autonomic, and behavior-related characteristics. In addition, the survey permits the documentation and differentiation of complex disease courses with multiple seizure types,” explains Fischer.

The new tool supports international research networks and will form a vital part of epidemiological and genetic studies that depend on reliable data. It helps recognize breed-specific differences in seizure types, which facilitates more precise diagnoses and personalized treatments. The new questionnaire is now available for use by veterinarians, researchers, and industrial partners worldwide.

Madlen S. Matz et a.: Development of a Novel Epilepsy and Dyskinesia Survey for Large-Scale Characterization of Seizure Semiology in Dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2025.

More information

“Werewolf syndrome” in dogs: the search for the causes
Panic attacks, spasms, howling, epileptic fits: LMU animal neurologist Andrea Fischer explains in an interview the symptoms and what veterinary scientists in Munich are doing to identify the triggers.