Diagnosis of Canine Epilepsy

There is no explicit test for the diagnosis of canine epilepsy.  Diagnosing canine epilepsy is more a process of elimination, a means of eradicating other causes of the seizures.  Information pertaining to the dog’s age, medical history, breed, and pattern of seizures will be taken into account.  The veterinarian may not witness the dog’s seizure; therefore the pet owner’s description of the event will help him make a determination as to the type of seizure involved. 

Following the initial procedure, the veterinary practitioner will perform an extensive physical examination.  A neurological examination and complete blood panel will play an important role in the diagnostic measures.

If a brain tumor is suspected, the use of other diagnostic methods may be employed to obtain results.  This type of testing would require the use of a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).  An electroencephalogram (EEG) can be a useful tool when diagnosing cases of canine epilepsy, although it has drawbacks when using it to diagnose an animal.  An EEG can seldom be done on an animal that is awake.  Although, the dog can be sedated, drugs used for sedation affect the EEG reading.