The Spectrum Of Epilepsy And Inheritance

[sandgrubber]

I recently read an account of someone whose dog has severe grand mal epileptic seizures that aren't responding to medication. Sounds really awful. In my boarding kennel days, I tried to care for a dog who was on her way out with serious cluster seizures. Heart wrenching.

I have an old girl who will get a mild focal seizure once in awhile, but she responds well to a tiny dose of phenobarb. She just tenses up and gets uncoordinated for a couple minutes . . . wags her tail the whole time. This has been going on for four years, and if anything, her seizures are getting lighter. I've known other dogs who have similarly mild episodes.

These conditions are so different from each other, it amazes me that they can be called the same disease. I wouldn't knowingly consider a pup with severe epilepsy anywhere on its pedigree. The light version is really no big deal . . .many allergies are more trouble. . . . low scare factor for me.

There has been a lot of discussion of epilepsy as possibly hereditary. Does anyone know whether the apparently inherited cases stay true to the type of seizure, eg., does grand mal gets grand mal, while ataxia gets ataxia?

[~Anne~]

Ataxia is a symptom, not a seizure. It's weakness of the hind legs.

The type of seizure is dependant on the part of the brain affected. I don't believe that genetic inheritance determines the type of seizure, although I could be wrong. There are three types of seizures - tonic clonic or generalised (grand mal), petite mal and focal or partial.

Epilepsy, even with clusters, is not necessarily a death sentence. Many dogs can live a happy and active life despite the seizures. If nothing else, seizures are considered painless. Confusing perhaps, but painless.

I also would not consider a dog with epilepsy in its lines unless I was looking to rescue a dog. Certainly not for a breed program though!

Edited November 10, 2014 by ~Anne~

[sandgrubber]

Ataxia is a symptom, not a seizure. It's weakness of the hind legs.

The type of seizure is dependant on the part of the brain affected. I don't believe that genetic inheritance determines the type of seizure, although I could be wrong. There are three types of seizures - tonic clonic or generalised (grand mal), petite mal and focal or partial.

Epilepsy, even with clusters, is not necessarily a death sentence. Many dogs can live a happy and active life despite the seizures. If nothing else, seizures are considered painless. Confusing perhaps, but painless.

I also would not consider a dog with epilepsy in its lines unless I was looking to rescue a dog. Certainly not for a breed program though!

Ataxia means motor dysfunction. Not necessarily the hind legs. My old girl is affected more in her forelimbs than hind limbs, although she doesn't fit the classic description. That is, she has a pronounced tensing up . . . like a person making a fist . . . then she lies down.

Episodic ataxia is recognized in humans and they seem to be getting a grasp of the genetics (my amateurish lit skimming finds there are both autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive forms, genes have been identified as well as different alleles causing different forms of ataxia). I think they have ceased to consider it epilepsy as they understand the genetics better . . . though I claim no expertise.

Edited November 11, 2014 by sandgrubber