Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Seizure triggers in Border Collies with idiopathic epilepsy
By Mandigers, Paul J J & Santifort, Koen M·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2023·Evidensia Referral Hospital Arnhem, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Remarkable anecdotes illustrating the nature and effect of seizure-precipitating factors in Border Collies with idiopathic epilepsy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Border Collies with idiopathic epilepsy (a condition causing seizures with no known cause) showed that certain triggers could make their seizures worse. Factors like stress from other pets, lack of mental stimulation, busy environments, and even interactions with family members were identified as seizure-precipitating factors. By recognizing and avoiding these triggers, the owners were able to reduce the frequency of seizures in their dogs, and some even achieved seizure freedom. This highlights the importance of understanding what might provoke seizures in sensitive breeds like Border Collies.
People also search for: Border Collie seizure triggers · idiopathic epilepsy in dogs · how to reduce dog seizures · managing epilepsy in dogs · dog seizure prevention tips
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological syndromes in dogs and has serious implications for the quality of life of both the dogs and owners. Seizure-precipitating factors (SPFs) (also termed "triggers" or "provocative factors") have been studied and reported in both humans and dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. In dogs stress, hormones, sleep deprivation, and the weather have been reported as SPFs. The Border Collie (BC) is a breed of dog that is predisposed to idiopathic epilepsy, and the outcome is often poor. BC is described as a very sensitive dog with a strong focus on their owners, and this may have an influence on their and their owners' stress level. In this article, we described six unrelated BCs with idiopathic epilepsy in which several remarkable SPFs were identified, and avoiding them improved the outcome of these dogs. The possible SPFs were different for each dog. The SPFs were, among others, the other dog in the family, the lack of intellectual challenge, the presence of an autistic child, a busy street, the relation with the owner, and throwing a ball at the beach. These cases illustrate that recognizing the SPF(s) and taking measures with regard to management can lead to a reduction in epileptic seizure frequency or even achieving seizure freedom.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37781292/