Behavioral changes in dogs associated with the development of idiopathic epilepsy

Epilepsy beyond seizures: a review of the impact of epilepsy and its comorbidities on health‐related quality of life in dogs

“…In one study, at least one behaviour had changed since the onset of IE in 71 per cent of all dogs studied (Shihab and others 2011). Dogs with IE showed behavioural changes including excessive fear/anxiety, abnormal perception (eg, barking without apparent cause), abnormal reactivity, attachment disorder, demented behaviour, apathetic behaviour and aggression (Shihab and others 2011). Some of these changes were present in dogs that were not receiving AEDs, demonstrating they are not merely a treatment side effect.…”

“…A hallucination is defined as sensory perception in the absence of external stimuli, and in dogs this may manifest as barking without apparent cause, chasing shadows or light spots, aimless pacing and staring into space. These signs of abnormal perception were detected in dogs following the onset of epilepsy (Shihab and others 2011), and if dogs are conscious during these episodes, then they could induce fear and distress, and could lead to further behavioural problems if reinforced by the owner (eg, through increased attention or attempted punishment to stop the behaviour). Hallucinations may be challenging to differentiate from sensory focal seizures, and whether they occur in dogs requires further study.…”

International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force consensus reports on epilepsy definition, classification and terminology, affected dog breeds, diagnosis, treatment, outcome measures of therapeutic trials, neuroimaging and neuropathology in companion animals

“…Patients with epilepsy can suffer from transient postictal behavioural changes and/or clinical deficits. Furthermore, affected dogs have a shortened life expectancy, and are at an increased risk of developing comorbidities affecting the interictal period, such as neurobehavioural changes, and a reduced quality of life [3–6]. The impact of the disease does not only affect the patient, but also affects the quality of life of the pet’s owner [5–7].…”

Quality‐of‐life aspects in idiopathic epilepsy in dogs

“…These comorbidities in dogs include increased fear/anxiety, defensive aggression, abnormal perception, inattention, excitability/impulsivity, and show remarkable similarities to its human counterpart resembling anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (Shihab and others 2011, Jokinen and others 2015, Packer and others 2016). The carer commonly assesses non-metric aspects like neurobehavioral changes and QoL aspects based on their perception (Lord and Podell 1999, Chang and others 2006, Shihab and others 2011, Muñana and others 2012, Packer and others 2016). The carer's perception of their dog's QoL may be biased, but with this in mind the carer can serve as surrogate.…”