Epileptic seizures are the most common neurologic problem in the dog.
The ability of a clinician to start proper management of these cases d
oes not require elaborate equipment or specialized skills. The purpose
of this article is to give clinicians a perspective on how to identif
y those dogs with a seizure disorder, to classify the type of seizure
disorder, understand reasons for the development of the seizure, estab
lish a prioritized differential diagnoses list based on the seizure hi
story and classification, determine which diagnostic tests are most us
eful in arriving at a definitive diagnosis, and finally, how to develo
p a rational, long-term therapeutic plan in treating controlled and re
fractory canine epilepsy.