A diagnosis of epilepsy or canine seizure disorder is a diagnosis of exclusion. Seizures may be associated with brain injury, encephalitis, heat stroke, brain abscess, brain tumor, stroke, poisoning, kidney failure, or liver failure. Seizures associated with a concussion frequently occur weeks or months after the head injury and are caused by a focus of scar tissue in the brain. Post-encephalitic seizures typically occur three to four weeks after the onset of encephalitis and sometimes years after recovery. Your dog needs a complete medical work up. Though not extremely old, the fact that she is beyond middle age before onset of seizures makes me suspect that she may have a tumor associated with her seizures. Ruling out a tumor of the brain would require a CAT scan or an MRI. An ultrasound will not work through the skull and radiographs will not detect soft tissue changes in the brain.

Other diagnostics could include cerebrospinal fluid analysis and brain biopsies. The reality of treatment is that if she does not respond to phenobarbital and/or bromide therapy the prognosis for recovery is poor. Surgical treatment of seizure disorders, regardless of cause, has a notoriously high failure rate with a subsequent poor quality of life with pain and suffering.

We have recently dealt with this situation at the sanctuary. Bailey has responded well to therapy and is returning to his old self!