Epidemiology and risk factors of seizures in dogs: Insights into breed, age, gender and management practices

Abstract

Seizures are a common neurological emergency in dogs, arising from diverse etiologies including idiopathic, structural, metabolic, infectious and toxic causes. This study evaluated 126 dogs with seizures to investigate breed predisposition, age of onset, gender, neutering status, preventive care, source of adoption and dietary factors. Non-descript dogs (20.6%) were most frequently affected, followed by Golden Retrievers (12.7%) and Labrador Retrievers (11.1%). Seizures were most commonly observed between 6 months and 6 years of age (57.9%), predominantly idiopathic/structural in origin, while organ dysfunction and infectious causes were more common in geriatric and juvenile dogs, respectively. A higher proportion of affected dogs were male (60.3%) and intact (64.3%). Preventive care was suboptimal, with irregular or absent vaccination and deworming noted in a majority of dogs. Dogs acquired from breeders/kennels (34.1%) exhibited higher seizure incidence, likely reflecting genetic predispositions and dietary patterns indicated increased risk in dogs fed non-vegetarian diets (46.0%). These findings underscore the multifactorial nature of seizures in dogs, highlighting the influence of breed, age, sex, preventive care, adoption source and diet.