The unpredictability of seizures can make caring for a dog with epilepsy challenging and stressful for owners. Often veterinarians will only examine dogs in the inter-ictal period and not witnessing the seizure event can lead to a lack of empathy towards owners and understanding of the effect that caring for a dog with epilepsy has on their quality of life.
Although there is a good understanding of the clinical side effects of individual anticonvulsant treatments, there is less known about the effects of seizures and treatment on the overall behavior and quality of life of dogs with epilepsy.
The emotional and financial burden of canine epilepsy leads to research for better understanding of the disease and improvement in therapies to control seizures. However, there is also a need to improve monitoring and detection of seizures so that the effects of treatment can be reliably measured.
Although research typically focuses on relieving the disease for the patient, it is necessary for veterinarians to consider both owner and pet in any treatment plan. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of canine epilepsy on owners can assist in a more holistic management of the disease. The collection welcomes, but is not limited to, Original Research, Reviews and Opinion papers in the following areas:
- Health-related quality of life relating to canine epilepsy
- Seizure detection (video recognition, non-EEG devices)
- Non-pharmacological treatment of canine epilepsy
- Owner perception and experience relating to canine epilepsy
The unpredictability of seizures can make caring for a dog with epilepsy challenging and stressful for owners. Often veterinarians will only examine dogs in the inter-ictal period and not witnessing the seizure event can lead to a lack of empathy towards owners and understanding of the effect that caring for a dog with epilepsy has on their quality of life.
Although there is a good understanding of the clinical side effects of individual anticonvulsant treatments, there is less known about the effects of seizures and treatment on the overall behavior and quality of life of dogs with epilepsy.
The emotional and financial burden of canine epilepsy leads to research for better understanding of the disease and improvement in therapies to control seizures. However, there is also a need to improve monitoring and detection of seizures so that the effects of treatment can be reliably measured.
Although research typically focuses on relieving the disease for the patient, it is necessary for veterinarians to consider both owner and pet in any treatment plan. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of canine epilepsy on owners can assist in a more holistic management of the disease. The collection welcomes, but is not limited to, Original Research, Reviews and Opinion papers in the following areas:
- Health-related quality of life relating to canine epilepsy
- Seizure detection (video recognition, non-EEG devices)
- Non-pharmacological treatment of canine epilepsy
- Owner perception and experience relating to canine epilepsy