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Study highlights differences in how epilepsy is diagnosed
One in 160 dogs under first opinion veterinary care are affected every year by seizures.
VetCompass research supports calls for clearer diagnostic guidelines. 

Substantial differences between how veterinary clinicians diagnose epilepsy compared with current guidelines have been highlighted in new research. 

Researchers say their study, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, supports the call for clearer diagnostic guidelines for application in clinical practice.

The study reveals that around one in every 160 dogs under first opinion veterinary care are affected every year by seizures. Many of these dogs have underlying epilepsy, defined as dogs with two or more unprovoked seizures at least 24 hours apart. 

The study was led by the Royal Veterinary College’s VetCompass™ programme.

Study author Dr Dan O’Neill, senior lecturer in companion animals epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), said: “Watching your dog undergo a seizure can be an incredibly scary moment for any dog owner. It is really important that dogs that seizure are rapidly diagnosed to decide whether they need no further treatment beyond careful monitoring or alternatively require a clinical work-up to define the cause of the seizures. 

“There are now some excellent treatments for many seizure-related diseases. This study helps up to understand the current state of play for seizure management in dogs and identifies opportunities for improved care of these affected dogs.”

Currently, little information exists on the classifications of seizures, diagnostic approaches, or clinical management of dogs with seizures in the veterinary first opinion population.  

For the study, researchers assessed clinical records from first-opinion clinics across the UK. The team identified 2,834 incident seizure cases from a population of 455,553 dogs attending VetCompass™ participating practices during 2013.

The most common breeds among seizure cases were Labrador retrievers (8.6%), Staffordshire bull terriers (6.1%), Jack Russell terriers (5.8%) and Yorkshire terriers (5.0%), with the annual incidence risk of seizures in all dogs being 0.62 per cent.

Researchers also found that 579 (20.5%) of seizure cases met the criteria for epilepsy based on the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force (IVETF) classification system, compared with just 245 (8.6%) that were formally recorded with epilepsy by the attending veterinary team.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.