# General questions about seizures



## Lori G (Sep 19, 2014)

I've been reading all the recent threads about seizures and as a future poodle owner, I'm wondering:

Is this a genetic condition? A genetic test for it? Is it something I need to ask the breeder about?

I'm on the waiting list with a very reputable breeder for a fall puppy, a mini. This will be our first poodle. My BFF has always had GRs and I know that breed has its' issues. Are seizures just one of those things poodle people deal with?


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I can understand your concern about this issue. When I got my mini poodle in the 90's, I did not have a lot of knowledge of the possible medical issues of poodles. I was not careful in chosing my breeder. And I was quite shocked with the different medical issues that my poodle had. I switched from the poodle breed entirely to PWDs for 15 years because I did not want another dog with epilepsy. My poodle's seizure were never controlled and the experience affected me emotionally for many years because I loved that poodle.

So when I decided to look for another mini poodle again because I wanted a smaller dog and I do love poodles, I asked each breeder if there was any epilepsy in their lines. That was one of my first questions. I went for breeders who did as much testing as possible to try to up my odds.

The other thing I am doing differently is to vaccinate as little as possible. I did not give the lepto vaccine to Dakota. My previous poodle had a bad reaction to the vaccine and I do not know if that lowered his seizure threshhold, but I will not take the chance.

The other thing I have done is get pet insurance. I did not test my epileptic poodle enough at the beginning, and that is when you want to do the testing because I think their brain gets damaged if they have a lot of seizures as mine did. They can handle the testing better when they feel better at the beginning. With pet insurance I could afford neurological specialists and would not depend so much on my vet to determine diagnosis and treatment.

So I chose the best breeder that I could, I got pet insurance, I limit vaccinations and consider how drugs I give my dog could lower the seizure threshhold. I am a more informed poodle owner now than I was before. So if the worse happens, I would handle it differently this time and my poodle would live longer and have a happier life.

ETA: No, there is no genetic testing for epilepsy because it can have different causes or it can have no known cause. So you have to test the individual dog and hope you can find a cause for the seizures. If you can't and the seizures continue, they call it idiopathic epilepsy.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Lori G said:


> I've been reading all the recent threads about seizures and as a future poodle owner, I'm wondering:
> 
> Is this a genetic condition? A genetic test for it? Is it something I need to ask the breeder about?
> 
> I'm on the waiting list with a very reputable breeder for a fall puppy, a mini. This will be our first poodle. My BFF has always had GRs and I know that breed has its' issues. Are seizures just one of those things poodle people deal with?


Lori G, MiniPoo gave very good and detailed information, and hers is very accurate.


Epilepsy is one of the health issues that Poodles do have, but to help ensure that you are getting the best chance at a healthy dog, is to do your research and go with a good reputable breeder, and just hope for the best. There's still always the possibity of the dog having Epilepsy, or other health issues, but going with a reputable breeder who does genetic testing on her breeding dogs, will help ensure that the buyer is getting a healthy dog. Some dogs starts seizures later in life, and if that happens, it's likely from a head injury or a possible tumor. 

Trina's seizures were due from genetics. She was 4 months old when she started having them. That was in 1999. Extensive tests did not show a brain tumor, and it was concluded that she had what is called Ideopathic Seizure Disorder. Otherwise known as Ideopathic Epilepsy. That means that there was no underlining reason for her seizures, and therefore she was most likely born with the disease. 

So really, as Poodle owners, we just have to hope for the best, and to buy from a good reputable breeder.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Lori G said:


> I've been reading all the recent threads about seizures and as a future poodle owner, I'm wondering:
> 
> Is this a genetic condition? A genetic test for it? Is it something I need to ask the breeder about?
> 
> I'm on the waiting list with a very reputable breeder for a fall puppy, a mini. This will be our first poodle. My BFF has always had GRs and I know that breed has its' issues. Are seizures just one of those things poodle people deal with?


Epilepsy is one of a variety of health conditions that can occur in dogs, and is seen in poodles. There is no genetic testing available for epilepsy and its inheritance is not entirely understood. From what I have read, it is that it's thought to involve a variety of genes as well as possibly environmental factors. Because it's likely not a disease that requires only one or two genes, it's more elusive and can show up very sporadically, which makes it a difficult disease to track or breed away from. It also means that two healthy parents, with healthy parents and grandparents, can produce an epileptic puppy. 

It's important to choose a reputable breeder who is knowledgeable about which health issues have been produced in their line and who can tell you if epilepsy is a known concern. Also who can provide support should any health issue arise.


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## West U (Jul 30, 2014)

I had a toy poodle growing up and as an adult, a Beagle that had seizures. I believe some breeds, like Beagles might be more prone to them than other breeds, who really knows. The seizures were a nightmare for us. I hope to never go through that again. That said, looking back the Beagle might have had a tumor, the poodle was in the '60s, so again who knows.


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