Does breed influence the quality of life of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy?
Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological syndrome in dogs and has serious implications for the quality of life of dogs and owners.
The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the quality-of-life score of dogs suffering from idiopathic epilepsy and their owners. Researchers also explored whether there is a specific difference between breeds with epilepsy. Data were collected from 402 online questionnaires from Dutch and Belgian owners representing 402 dogs with epilepsy.
Of the 402 dogs, 253 were males and 149 females of 99 different breeds. Fourteen breeds or 177 dogs were used to calculate breed-specific scores: Australian Shepherd (n = 8), Beagle (n = 7), Belgian Shepherd Tervuren (n = 9), Belgian Shepherd Groenendaeler (n = 8), Border Collie (n = 38), Chihuahua (n = 9), Teckel (n = 13), Drentsche Patrijshond (n = 14), French Bulldog (n = 12), Golden Retriever (n = 17), Labrador Retriever (n = 18) and Rottweiler (n = 12).
Poor results for Border Collie
In the Border Collie, researchers found a statistically significant correlation between epilepsy-related death, seizure severity and cluster seizures. The Border Collie's quality of life scored lower compared to all other dogs.
There were three breeds that had minimal decreases in overall quality of life score compared to all other dogs: the Chihuahua, the Teckel and the Golden Retriever.
The response of "caring for my epileptic dog decreases my own quality of life" was high for Border Collie, Boxer, French Bulldog and Rottweiler owners, but was only found to be significantly higher in the Border Collie. Golden Retriever and Labrador scores were lower.
This is the first study reporting breed-specific differences in the perceived QoL of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and their owners. Based on the findings, researchers concluded that breed by itself is an important factor when managing epilepsy in dogs. Costs of medical care, veterinary visits and the inability to leave the dog alone may be of negative influence in breeds that already have a negative outcome.
Maud FN Hamers et al. “Quality of life in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and their owners with an emphasis on breed—A pilot study.” 11 January 2023. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 9:1107315. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1107315
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