Idiopathic epilepsy is recurrent seizures with no identifiable underlying cause — no tumour, infection, toxin, or metabolic disease. It is the most common neurological condition in dogs and typically first appears between 1 and 5 years of age. Some breeds are predisposed: Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Boxer, Beagle, Belgian Shepherd, German Shepherd.

A generalised seizure has three phases. **Pre-ictal** (minutes to hours): unusual behaviour, restlessness, clinginess. **Ictal** (the seizure, usually 1–3 minutes): loss of consciousness, paddling, muscle stiffness, drooling, sometimes urination or defecation. **Post-ictal** (minutes to hours): disorientation, hunger, restlessness, sometimes temporary blindness.

What to do during a seizure: time it, keep the dog away from stairs and edges, do not put your hands near the mouth, dim lights and reduce noise. A seizure lasting more than 5 minutes (status epilepticus), or clusters of seizures, is an emergency.

Diagnosis is by exclusion — bloodwork, sometimes MRI and spinal fluid, to rule out structural causes. Treatment with antiepileptic medication (phenobarbital, potassium bromide, levetiracetam, imepitoin) is usually started after the second seizure or for clusters.

With well-managed medication, many epileptic dogs live a normal lifespan with good quality of life.