A clinical and diagnostic approach to the patient with seizures

Seizures are one of the most common neurologic problems encountered by the small animal practitioner. Successful management of the patient with seizure is facilitated by an appropriate diagnostic workup to identify underlying causes when they exist. Veterinary patients with seizures can be divided in to 3 main categories based on underlying cause: those with primary epilepsy, those with structural epilepsy, and those with reactive seizures. Additionally, some patients may be given a label of unknown epilepsy when they do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of primary epilepsy, but no structural or reactive cause of seizures can be identified. This article reviews the key clinical findings associated with each of the 3 main categories of seizures and suggests a standardized approach to the diagnostic workup for patients with seizure based on their signalment and neurologic examination findings.