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Ideopathic Epilepsy

 By: Brigitte Rhinehart



Ideopathic Epilepsy is the term used by most  experts to describe the condition
of frequent seizures with no identifiable  cause. Seizures occur when nerve cells
in the brain become hyperexited and send  rapid-fire messages to the body. If nerve
cells in an isolated part of the brain  are defective, only part of a dog's body
is affected resulting in a partial  seizure. Partial seizures are exhibited by
localized body movements, such as  head bobbing or imaginary fly-biting. If
circuits throughout the entire brain  misfire, the dog has a generalized
seizure. Tonic-clonic seizures involve teeth  gnashing, frantic thrashing of the
limbs, excessive drooling and loss of bodily  functions resulting in
uncontrolled urination and defecation. Treatment of IE  depends on the severity
of the case and may involve daily administration of  anticonvulsant drugs such
as phenobarbital, primidone, potassium chloride and  others. Unfortunately, all
anticonvulsants have some undesired side effects.  Some affect liver functions,
others can make the dog drowsy or hyperactive or  may cause vomiting and
constipation. IE is present in all Swissy lines. It  typically surfaces between
the ages of 1 to 3 years but it can become evident as  early as 12 months and as
late as 5 years.Unfortunately, no method to identify  carriers of epilepsy
exists to date. It is only after a dog or a bitch has  produced offspring with
IE that we can assume that this particular sire or dam  is probably a carrier of
epilepsy. However, the mode of inherintance of IE is so  complex that at the
moment no one management method will assure complete control  of the disease.
Prudent Swissy breeders will not continue to breed a dog or a  bitch that has
produced 2 or more offspring with IE, and of course no serious  breeder will
ever consider breeding an affected animal. Many Swissy breeders and  owners
participate in the all breed DNA research project to locate the genetic  marker
for IE conducted currently at the University of Missouri/Columbia. We all  hope
that this research eventually will produce a reliable method to identify
  carriers of IE and thus help the breeder to better control or even erradicate
  this heartbreaking, unpredictable and often lethal disease. 


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