Epilepsy is among the most common canine neurological diseases, affecting up to 5 percent of all dogs, according to the Canine Epilepsy Website. Many dogs inherit a defective gene that causes epilepsy.
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Identification
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Dogs with inherited epilepsy have "idiopathic," or primary, epilepsy. They have inherited a mutated gene from one or both of their parents. Secondary epilepsy results from an identifiable cause, such as a brain tumor.
Features
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Dogs suffering from inherited epilepsy typically begin having seizures between ages 1 and 3, according to Dr. Dennis O'Brien of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.
Significance
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Several breeds show evidence of what Barbara Licht and other researchers for the Poodle Epilepsy Project at Florida State University call "genetic predisposition" to primary epilepsy. These breeds include wire fox terriers, beagles, dalmations, Irish wolfhounds, golden retrievers, boxers and poodles.
Theories/Speculation
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Researchers speculate that inherited epilepsy may be the product of a recessive gene because the affected dog's parents often do not have the disease, according to Licht and the FSU team. They also report that the gene may be sex-linked, since in many breeds the disease occurs more often in males than females.
Expert Insight
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In 2005, researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, discovered a mutated gene that causes a type of canine epilepsy called EPM2. The disease affects miniature wirehaired dachshunds and is related to a human form of epilepsy called Lafora disease.
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