AKC foundation launches Epilepsy Research Initiative

The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation has launched the Epilepsy Research Initiative to provide dog owners and the veterinary community with improved methods for preventing and treating epilepsy in dogs.

Dog clubs, owners, and veterinarians have identified epilepsy research as an unmet need in the field of canine health, according to the CHF. The seizure-related syndromes collectively known as epilepsy represent the most common neurologic disorders in dogs. About 30 percent of dogs in which epilepsy is diagnosed do not receive relief from seizures with current drug therapies, and these treatment options also carry possible adverse effects.

Dr. Shila Nordone, CHF chief scientific officer, said the Epilepsy Research Initiative “aims to fund research grants that will better classify the disease, provide a more thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms that predispose dogs to epilepsy, and introduce new drugs into the canine epilepsy treatment pipeline.”

Information about the initiative and epilepsy is available here. Resources for dog owners include “Understanding Canine Epilepsy,” a white paper on the state of epilepsy research that includes a seizure diary.