Supporting the People Behind the Pets: The Hidden Impact of Canine Epilepsy

Caring for a dog with epilepsy can involve far more than managing seizures and administering medication. New research has highlighted the significant emotional, physical, social and financial impact the condition can have on owners – and why supporting the person caring for the pet should form an important part of epilepsy management.

A study published in Veterinary Record surveyed 590 caregivers across 29 countries who were looking after dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. This is the most common form of canine epilepsy and is characterised by repeated seizures without an identifiable underlying cause.

The findings reveal just how demanding caring for a dog with epilepsy can become.

The wider impact of canine epilepsy

More than one in five participants (21.02%) reported that caring for their dog negatively affected their physical and emotional health, social life, and work or finances.

Anxiety and worry were particularly widespread, reported by 83.7% of respondents. Almost seven in ten (68.8%) experienced poorer sleep, while 58.4% reported a deterioration in their financial position and 57.1% experienced tiredness.

These figures demonstrate that the effects of canine epilepsy can extend well beyond the dog itself.

Owners may worry about when the next seizure will occur, whether their dog will be safe when left alone, or whether they will be present when an episode happens. This uncertainty can disrupt sleep, affect working arrangements and place additional pressure on everyday life.

Recognising the caregiver burden

One particularly important aspect of the research is its comparison between the experiences of dog owners and parents caring for children with epilepsy.

Researchers identified “notable parallels” between the two groups, particularly around anxiety, sleep deprivation and the fear of not being present when a seizure occurs.

The study used a caregiver impact assessment adapted from a framework originally developed for parents of children with epilepsy. While caring for a pet and caring for a child are clearly different experiences, the findings demonstrate that chronic illness in a companion animal can create a genuine and substantial caregiver burden.

Senior author Dr Rowena Packer, senior lecturer in companion animal behaviour and welfare at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), emphasised that successful epilepsy management should therefore consider more than seizure reduction alone.

Understanding how treatment and the condition itself affect an owner’s daily life could help veterinary teams make more appropriate and sustainable clinical decisions.

How veterinary teams can help

The research suggests that caregiver wellbeing should become a greater consideration when supporting dogs with epilepsy.

Practical measures could include providing owners with clear information about what to expect, offering advice on managing seizures at home and helping families understand treatment options. Signposting owners towards peer-support networks may also help reduce feelings of isolation.

Technology could have an increasingly important role, too. Advances in seizure monitoring and prediction may eventually help reduce the anxiety associated with leaving a dog unattended or worrying about missing an episode.

Perhaps most importantly, veterinary professionals can acknowledge that caring for a chronically ill animal can be difficult.

Co-author Dr Zoe Belshaw noted that the scale of persistent anxiety and sleep deprivation experienced by participants was greater than the researchers had anticipated. She also highlighted how poorly recognised this type of caregiving remains within wider society.

Caring for both ends of the lead

Effective management of canine epilepsy will always centre on improving the health, welfare and quality of life of the dog. However, this research provides an important reminder that the wellbeing of the person providing day-to-day care matters too.

By recognising caregiver burden, discussing it openly and incorporating owners’ circumstances into clinical decision-making, veterinary teams may be better placed to create treatment plans that work for the whole household.

Supporting a dog with epilepsy means supporting the person at the other end of the lead as well.

Source: This blog is based on research published in Veterinary Record: Belshaw, Z. and Packer, R.M.A. (2026) “Shared struggles: Parallels in caregiver burden between canine and paediatric epilepsy.” Vet Record, e1–e19. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.70977