Recording the number and duration of seizures is the best way for owners to help us manage seizures long-term. Should we start anticonvulsant medications? Should we increase medications? Should we stop medications or try something different? These questions are all dependent on the seizure frequency and duration. If the seizure frequency is acceptable but each seizure is 15 minutes long, adjustments are needed. If the pet is not showing adverse clinical effects, and the serum drug concentration is good, but the pet has 1 seizure per week, we need to make a change. If the pet continues to have cluster seizures, despite adequate drug concentrations, we need to make a change.
There are many data recording options available to owners.
Keep a paper log with date, duration and number of seizures (this doesn’t need to be a diary!)
Keep a spreadsheet record
Use a smartphone app. There are many available and some can even connect to the vet clinic. (RVC Pet Epilepsy Tracker; PetPace; Safetail; SeizAlarm)
What if the owner cannot be with their pet 100% of the time? (This is everyone.) How will we know if we missed a seizure? Here are some options that I provide for owners:
Consider a video camera and keep the pet in the room with the camera when you are gone. This works well to document seizures but can increase anxiety in an owner if they witness the seizure but aren’t there to intervene or comfort the pet.
Consider using a FitBark monitor. FitBark is like the human FitBit. It detects gyroscopic movements and is an activity monitor. It has also been evaluated as a “scratch-o-meter” by dermatologists. I have played with it as a seizure monitor but do not have official data to support its use as a seizure alert tool. If a pet has partial seizures (head shaking, jaw chomping, other) it likely will not trigger the FitBark. Generalized seizures are likely to be identified as an increase in activity but the monitor cannot distinguish between running around the house after a housemate or having a generalized seizure.
Observe for signs of a seizure upon your return. This is our typical recommendation for owners. If a pet voids during a seizure, they may see urine or feces unexpected. If a pet has profound ptyalism, there may be evidence of drooling on the pet or surroundings. This is the least objective measure and probably has a high false negative result.
Recently a report was published out of Japan (https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1558274) detailing a patented seizure-detection system (SDS) that they developed for dogs. This is not yet commercially available but, based on the results, it may be available in the near future. The device was previously tested in laboratory dogs.
Study Design and Outcome
One research Beagle and 12 client-owned dogs were enrolled in the study. The dogs were hospitalized with 24-hour staff who were available for intervention for seizure management. A video system was placed and the SDS was placed into a custom designed jacket worn by the pet during the observation period. The device was connected to an application on a smartphone. The SDS detected 25 of 34 seizures during the observation period, providing a sensitivity of 74.3%. The median sensitivity for detection was calculated to be 37.5% for each dog (range 0-91.7%). Three false positives were noted in only 1 dog, one of which was excluded because the jacket fell off. The authors calculated the positive predictive value to be 92.6%. Median latency from onset to detection was 11 seconds (range 6-75 seconds). During the observation period 35 focal seizures, which did not develop into generalized seizures, were observed and none of them triggered the SDS.
Discussion
This device performed more poorly than previously reported data for human SDS. Human SDS have a sensitivity between 79-91% and this device had a sensitivity of about 74%. That said, this is a very positive step toward canine SDS. The time from the onset of the seizure to detection by the SDS was a respectable 11 seconds. This latency is well within the acceptable window of observation expected in a hospitalization scenario or it would allow an owner to address the seizure if they are in the area but not directly observing the dog. This tool may soon be one more option for us to accurately record seizures for pets at home. As with all tools, knowing the limitations (partial seizures) and the expected outcome (low false positive results) will help us guide owners to the best monitoring for their pet.
Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful week and I look forward to working with you soon!