Behavioural Interventions for Canine Epilepsy: How to Help Dogs with Seizures Naturally
- Hello at Dogileptic
- Apr 24
- 5 min read
When it comes to Canine Epilepsy, managing the condition can feel like a never-ending balancing act. Epilepsy in dogs is not only common but complex and often frustratingly resistant to medication. If you’re caring for a dog with seizures, you’ve likely been told about the importance of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). However, a growing body of research suggests that behavioural interventions—techniques focused on reducing stress and supporting mental well-being—could become a vital part of the epilepsy treatment toolkit.
In fact, a 2019 perspective published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science by Packer, Hobbs, and Blackwell, titled Behavioural Interventions as an Adjunctive Treatment for Canine Epilepsy: A Missing Part of the Epilepsy Management Toolkit?, presents a compelling case for integrating behavioural therapy into epilepsy care for dogs. The authors argue that while medication is essential, dogs may benefit significantly from a more holistic approach that also targets anxiety, stress, and behavioural wellbeing.
Understanding Epilepsy in Dogs
Epilepsy in dogs is the most common chronic neurological condition diagnosed in general veterinary practice. In the UK, roughly 0.6% of dogs are affected, with most cases beginning between the ages of one and four. For many, epilepsy becomes a lifelong condition requiring chronic treatment.
Anti-epileptic drugs like phenobarbital, potassium bromide, and more recently, imepitoin, are typically prescribed to control seizures. However, 20–30% of dogs don’t respond adequately to medication. Worse still, even when seizures are controlled, many dogs suffer from adverse effects such as drowsiness, excessive hunger, clumsiness, or behavioural changes—all of which can reduce their quality of life.
Adding to the challenge, dogs with epilepsy frequently exhibit behavioural issues like anxiety, attention-deficit symptoms, and signs of cognitive decline. These concerns are often overlooked, even though they can significantly impact a dog’s day-to-day wellbeing.
What Are Behavioural Interventions?
In human epilepsy care, behavioural interventions refer to non-drug treatments that target stress, mental health, and seizure-related behaviour. These include:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Biofeedback training
Yoga and breathing exercises
These therapies aim to reduce seizure frequency by improving psychological resilience and managing stress levels. For example, in one human study, adults practising PMR saw a 29% reduction in seizures compared to just 3% in a control group who practised quiet sitting. Other trials have shown similar benefits with yoga, acceptance and commitment therapy, and biofeedback.
Although these approaches have not yet been tested in veterinary clinical trials, the science behind them—and the similarities between canine and human epilepsy—suggest that dogs could benefit from tailored versions of these techniques.
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Why Stress Matters for Dogs with Seizures
Stress is a well-documented seizure trigger in both humans and animals. In dogs, stress might come from loud noises, changes in routine, unfamiliar environments, or negative training experiences. A dog’s brain, especially one predisposed to epilepsy, is highly sensitive to arousal and stress hormones. Lowering everyday stress may reduce how often seizures occur—or at least improve a dog’s ability to recover afterwards.
Interestingly, many owners report that their dogs display noticeable changes before a seizure, such as restlessness, clinginess, or fearfulness. This “pre-seizure” or prodromal phase could offer a window of opportunity for intervention—calming your dog before the seizure fully develops.
Proven Relaxation Techniques for Dogs with Epilepsy
Helping your dog relax isn’t just good for their general wellbeing—it could play a role in canine epilepsy management too. Encouraging natural, calming behaviours such as sniffing, licking, and chewing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” part of the brain), which helps regulate stress and anxiety.
Here are some effective, dog-friendly relaxation techniques:
🧩 1. Snuffle Mats
These mimic natural foraging by hiding food in fleece layers. The act of sniffing and searching reduces stress and taps into a dog’s calming instinct. Sniffing has been linked to lower heart rates and reduced cortisol levels.
🦴 2. Lick Mats and Frozen Kongs
Licking is naturally soothing for dogs. Spread dog-safe peanut butter, yoghurt, or soft food on a lick mat or stuff a Kong and freeze it. The slow, repetitive licking action promotes calmness and focus.
🥩 3. Scatter Feeding
Instead of feeding from a bowl, scatter your dog’s food in the garden or around the house. This encourages gentle movement and mental stimulation, mimicking the act of hunting for food in the wild.
🐾 4. Settle Training
Teach your dog to lie calmly on a mat or bed using positive reinforcement. This creates a “safe space” they associate with peace and predictability. It’s especially helpful if you can cue your dog to settle when you notice signs of rising stress.
🎵 5. Calming Music
Certain genres—like classical—have been shown to reduce stress behaviours in dogs. Soft background music can help soothe your dog during stressful events like thunderstorms or vet visits.
👃 6. Scent Work
Letting your dog use their nose in a controlled way builds confidence and encourages calm thinking. You can hide treats around the home or invest in beginner nosework kits. This is mentally tiring but emotionally calming.
💆 7. Gentle Massage or TTouch
If your dog enjoys touch, gentle massage can release muscle tension and lower stress. Techniques like TTouch (a specialised method of therapeutic touch) are particularly helpful for dogs that are physically tense or anxious.
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Building a Behaviour-Focused Epilepsy Plan
Although we still need high-quality veterinary studies to prove how well behavioural interventions work in dogs, the evidence from human medicine—and what we already know about stress and arousal in animals—makes this approach worth exploring.
Here are some tips for getting started:
Track your dog’s seizures and potential triggers in a journal
Introduce a calm daily routine and predictable schedule
Consult a veterinary behaviourist to tailor a plan to your dog
Avoid punishment-based training—it increases anxiety and stress
Use reward-based methods to encourage calm, confident behaviour
And most importantly, work closely with your vet to ensure any behavioural strategies support (and don’t interfere with) your dog’s medication.
Final Thoughts: Behavioural Interventions for Canine Epilepsy: How to Help Dogs with Seizures Naturally
The paper Behavioural Interventions as an Adjunctive Treatment for Canine Epilepsy: A Missing Part of the Epilepsy Management Toolkit? makes a compelling argument that behaviour-focused care could play a key role in managing epilepsy in dogs. While we wait for more clinical trials, there’s plenty you can do to support your dog’s emotional wellbeing today.
By focusing not just on seizures, but on your dog’s stress levels, behavioural cues, and environment, you could unlock a gentler, more holistic path to managing this lifelong condition.
Because managing epilepsy isn’t just about seizure control—it’s about helping your dog feel safe, secure, and truly well.
References (from Packer et al., 2019)
Packer RMA, Hobbs SL, Blackwell EJ. Behavioural Interventions as an Adjunctive Treatment for Canine Epilepsy: A Missing Part of the Epilepsy Management Toolkit? Front Vet Sci. 2019;6:3. doi:10.3389/fvets.2019.00003
Haut et al. (study on PMR and stress reduction)
Rousseau et al. (relaxation therapy and wellbeing improvement)
Dahl et al. (contingent relaxation and seizure control)
Lundgren et al. (yoga and ACT therapy in drug-resistant epilepsy)
Nagai et al. (GSR biofeedback)
Spector et al. (group therapy and quality of life improvements)
Tan & Bruni (CBT and supportive counselling study)
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