Fourteen of 29 Golden Retrievers with idiopathic epilepsy experienced multiple seizures within 24 hours, a pattern that veterinary guidance treats as an emergency. The finding was the clearest danger signal in a Swedish study of 743 dogs.
The peer-reviewed study, published Oct. 10, 2026, in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, included 29 affected Golden Retrievers and 714 controls. Researchers from Sweden and Denmark used owner questionnaires and available medical records to examine prevalence, seizure characteristics and possible risk factors.
Idiopathic epilepsy was identified in 3.9% of the study population. That was higher than the approximately 0.62% previously reported for the general canine population, although differences in recruitment and study design prevent a straightforward comparison.
Generalized tonic-clonic seizures were the most commonly reported type, and many seizures happened while the dogs were resting. Fourteen affected dogs, or 48.2%, had cluster seizures, defined by the researchers as multiple seizures within 24 hours.
Repeated seizures require prompt veterinary planning
Current veterinary emergency guidance defines cluster seizures as two or more seizures in 24 hours. It recommends immediate veterinary assessment for first-time seizures and for multiple or ongoing seizures; dogs presenting with cluster seizures may require anticonvulsant treatment, hospitalization and monitoring.
Owners should not attempt to create a medication plan themselves. A veterinarian can determine whether a dog at risk of repeated seizures needs an individualized emergency plan, including instructions for any prescribed rescue medication.
Behavior around a seizure also carried safety implications. About 52% of owners recognized changes beforehand, most often restlessness or increased attention-seeking. Nearly 97% reported behavioral changes afterward, during the postictal period.
Nine of the 29 affected dogs, or 31%, displayed postictal aggression. Cornell veterinary guidance advises keeping away from a dog’s mouth during a seizure and remaining cautious afterward because confusion or disorientation can sometimes appear as aggressive behavior.
The study also found that male Golden Retrievers had approximately 2.4 times the odds of idiopathic epilepsy compared with females. Working-line dogs had a prevalence of 4.9%, compared with 2.9% among show-line dogs, but that difference was not statistically significant.
Treatment helped many dogs but did not work for all
Twenty-three affected dogs received antiseizure medication, and phenobarbital was prescribed to 21 of them. About 61% of treated dogs became seizure-free or had their seizure frequency fall by at least half.
Five dogs showed no reduction after one or two medications. About 78% of owners whose dogs received treatment reported adverse effects, including increased appetite, problems with coordination, fatigue and increased thirst.
Two affected Golden Retrievers, approximately 3 to 3½ years old, were euthanized after treatment-resistant cluster seizures did not respond adequately to multiple medications. Those outcomes illustrate the potential severity for individual dogs, but they do not predict what will happen to another dog with epilepsy.
Diet and gastrointestinal findings do not establish causes
Dogs with reported gastrointestinal signs had approximately 3.9 times the odds of idiopathic epilepsy. Dogs fed cereal-free diets had approximately 4.9 times the odds compared with dogs receiving diets containing cereals, while dermatologic problems were not significantly associated with epilepsy.
Those results show statistical associations, not cause and effect. The questionnaire could not determine whether owners changed their dogs’ diets before or after an epilepsy diagnosis, so the diet finding does not establish that cereal-free food caused or prevented seizures. It is not a basis for changing a dog’s food without veterinary guidance.
The researchers also identified possible recall and participation bias, a small affected group and limited use of advanced diagnostic testing. Recruitment within Sweden further means the results cannot automatically be applied to Golden Retrievers in other countries or to the breed as a whole.
For owners, the most immediate takeaway is the frequency of repeated seizures among the affected dogs. A first seizure, multiple seizures within 24 hours or an ongoing seizure warrants prompt veterinary attention, while dogs already diagnosed with epilepsy may benefit from a veterinarian-prepared emergency plan.
What would you do if your dog were in this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
By Sarah Mitchell — 8 years as a local-news reporter covering animal welfare, shelters, neighborhood disputes, and public-safety pet stories.
