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Psychiatric disorders associated with epilepsy have been studied for a long time in human medicine. However, the comorbid behavioral changes and cognitive impairments of canine epilepsy have only begun to be studied in the past decade. Due to the growing number of studies, their significance is becoming increasingly recognised. In addition to the presumed bidirectional relationship between epilepsy and anxiety, anxiety has a major impact on the quality of life of affected dogs and their owners as well. Epilepsy and its comorbid psychiatric conditions can be extremely demanding, not only for the dogs, but for their owners as well. It can also affect the dog-owner relationship and the bond between dog and caregiver.

In this study we examined data exclusively from canine epileptic patients. A total of 104 epileptic dogs (64 males and 40 females) took part in the research. During the questionnaire-based data collection, we used the PANAS scale to evaluate anxiety/fearfulness as a trait in the epileptic dogs. Out of the 104 dogs, 35 (33.65%) dogs scored higher than the threshold in “negative activation” (which characterizes sensitivity to negative stimuli and can be thought of as a measure of temperamental fearfulness), 24 (23.08%) dogs had a lower “positive activation” score (which measures sensitivity to rewards and positive stimuli), and 11 (10.58%) dogs showed deviations from the average score on both scales. All in one 48.08% (n=50) of the studied population can be considered temperamentally fearful and more prone to anxiety or even depression. The normal range for the negative activation scale is between 0.33 and 0.63, with an average of 0.48. The average score in our studied population is significantly higher than this (p<2.2*10-16), (t=10.065). For the positive activation scale the normal range is between 0.59 and 0.85, with an average of 0.72. In our sample the average positive activation score is 0.641, which is significantly lower than 0.72 (p=7.427*10-8).

The owners of the dogs who participated in our study reported a higher rate of behavioural changes of their dogs after the onset of epilepsy than before. Therefore a causal relationship between epilepsy and behavioural changes can be assumed. The most commonly observed behavioural changes after the onset of epilepsy include fear, anxiety, frequent licking of paws (as a possible symptom of OCD), fear of sounds, lethargy and increased attachment.

According to our research, it can be concluded that anxiety is prevalent in the population we studied, but it is not widely recognised by all owners in their dogs. Our results are coherent with the relevant literature, therefore further research is needed to assess the situation of epileptic dogs in Hungary and to provide an opportunity for a broader understanding and treatment of neurobehavioural comorbidities by developing a complex veterinary approach with the aim of improving the quality of life of epileptic dogs.