Decoding Canine Paroxysmal Episodes

Presentation Description / Summary: Paroxysmal episodes in dogs often present a diagnostic puzzle. Clinical histories are predominantly aimed at identifying generalized tonic-clonic seizures, while knowledge on other episodic conditions, such as syncope, vestibular events, cataplexy, or paroxysmal dyskinesia, is more limited. Shared features, including collapse, altered awareness, changes in muscle tone, and autonomic signs, complicate classification and can lead to misinterpretation and misdiagnosis. All of these factors can ultimately confuse both clinicians and owners. In this interactive session, we step away from textbooks and focus on real-world clinical video footage collected through specialized video software. We will work through each case with the audience, using a structured, evidence-based approach to evaluate events individually and maintain a broad differential rather than defaulting to seizures. Participants will be invited to vote on interpretations, compare perspectives, and discuss which features carry the greatest diagnostic weight. Key discriminating factors, such as semiology, awareness, duration, autonomic involvement, treatment response, and natural history, will be emphasized, alongside a discussion of the limitations of current classification systems and a proposal for revision. By the end of the session, participants will have improved consistency and confidence in interpreting clinical videos and communicating their observations more clearly to owners. Join us for a highly interactive, case-driven workshop where learning is grounded in real cases and shared clinical experience.