The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is conducting a study to better understand seizures and epilepsy in Irish Wolfhounds.
We are inviting ALL owners of US Irish Wolfhounds born between 2015 and 2025 to participate—even if your dog has never experienced a seizure.
We need every Irish Wolfhound owner to participate—not only owners of dogs with seizures, but also owners of dogs that have never experienced seizures. Responses from healthy dogs are just as important because they allow us to accurately
estimate how common seizures and epilepsy are within the breed.
Irish Wolfhounds have long been recognized as a breed at increased risk for idiopathic epilepsy, but the most comprehensive information available was published more than 20 years ago. Since then, breeding practices, veterinary care, and diagnostic approaches have changed considerably. This study aims to provide an updated understanding of seizures and epilepsy in the breed today, including their prevalence, clinical characteristics, and impact on affected dogs and their families.
Our goals are to:
✔ Determine how common seizures and epilepsy are in Irish Wolfhounds today
✔ Better understand the clinical characteristics of affected dogs
✔ Identify factors associated with disease outcomes
✔ Evaluate the impact of epilepsy on both dogs and their owners
How can you help?
The first survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete and simply asks whether your dog has ever experienced seizures.
Owners who report that their dog has experienced seizures or has been diagnosed with epilepsy will be invited to participate in a second, more detailed survey. Together, these surveys will improve our understanding of epilepsy in Irish Wolfhounds, support future
veterinary research, improve clinical care, and contribute to future genetic studies.
This research is supported by the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), with additional funding and support from the Irish Wolfhound Club of America (IWCA) and the Irish Wolfhound Foundation (IWF). Building on the long-standing Irish Wolfhound DNA database established by Dr. Margret Casal at the University of Pennsylvania, this study is being led by Dr. Yoshihiko Yu to provide an updated understanding of epilepsy in the breed.
The AKC Canine Health Foundation recently featured this project in the article:
"Revisiting Epilepsy in Irish Wolfhounds to Understand What Has Changed"
You can read more about the project in this AKC CHF article.
Survey
Please help us by completing the online survey.