A neurology appointment is expensive. It is also one of the most important hours of your dog’s treatment journey. The more prepared you are, the more your neurologist can help. This is your complete preparation checklist.
Why Does Preparation Matter So Much?
Veterinary neurologists typically have 30 to 60 minutes with you. That is not a lot of time to review history, examine your dog, discuss diagnostics, and create a treatment plan. When you arrive with organized, complete information, your neurologist can spend less time gathering data and more time actually helping your dog.
Research from the IVETF consensus statements emphasizes that accurate seizure history is the single most important factor in diagnosing and managing canine epilepsy. Your observations at home are data your vet cannot get any other way.
What Should I Bring to the Appointment?
Here is your complete checklist, organized by priority:
Essential: Seizure Log
This is the most valuable thing you can bring. Your neurologist needs:
- Date and time of every seizure
- Duration (start to finish, in seconds or minutes)
- Type of seizure (generalized, focal, or unknown)
- Description of behavior during the seizure (paddling, jaw chomping, one-sided twitching, staring, etc.)
- Post-ictal behavior and recovery time
- Possible triggers (stress, weather change, missed medication, activity level)
- Cluster information (did multiple seizures occur within 24 hours?)
If you are using Anchor, all of this data is already captured and organized. You can share a summary directly with your vet.
Essential: Medication History
| Information Needed | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Current medications and dosages | Confirms what your dog is actually taking right now |
| Time of last dose (day of appointment) | Affects interpretation of serum drug levels |
| Any recent dose changes | Helps correlate changes in seizure frequency with medication adjustments |
| Missed doses (dates and reasons) | Missed doses can directly trigger seizures |
| Supplements and over-the-counter products | Some supplements interact with anti-epileptic drugs |
| Previous medications tried (and why stopped) | Prevents prescribing something that already failed |
Essential: Previous Blood Work Results
Bring copies of all previous blood work, especially:
- Phenobarbital or bromide serum levels
- Liver panels (ALT, ALP, GGT)
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Chemistry panels
Trends over time are far more useful than a single snapshot. If you are tracking blood work in Anchor, you can pull up the full history on your phone.
Highly Recommended: Seizure Videos
Video recordings of seizures are extremely valuable. A 30-second video tells your neurologist more than a 10-minute verbal description. Key things to capture:
- The beginning of the seizure (if you catch it in time)
- Whether both sides of the body are involved equally
- Eye position and movement
- Any vocalization
- The transition from seizure to post-ictal phase
You do not need professional video quality. Even a shaky phone recording in low light is useful. Save these videos in a dedicated folder on your phone so you can find them quickly during the appointment.
Helpful: Environmental and Lifestyle Notes
Your neurologist may ask about factors that could influence seizure activity:
- Diet (brand, type, recent changes)
- Exercise and activity level
- Stressors (new family member, move, construction noise, fireworks)
- Sleep patterns
- Vaccination history (recent vaccines can occasionally lower seizure threshold)
- Exposure to toxins or chemicals
Anchor automatically captures environmental data like barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, and moon phase with each seizure entry. This type of data can help identify patterns you might not notice on your own.
What Questions Should I Ask?
You are paying for expertise. Use it. Do not leave without answers to these questions:
- What type of epilepsy does my dog have, and how confident is the diagnosis?
- Are additional diagnostics (MRI, CSF analysis) recommended, and why?
- What is the treatment goal? (seizure-free, or reduced frequency/severity?)
- What side effects should I watch for with this medication?
- When should I schedule follow-up blood work?
- At what point should I call you between appointments?
- Are there any dietary changes or supplements worth considering?
- Should I have emergency medication (rectal diazepam, intranasal midazolam) at home?
Write these questions down before the appointment. It is easy to forget them in the moment.
After the Appointment: What to Do Next
When you get home, take 10 minutes to document what was discussed:
- Any changes to medication (new drugs, dose adjustments)
- Upcoming tests or procedures
- Follow-up appointment date
- New instructions or observations to track
Update your dog’s profile in Anchor with any medication changes so your tracking stays accurate going forward.
“Your vet is the expert on veterinary neurology. You are the expert on your dog. The best outcomes happen when both experts show up prepared.”