There are schools of thought which believe that rage is similar to epilepsy as it seems to be a "short in the wiring", as is epilepsy. Therefore some dogs will respond beautifully to anti-seizure meds, as the medication helps keep the circuits going, with no gaps or "loops" (to try to put it into simple language
) Rage may affect slightly different neural pathways than epilepsy, so rather than get a seizure, the dog goes into a "rage avalanche" (which if you've ever seen a dog coming out of a seizure, or out of a rage episode the behaviour and physical aftermath are identical.)
To clarify: This does
not mean that dogs with epilepsy will develop rage, nor does it mean that a dog with rage will have epileptic seizures.
Not many researchers are pursuing rage as a variant of seizures, sadly, as I really personally believe that they are. You really have to dig to find the research on it. I suspect part of the problem is the rarity of true rage, the fact that many are probably PTS without ever getting a diagnosis or even seeking veterinary help in the (mistaken) belief that they have a behavioural problem, and the difficulty that housing and studying rage dogs would present.
I am so happy that the meds have had a positive effect on Gypsy!
