Episodic Falling Syndrome in Cavapoos ( Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment)

My friend Emily has a one-year-old Cavapoo- Roger. She has recently shared with me a terrifying experience she had as Roger had a seizure. He was playing and running but the next moment he just fell down. He was making strange sounds like crying and his legs were so stiff. She didn’t know what to do but luckily the ”seizure” lasted for a few minutes only. I was so curious to find out more about this that I decided to do research on this topic.

It seems that Roger has an Episodic Falling Syndrome (EFS). This is a neurological genetic disorder in Cavapoos which can happen in times of stress, exercise, or excitement.

The dog usually collapses, mussels of his legs are stiff and simply not able to relax. There is a chance for a dog to overheat as he cannot pant. This is a non-progressive disorder and the therapy can help a lot. The life-span of the affected Cavapoo shouldn’t be shortened by this condition.

What Is Episodic Falling Syndrome in Cavapoos?

EFS is a hereditary condition that starts to affect Cavapoos somewhere between three months and four years of age.

Why Cavapoos have EFS? Well, because they are closely related to Cavaliers King Charles Spaniel breed( one of the Cavapoo’s parents) and these are prone to developing EFS due to mutation of the BCAN gene.

The experts associate this condition with times of excitement, exercise, and frustration but it can happen to your Cavapoo under any circumstances.

EFS is a disorder of muscles that causes increased muscle tone, especially those muscles of the limbs. The legs look like they are locked in an extended position. The dog cannot stand and collapses.

Although it may look like a seizure, it’s not. Your Cavapoo is perfectly aware of the situation but cannot control his body. The episode usually lasts from a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes and the dog usually recovers quickly after the episode ends. He will get up and behave as nothing unusual has happened.

What Causes Episodic Falling in Cavapoos?

EFS is caused by a lack of a protein called brevican.

The main role of the brevican is to control the speed and rate at which specific neurons in the brain and spinal cord fire.

Loss of brevican leads to abnormal bursts of neuronal activity which further causes all four limbs to stiff so suddenly.

The mutation of the BCAN gene ( due to lack of brevican protein) was first found in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed.

The dog will inherit this disease in an autosomal recessive manner. To make it more simple – means that the puppy must receive two copies of the mutation (one from each parent) to show some clinical signs.

If happens the puppy receives the mutation only from one parent, the disease will not develop but this dog will be a carrier which means that can transmit the mutation to his own kids in the future.

If we talk about numbers, affected dogs are not so common but carriers are. It’s known that almost 13% of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed dogs are carriers.

What Are The Symptoms of Episodic Falling in Cavapoos?

Signs of EFS in Cavapoos are rigid limbs, loss of balance, and collapse. But your dog is conscious during the whole episode, that is why we cannot qualify this incident as a seizure.

Your cavapoo may also make some strange sounds (like yelping) and he will not be able to control his own body. That is why it is super important to think about the temperature as dogs, during EFS are not able to pant so they can overheat which can be deadly.

Usually, the first symptoms appear in puppies but the disorder may occur in older cavapoos as well.

In most cases, the dog recovers soon after the attack. Dogs live normally between attacks, without any trouble. If the attacks are severe and repeat too often then the dog can suffer from neurological injury which in rare cases may require euthanasia.

How To Diagnose The Episodic Falling Syndrome in Cavapoos?

If your Cavapoo shows signs that could indicate EFS take your dog to the vet. There are many other conditions that could have similar symptoms that’s why the vet should determine their cause.

If you can take a video of the attack so you can show it to the vet, that would be perfect. If your dog has EFS symptoms as a result of excitement, stress, or exercise, stays aware of the situation, and doesn’t feel any pain or discomfort after the episode ends then most probably it is EFS and not something else.

If you or your vet suspect EFS, the only way to properly diagnose this disorder is a blood test. Your vet will look for mutated BCAN gene in your cavapoo’s blood sample. If the test comes back negative, then your dog has some other issue.

If the test is positive and two mutated genes are detected, your dog is affected by EFS, if only one mutated gene is found then your cavapoo is a carrier.

These kinds of genetic tests are very important for professional breeders. Remember to ask if those were performed before you buy your Cavapoo at a local breeder.

How To Treat Episodic Falling in Cavapoos?

There are several drugs that are prescribed for this syndrome ( the most common are Clonazepam, Diazepam, Fluoxetine ) but your vet will decide what type of medication is the best for your dog.

EFS won’t make your Cavapoo’s life shorter but this is a life-long disorder. That is why permanent treatment is necessary.

The point of all drugs is to relax muscles and to prevent episodes from happening. In most cases, the episodes won’t totally vanish but their number and frequency can be significantly decreased.

As your Cavapoo has to use the medication long-term, he can develop a tolerance for it. If that occurs, consult your vet and try to detect what the triggers are and to avoid them when you can.

When the episode happens, try to comfort your dog, to hold him gently. Don’t try to change his legs’ position, make sure he stays cool. After the episode ends, make sure he rests to prevent reoccurrence.

Final Thought

EFS is a genetic disorder that can affect Cavapoos. It’s characteristic for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels so that is why Cavapoos are jeopardized.

It’s not life-threatening but it is a life-long disorder that requires permanent therapy. Usually, the first symptoms happen during puppyhood.

The most common triggers are stress, exercise or excitement. The episodes don’t last long but they can be quite disturbing for you. The dog recovers quickly after the attack, doesn’t feel any pain or discomfort afterward.

When you buy Cavapoo, always ask if genetic tests were performed on his/her parents as this syndrome is quite easy to spot if the DNA tests have been done.

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