Idiopathic epilepsy is a term used for a group of seizure disorders that occur due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain where no structural brain abnormalities exist. Epilepsy is a rule-out disease. Trauma, toxins, viral diseases and brain tumors can also cause seizure-like activity. New anti-epileptic drugs allow many dogs with epilepsy to live normal lives. Idiopathic epilepsy has many presentations and is not always a grand mal seizure where the dog loses consciousness and thrashes around.