Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Abnormal Behavior Episodes Associated With Zonisamide in Three Dogs: A Case Report.
- Journal:
- Frontiers in veterinary science
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Kanazono, Shinichi et al.
- Affiliation:
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Service · Japan
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This report discusses three dogs with suspected idiopathic epilepsy, which is a type of seizure disorder without a known cause. These dogs showed unusual behaviors, including sudden aggression towards family members, trouble sleeping, restlessness, and a need for constant attention. When the medication zonisamide was increased, these behaviors worsened, but they almost completely went away within five days after stopping the drug. When zonisamide was given again, the same aggressive behaviors returned quickly, but disappeared again after stopping the medication. This is the first time such psychiatric side effects from zonisamide have been reported in dogs, indicating that this medication can cause serious behavioral issues in them.
Abstract
Psychiatric adverse effect associated with anti-seizure drugs has been well-recognized in human medicine. This case report describes three dogs with presumptive idiopathic epilepsy presented for abnormal behavior episodes. Abnormal behavior episodes included sudden rage and aggression to the family members, insomnia, restlessness, and/or constant attention-seeking behavior. MRI study and cerebrospinal fluid analysis in two dogs were unremarkable. The abnormal behavior episodes deteriorated along with gradual dose increment of zonisamide and these episodes almost completely disappeared within 5 days after discontinuation of zonisamide. The exact same episodes relapsed within days after re-administration of zonisamide and disappeared again shortly after discontinuation of zonisamide. Dose adjustments of other anti-seizure medications in case 2 did not result in significant changes in these behavior episodes. Although psychiatric adverse effects including aggressive behavior associated with zonisamide are widely recognized in humans, this is the first report in dogs in the clinical setting.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34778438/