Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Staring spells and seizures in young Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs
By Wielaender, F et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2018·Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Absence Seizures as a Feature of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy in Rhodesian Ridgeback Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-month-old female Rhodesian Ridgeback was brought in for myoclonic seizures and episodes of staring that began when she was just 10 weeks old. Testing revealed a genetic mutation linked to this condition, and a specialized EEG showed specific brain activity during her seizures. After starting treatment with levetiracetam, her myoclonic seizures decreased by over 95%, and the staring episodes stopped completely. This case highlights how juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in dogs can be effectively managed with medication.
People also search for: Rhodesian Ridgeback seizures · puppy myoclonic epilepsy treatment · levetiracetam for dogs · dog staring episodes原因
Abstract
Myoclonic epilepsy in Rhodesian Ridgeback (RR) dogs is characterized by myoclonic seizures occurring mainly during relaxation periods, a juvenile age of onset and generalized tonic-clonic seizures in one-third of patients. An 8-month-old female intact RR was presented for myoclonic seizures and staring episodes that both started at 10 weeks of age. Testing for the DIRAS1 variant indicated a homozygous mutant genotype. Unsedated wireless video-electroencephalography (EEG) identified frequent, bilaterally synchronous, generalized 4 Hz spike-and-wave complexes (SWC) during the staring episodes in addition to the characteristic myoclonic seizures with generalized 4-5 Hz SWC or 4-5 Hz slowing. Photic stimulation did not evoke a photoparoxysmal response. Repeat video-EEG 2 months after initiation of levetiracetam treatment disclosed a >95% decrease in frequency of myoclonic seizures, and absence seizures were no longer evident. Absence seizures represent another seizure type in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) in RR dogs, which reinforces its parallels to JME in humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29194766/