Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How UK vets first treat generalised seizures in young dogs
By Green, M et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2022·Dovecote Veterinary Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Approach to initial management of canine generalised epileptic seizures in primary-care veterinary practices in the United Kingdom.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how veterinarians in the UK manage dogs having their first epileptic seizure. Out of over 500 dogs, only 13% were given anti-seizure medications right away, with most receiving either phenobarbital or imepitoin. Dogs that had cluster seizures (multiple seizures in a short time) were more likely to be treated with these medications compared to those with a single seizure. Interestingly, about 20% of dogs that had a single seizure did not have any more seizures in the following six months. This information can help improve how seizures are treated in dogs.
People also search for: dog seizure treatment · cluster seizures in dogs · phenobarbital for dogs · imepitoin for dog seizures
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate how primary care clinicians in the UK approach initial management of canine generalised epileptic seizures, including factors potentially associated with prescription and choice of anti-seizure drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic health records concerning 3,150,713 consultations (917,373 dogs) were collected from 224 veterinary practices by the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network. Free-text clinical narratives were reviewed to identify those consistent with generalised epileptic seizure activity, including only those recording the first presentation for seizures. Dogs older than 6 years were excluded. RESULTS: Five hundred and seventeen cases were included. Sixty-seven dogs (13.0%) received anti-seizure drugs at first presentation; this was significantly more likely in dogs presented with cluster seizures (odds ratio 13.8, 95% confidence interval 7.3 to 26.1). Phenobarbital (n=36) and imepitoin (n=29) were the most frequently chosen anti-seizure drugs. Presentation for a single epileptic seizure occurred in 321 dogs; seven were prescribed anti-seizure drugs. Eighty-six dogs were presented with cluster seizures; 38 were prescribed anti-seizure drugs, most frequently imepitoin (n= 19) and phenobarbital (n=17). Of the dogs presenting with a single seizure and at least 6-month follow-up (n=165), 33 (20%) did not have subsequent seizures recorded. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Primary care clinicians rarely prescribed anti-seizure drugs following a single epileptic seizure in accordance with International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force recommendations. Less than half of dogs initially presenting with cluster seizures were prescribed anti-seizure drugs. Imepitoin was frequently selected in the treatment of cluster seizures despite no authorisation for this purpose. These findings may ultimately contribute to improved cohesion in the management of canine epileptic seizures between primary care and referral institutions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36003061/