Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Trace nutrient levels in dogs with epilepsy compared to healthy dogs
By Vitale, Samantha et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2019·Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Comparison of Serum Trace Nutrient Concentrations in Epileptics Compared to Healthy Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (a common cause of seizures) had their blood tested for trace nutrients compared to healthy dogs. The study found that dogs with uncontrolled seizures had higher levels of manganese, while untreated dogs had elevated iron levels. Dogs receiving treatment showed higher copper and molybdenum levels than untreated or healthy dogs. These findings suggest that certain nutrients might play a role in managing epilepsy and that treatment could influence nutrient levels in these dogs.
People also search for: dog seizures treatment · idiopathic epilepsy in dogs · trace nutrients for dogs with seizures · manganese levels in dogs · copper and epilepsy in dogs
Abstract
Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) is a common cause of seizures in dogs. There are several investigations regarding serum concentrations of trace nutrients, including copper, selenium, zinc, manganese, and iron in human epileptics and animal models. However, research of this nature in dogs with epilepsy is lacking. The purpose of this prospective study was to compare serum concentrations of several trace nutrients in healthy dogs to dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Healthy client-owned dogs (= 50) and dogs with IE (= 92) were enrolled and blood samples were collected for trace nutrient analysis. Epileptics were subdivided into three groups: controlled:= 27, uncontrolled:= 42, and untreated:= 23. Serum was evaluated for concentrations of copper, selenium, zinc, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, and iron using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Uncontrolled epileptics had significantly higher manganese concentrations compared to normal dogs (= 0.007). Untreated epileptics had higher iron levels than the other three groups (= 0.04). Significantly higher levels of copper (< 0.0001) were found in controlled and uncontrolled epileptics compared to normal or untreated dogs. Significantly higher levels of molybdenum (= 0.01) were found in controlled epileptics compared to normal or untreated epileptics. Uncontrolled and controlled epileptics had significantly higher levels of selenium (= 0.0003) vs. normal dogs, and uncontrolled epileptics had higher levels of zinc (= 0.0002) than normal and untreated dogs. The significant difference in serum concentrations of several trace nutrients (manganese, selenium, and zinc) may suggest a role for these nutrients in the pathophysiology and/or treatment of epilepsy. Additionally, these results suggest that anti-convulsant therapy may affect copper and molybdenum metabolism.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31921923/