Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin reactions in dogs treated with epilepsy drugs
By Koch, Tina et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2016·Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions in Dogs Treated with Antiepileptic Drugs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with epilepsy was studied to see if their antiepileptic medications caused skin problems. Out of 137 dogs treated, about 11% developed new or worsening skin issues after starting the medication, with 40% of those cases likely linked to the drugs. Symptoms included various skin lesions that appeared after treatment began. While tests were done to confirm if the skin reactions were due to the medications, they weren't reliable enough to be used regularly in practice. It's important for pet owners to monitor their dogs for any skin changes when starting antiepileptic drugs.
People also search for: dog skin problems after medication · epilepsy treatment side effects in dogs · dog skin rash from antiepileptic drugs
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders in dogs and life-long treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AED) is frequently required. Adverse events of AED targeting the skin are only rarely reported in veterinary medicine and the true incidence and spectrum of cutaneous reactions in epileptic dogs remains unknown. In this study, we hypothesized that cutaneous reactions commonly occur in epileptic dogs and are related to AED treatment. A retrospective case review of 185 dogs treated for epilepsy identified 20.0% with simultaneous appearance of dermatologic signs. In a subsequent prospective case investigation (n = 137), we identified newly appearing or distinct worsening of skin lesions following initiation of AED therapy in 10.9% of dogs treated for epilepsy (95% CI 6.8-17.7%). Cutaneous lesions were classified as probably drug-induced in 40.0% of these cases. Patch testing and intradermal testing were further investigated as potential diagnostic methods to confirm AED hypersensitivity. They were of high specificity but sensitivity and positive predictive value appeared inappropriate to recommend their routine use in clinical practice.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27148543/