Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog treated with zonisamide for epilepsy developed lethargy
By Itoi, Takamasa et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2022·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Distal renal tubular acidosis and lethargy associated with zonisamide treatment in a dog with idiopathic epilepsy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old neutered male golden retriever was brought in because he was very lethargic after starting treatment with zonisamide for seizures. Blood tests showed he had a condition called distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA), which was likely caused by the medication. The vet reduced the zonisamide dosage, which helped lower the drug levels in his system and improved his symptoms. Additionally, giving him sodium bicarbonate helped correct his bicarbonate deficiency. The dog started feeling better after these adjustments.
People also search for: dog lethargy after zonisamide · golden retriever seizure treatment · distal renal tubular acidosis in dogs
Abstract
A 3-year-old neutered male golden retriever administered zonisamide for the treatment of seizures showed lethargy and had normal anion gap metabolic acidosis with hypokalaemia, hyperchloremia, and alkaline urine. The serum zonisamide concentration was close to the upper limit, which raised a suspicion of adverse effects of zonisamide. This is the first report showing that the fractional excretion of bicarbonate after compensation for the plasma bicarbonate concentration by a sodium bicarbonate infusion was approximately 5%, indicating distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA). The serum zonisamide concentration decreased, and adverse effects were abated by reducing the zonisamide dosage. Diagnostic therapy with bicarbonate served as a means of compensating for bicarbonate deficiency and contributed to the clinical diagnosis of the condition in zonisamide-associated RTA in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35916390/