Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Idiopathic epilepsy in Italian Spinone dogs in the UK: prevalence
By De Risio, L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2015·Centre for Small Animal Studies, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Idiopathic epilepsy in the Italian Spinone in the United Kingdom: prevalence, clinical characteristics, and predictors of survival and seizure remission.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of Italian Spinone dogs in the UK found that about 5.3% of them suffer from idiopathic epilepsy, which is a higher rate compared to other dog breeds. Owners reported that dogs with poorly controlled seizures had shorter lifespans, and those who started treatment after their second seizure had better survival rates. Unfortunately, only three dogs achieved complete seizure remission. If your Italian Spinone is having seizures, it’s important to discuss treatment options with your vet early on to improve their chances of a better outcome.
People also search for: Italian Spinone epilepsy treatment · dog seizures causes · how to help my dog with epilepsy · seizure medication for dogs · Italian Spinone health issues
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is lack of data on idiopathic epilepsy (IE) in the Italian Spinone (IS). OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of IE in the IS in the United Kingdom (UK) and to investigate predictors of survival and seizure remission. ANIMALS: The target population consisted of 3331 IS born between 2000 and 2011 and registered with the UK Kennel Club (KC). The owners of 1192 dogs returned phase I questionnaire. Sixty-three IS had IE. METHODS: Population survey. The owners of all UK KC-registered IS were invited to complete the phase I questionnaire. Information from the phase I questionnaire and veterinary medical records was used to identify IS with IE and obtain data on treatment and survival. Additional information was obtained from owners of epileptic IS who completed the phase II questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of IE in the IS in the UK was estimated as 5.3% (95% CI, 4.03-6.57%). Survival time was significantly shorter in IS euthanized because of poorly controlled IE compared with epileptic IS that died of unrelated disorders (P = 0.001). Survival was significantly longer in IS with no cluster seizures (CS) (P = 0.040) and in IS in which antiepileptic medication was initiated after the second seizure rather than after ≥3 seizures (P = 0.044). Seizure remission occurred only in 3 IS. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The prevalence of IE in IS (5.3%) is higher than in dogs (0.6%) in the UK. Idiopathic epilepsy in IS has a severe phenotype. Antiepileptic medication initiation after the second seizure and aggressive treatment of CS may improve survival.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25929270/