Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stopping imepitoin in dogs with controlled epilepsy does not raise
By Stee, K et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2017·Small Animal Department·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Imepitoin withdrawal in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy well-controlled with imepitoin and phenobarbital and/or potassium bromide does not increase seizure frequency.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 13 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (a type of epilepsy with no known cause) that were well-controlled on a combination of imepitoin and either phenobarbital or potassium bromide were studied to see what happened when imepitoin was stopped. After gradually tapering off imepitoin over three months, the dogs did not experience an increase in seizure frequency, and their owners noticed fewer side effects from the medications. This suggests that for some dogs, it may be safe to withdraw imepitoin without worsening their seizure control. However, individual responses can vary, so it's important to monitor your pet closely during any medication changes.
People also search for: dog epilepsy treatment · imepitoin withdrawal effects · how to manage dog seizures
Abstract
Phenobarbital or potassium bromide (KBr) add-on treatment decreases the average monthly seizure frequency in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy resistant to a maximum dose of imepitoin. The importance of continued administration of imepitoin in these dogs is currently unknown. The goal of this study was to assess whether imepitoin withdrawal would destabilize epileptic seizure control. In this prospective clinical trial epileptic seizure control was evaluated by comparing the monthly seizure frequency of 13 dogs with well-controlled idiopathic epilepsy receiving a combination of imepitoin and phenobarbital (n=4), imepitoin and KBr (n=7), and imepitoin, phenobarbital and KBr (n=2) during a period of 3-6 months (pre-withdrawal period), with a follow-up period of 9-12 months after withdrawal of imepitoin (post-withdrawal period). Adverse effects were also recorded before and after withdrawal of imepitoin. Imepitoin was tapered off over 3 months as follows: 20mg/kg twice daily for 1 month, then 10mg/kg twice daily for 1 month, then once daily for 1 month. Withdrawal of imepitoin did not increase monthly seizure frequency (P=0.9). Moreover, all owners reported improvement in the adverse effects experienced by their dog after withdrawal of imepitoin. Imepitoin withdrawal in epileptic dogs that were well-controlled with imepitoin and phenobarbital and/or KBr did not worsen epileptic seizure control, and possibly decreased antiepileptic treatment-related adverse effects. However, a worsening of seizure frequency could occur in individual cases.
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/29208209/