Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Welsh Terrier with exercise-triggered muscle spasms helped
By Green, Sherril & Olby, Natasha·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2021·Stanford University - Comparative Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Levetiracetam-responsive paroxysmal exertional dyskinesia in a Welsh Terrier.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-and-a-half-year-old spayed female Welsh Terrier was brought in for episodes of unusual muscle movements and contractions that happened after exercise. Initially, these episodes lasted about 7 to 10 minutes, but over time they became longer and more frequent, lasting up to 30 minutes and occurring hours after activity. The vet found that giving diazepam at the start of an episode helped quickly, and starting the dog on levetiracetam, an antiepileptic medication, allowed her to return to exercise without issues. However, when the medication was reduced, the episodes returned, indicating that ongoing treatment is necessary for her condition.
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Abstract
A 5-and-a-half-year old, 9-kg, spayed, female Welsh Terrier presented with a 12 month history of paroxysmal exertion-induced dyskinesia (PED) characterized by recurrent episodes of involuntary hyperkinetic movements, abnormal muscle tone, and contractions triggered by exercise. A single episode occurred within 2 hours after exercise, lasted from 7 to 10 minutes, and resolved without treatment. The owner sought treatment for the dog when the episodes began to last longer (20-30 minutes), and occurred as long as 2.5 to 8 hours after exercise. Diazepam administered intranasally at the start of an episode promptly alleviated the symptoms. Maintenance therapy with levetiracetam proved effective, such that the dog was gradually returned to exercise. However, attempts to wean the dog off the drug resulted in reoccurrence. Although the pathophysiology of PED is not fully understood, the clinical presentation and the positive response to antiepileptic therapy highlight the overlap between disease pathways in epilepsy and PED in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33638219/