Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Levetiracetam-responsive paroxysmal exertional dyskinesia in a Welsh Terrier.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Green, Sherril & Olby, Natasha
- Affiliation:
- Stanford University - Comparative Medicine · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-and-a-half-year-old spayed female Welsh Terrier weighing 9 kg had been experiencing episodes of unusual, involuntary movements and muscle contractions triggered by exercise for the past year. Initially, these episodes lasted about 7 to 10 minutes and would happen within 2 hours after exercise, but they started to last longer and occur up to 8 hours later. The dog's owner sought help when the episodes became more severe, and a medication called diazepam helped relieve the symptoms quickly during an episode. For ongoing treatment, levetiracetam, an antiepileptic medication, worked well, allowing the dog to gradually return to exercise, but stopping the medication led to the return of the episodes. Overall, the treatment with levetiracetam was effective in managing the dog's condition.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33638219/