Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Management of refractory epilepsy.
- Journal:
- Topics in companion animal medicine
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Muñana, Karen R
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
Plain-English summary
Refractory epilepsy is a condition in dogs where seizures are not well controlled or cause serious side effects, even with standard medications. This issue affects about one in three dogs with epilepsy, leading to a search for better treatment options. Recently, several new medications used for humans, like gabapentin and levetiracetam, have been tested in dogs, along with non-drug approaches such as brain stimulation and diet changes. While there are various treatments available, we still don't know enough about how safe or effective they are, and more research is needed to find the best solutions for dogs and cats with this challenging condition.
Abstract
The term refractory epilepsy is utilized in veterinary medicine to describe a condition in which an animal with epilepsy fails to attain satisfactory seizure control or suffers intolerable side effects despite appropriate therapy with conventional antiepileptic drugs. Refractory epilepsy is an important problem in small animal practice as it occurs in approximately one-third of dogs with epilepsy. Consequently, there is much interest in identifying ways to more effectively treat this population of animals. More than a dozen new antiepileptic drugs have been approved for humans over the last 2 decades, and several of these drugs, including gabapentin, zonisamide, levetiracetam, and pregabalin, have been evaluated for the treatment of refractory seizures in veterinary patients. Nonmedical methods to treat poorly controlled epilepsy are also being explored. The 2 alternative forms of therapy that have shown the most promise in humans with epilepsy are electrical stimulation of the brain and dietary modification, both of which have also been evaluated in dogs. This overview summarizes the available data on pharmacologic as well as nonmedical treatment options for dogs and cats with refractory epilepsy. Although many forms of therapy are currently being utilized in clinical practice, our knowledge of the safety and efficacy of these treatments is limited. Additional randomized controlled trials are needed to better evaluate these novel therapies for refractory epilepsy in dogs and cats.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24070684/