Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pediatric seizure disorders in dogs and cats.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Lavely, James A
- Affiliation:
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Seizure disorders in young dogs and cats can be different from those in older animals, mainly because young pets are more likely to have infections affecting their nervous system. For example, signs of canine distemper, a serious viral disease, are often used to diagnose it. While idiopathic epilepsy, a condition where seizures happen without a known cause, usually affects dogs between 1 and 5 years old, smaller breed dogs can also suffer from inflammatory brain diseases like necrotizing encephalitis and granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis. When treating these conditions, veterinarians choose specific medications based on the individual needs of each pet.
Abstract
Seizure disorders in young animals pose different considerations as to cause and therapeutic decisions compared with adult animals. Infectious diseases of the nervous system are more likely in puppies and kittens compared with adults. The diagnosis of canine distemper is often based on clinical signs. Idiopathic epilepsy typically occurs in dogs between 1 and 5 years of age; however, inflammatory brain diseases such as necrotizing encephalitis and granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis also commonly occur in young to middle-aged small-breed dogs. The choice of which anticonvulsant to administer for maintenance therapy is tailored to each individual patient.
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/24580991/