Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Seizure signs and traits in Great Swiss Mountain Dogs in Germany
By Ostermann, Theresa Elisabeth et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2022·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Germany·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Phenotype of Idiopathic Epilepsy in Great Swiss Mountain Dogs in Germany-A Retrospective Study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Great Swiss Mountain Dogs (GSMDs) in Germany were found to have a high incidence of idiopathic epilepsy (IE), with symptoms like vomiting and salivation often occurring before seizures. The average age for these dogs to start having seizures was about 2.5 years, and many experienced severe episodes, including cluster seizures and status epilepticus, which can be life-threatening. Unfortunately, over half of the affected dogs died during the study period, with a median survival time of just 18 months after their first seizure. This highlights the serious nature of epilepsy in this breed and suggests that genetic factors may play a significant role.
People also search for: Great Swiss Mountain Dog seizures · idiopathic epilepsy treatment in dogs · why is my dog vomiting before a seizure
Abstract
Genetic predisposition of idiopathic epilepsy (IE) has been demonstrated in individual breeds. According to the responsible breeding association in Germany, the average incidence of registered Great Swiss Mountain Dogs (GSMDs) with seizures between the years 1999 and 2019 is 2.56%, a genetic predisposition in this breed is suspected. To describe the seizure phenotype and to examine seizure causes, a retrospective, questionnaire-based study was performed. In cooperation with the Swiss Mountain Dog Association of Germany e.V. (SSV e.V.), 114 questionnaires filled in by owners of GSMD displaying seizures and filled in by their respective veterinarians between the years 2005-2021 were evaluated. Seizure characteristics, clinical and further examinations, treatment, treatment responses, and pedigree information were collected. In this study, 94 (83.06%) dogs had IE (suspected genetic epilepsy) confirmed with confidence level TIER 1, 2, or 3. The remaining 20 dogs showed the signs of structural epilepsy, reactive seizures, or epilepsy of unknown cause and were therefore excluded from further analysis. The average age at seizure onset was 28.83 months. Male GSMDs were significantly more often affected by IE than females. The most common seizure type was focal evolving into generalized seizures (64.5%). Seizures often began with vomiting, retching, or salivation. Cluster seizures (CS) (48.9%) and status epilepticus (SE) (37.2%) were observed in a large proportion of dogs. During the observation time, a total of 49 animals (52.13%) died. Out of those, 19 dogs (20.21%) were euthanized in SE or during CS and 14 dogs (14.9%) died spontaneously during CS or SE. The median age at death was 4 years, and the median survival time for the time, when the dog was suffering from seizures, was found to be 18 months. Both occurrence of CS (= 0.0076) and occurrence of SE (= 0.0859) had an impact on survival time. In GSMD, idiopathic epilepsy presents with a severe phenotype with frequently occurring CS and SE. This study could serve as basis for further genetic evaluations as well as to provide individual treatment recommendations.
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/35903129/