Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How antiseizure drugs are used for dogs and cats in Japan
By Mizuno, Satoshi et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2022·Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Questionnaire survey on the usage of antiseizure drugs for dogs and cats in Japanese veterinary hospitals (2020).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of 511 veterinary hospitals in Japan found that zonisamide is the most commonly prescribed medication for dogs with epilepsy, used in 83% of cases of idiopathic epilepsy and 76% of structural epilepsy. For cats, phenobarbital was the top choice, prescribed for 48% of idiopathic and 51% of structural epilepsy cases, with zonisamide also frequently used. While zonisamide is often the first-line treatment for dogs, many hospitals do not regularly check blood levels of these medications. More research and education on the use of antiseizure drugs are needed to improve treatment for pets with epilepsy.
People also search for: dog seizure medication · cat epilepsy treatment · zonisamide for dogs · phenobarbital for cats · measuring seizure medication levels in pets
Abstract
Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in veterinary medicine. Recently, evidence-based recommendations or systematic reviews for using antiseizure drugs (ASDs) in dogs and cats have been published, but there are many differences in economic, geographical, and historical backgrounds and/or the availability of each ASD between countries. In the present study, we conducted a questionnaire survey on the usage of ASDs in 511 veterinary hospitals in Japan in 2020. As a result, zonisamide (ZNS) was the most commonly prescribed drug for idiopathic (83%) and structural epilepsy (76%) in dogs. In cats, phenobarbital was the most frequently prescribed drug for idiopathic (48%) and structural epilepsy (51%), but ZNS was also commonly prescribed (41% and 36%, respectively). Additionally, ZNS was the most frequently used ASD in combination therapy for canine idiopathic epilepsy. We also surveyed the frequency of measuring ASD blood levels; however, a relatively high percentage of hospitals (22%) did not perform such measurements. Although the evidence level for ZNS is still poor for both species, it is generally used as the first-line ASD in Japan. A large-scale and higher evidential study for ZNS and the education of practitioners for adequate antiseizure medication are required.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35442522/