Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Levetiracetam treatment and follow-up in dogs with toxic seizures
By Stabile, Fabio & De Risio, Luisa·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2021·Neurology and Neurosurgery Unit, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Response to Levetiracetam Treatment and Long-Term Follow-Up in Dogs With Reactive Seizures Due to Probable Exogenous Toxicity.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Thirteen dogs with reactive seizures, likely caused by exposure to toxins, were treated with a medication called levetiracetam. They received a high initial dose followed by a lower maintenance dose, and after being seizure-free for six months, the medication was gradually reduced and eventually stopped. Remarkably, none of the dogs had any seizures after they were discharged or after stopping the medication. This suggests that levetiracetam is effective for treating seizures caused by toxins, and long-term treatment may not be necessary for these cases.
People also search for: dog seizures treatment · levetiracetam for dogs · reactive seizures in dogs · dog seizure recovery · dog exposure to toxins symptoms
Abstract
Limited information is available on the long-term follow-up and seizure recurrence in dogs with reactive seizures due to suspected exogenous toxicity. The purpose of this study was to report the long-term follow-up of 13 dogs referred to a single referral hospital, diagnosed with reactive seizures and treated with a standardized levetiracetam protocol. All dogs received a loading levetiracetam dose of 60 mg/kg/IV once, followed by a maintenance dose of 20 mg/kg every 8 h as part of an open-label clinical study. Levetiracetam was withdrawn after a 6-months seizure-free period by reducing levetiracetam to 20 mg/kg every 12 h for a 4-week seizure-free period, followed by levetiracetam 20 mg/kg every 24 h for a 4-week seizure-free period, before levetiracetam treatment was stopped. No adverse effects of the treatment were reported. No dogs experienced any seizures after discharge or after levetiracetam withdrawal. Median follow-up time from time of discharge was of 78 months (=6 years 6 months). The result of this study supports the use of levetiracetam for treatment of reactive seizures due to exogenous substance intoxication. Moreover, our results do not support the need for long-term antiepileptic treatment in cases of reactive seizures due to exogenous intoxication.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34869747/