Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival risk factors in dogs with epilepsy at a university hospital
By Fredsø, N et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2014·Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Risk factors for survival in a university hospital population of dogs with epilepsy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 102 dogs diagnosed with epilepsy was studied to understand their survival rates and factors affecting their lifespan. The average lifespan for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy was about 9.2 years, while those with epilepsy due to known brain issues lived around 5.8 years. Neutered male dogs with idiopathic epilepsy had a shorter survival time compared to intact males. Interestingly, using two antiepileptic medications did not seem to harm their chances of living longer. Overall, many dogs with idiopathic epilepsy can expect a lifespan similar to other dogs, especially with proper treatment.
People also search for: dog epilepsy lifespan · antiepileptic drugs for dogs · why is my dog having seizures
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although a common neurological disorder in dogs, long-term outcome of epilepsy is sparsely documented. OBJECTIVES: To investigate risk factors for survival and duration of survival in a population of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy or epilepsy associated with a known intracranial cause. ANIMALS: One hundred and two client owned dogs; 78 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and 24 dogs with epilepsy associated with a known intracranial cause. METHODS: A retrospective hospital based study with follow-up. Dogs diagnosed with epilepsy between 2002 and 2008 were enrolled in the study. Owners were interviewed by telephone using a structured questionnaire addressing epilepsy status, treatment, death/alive, and cause of death. RESULTS: Median life span was 7.6 years, 9.2 years, and 5.8 years for all dogs, and dogs with idiopathic epilepsy or dogs with epilepsy associated with a known intracranial cause (P < .001), respectively. Survival time for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy was significantly (P = .0030) decreased for dogs euthanized because of epilepsy (median: 35 months) compared to dogs euthanized for other reasons (median: 67.5 months). Neutered male dogs with idiopathic epilepsy had a significant (P = .031) shorter survival (median: 38.5 months) after index seizure compared to intact male dogs (median: 71 months). Treatment with two antiepileptic drugs (AED's) did not negatively influence survival (P = .056). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs with idiopathic epilepsy can in many cases expect a life span close to what is reported for dogs in general. In dogs where mono-therapy is not sufficient, the need for treatment with two AED's is not linked to a poor prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25252168/