Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are seizures in UK dogs and which breeds are at risk
By Alexander Erlen et al.·Published in Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine·2018·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Seizure occurrence in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK: prevalence and risk factors
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that about 0.82% of dogs in the UK experienced at least one seizure in a year. Certain breeds, like Pugs, were more likely to have seizures compared to Labrador Retrievers, and male dogs had a higher risk than females. Dogs aged between 3 and 6 years and those weighing over 40 kg were also more prone to seizures. This information can help veterinarians better understand and diagnose seizure-related issues in dogs.
People also search for: dog seizures in Pugs · why is my dog having seizures · male dog seizure risk · dog seizure treatment options
Abstract
Background Primary‐care veterinary clinical records can offer data to determine generalizable epidemiological data on seizures occurrence in the dog population. Objectives To identify and examine epidemiologic characteristics of seizure occurrence in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK participating in the VetCompass™ Programme. Animals 455,553 dogs in VetCompass™’. Methods A cross‐sectional analysis estimated the 1‐year period prevalence and risk factors for dogs with seizures during 2013. Results The overall 1‐year period prevalence for dogs having at least one seizure during 2013 was 0.82% (95% CI 0.79‐0.84). Multivariable modelling identified breeds with elevated odd ratios [OR] compared with the Labrador Retriever (e.g. Pug OR: 3.41 95% CI 2.71‐4.28, P < 0.001). Males had higher risk for seizures (Male/Entire OR: 1.47 95% CI 1.30–1.66; Male/Neutered OR: 1.34 95% CI 1.19–1.51) compared to entire females. Age (3.00 ‐ ≤ 6.00 OR: 2.13 95% CI 1.90‐2.39, P < 0.001, compared to animals aged 0.50–≤ 3.00 years), and bodyweight (≥ 40.00kg, OR: 1.24 95% CI 1.08–1.41, P = 0.002, compared to animals weighing < 10.0 kg) were identified as risk factors for seizures. Conclusion and clinical Importance Seizures are a relatively common clinical finding in dogs. The results for breed, age, sex and bodyweight as risk factors can assist veterinarians in refining differential diagnosis lists for dogs reported with behaviors that may have been seizures. In addition, the prevalence values reported here can support pharmacovigilance with baseline data from the overall population.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/30216557