Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Levetiracetam levels in healthy cats after 3 daily skin doses
By Smith, Casey et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2019·Department of Medical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum levetiracetam concentrations after transdermal levetiracetam administration, 3 times daily, to healthy cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of six healthy cats were given a new transdermal cream containing levetiracetam, an anti-seizure medication, to see if it could effectively control seizures without the hassle of oral dosing. The cats received the cream three times a day for six days, and blood tests showed that the medication levels remained effective throughout the treatment period. While one cat experienced mild sedation and another had some crusting on their ear, these side effects were minimal. This method could be a good option for cat owners struggling to give their pets oral medications.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Repeated oral administration of antiepileptic drugs can be challenging for cat owners, resulting in reduced compliance, poor seizure control, and reduced quality of life for cats. Levetiracetam (LEV) has several properties that make it an appealing drug for transdermal application. OBJECTIVES: The aims were to (1) determine if transdermal LEV, in a lipophilic, liposomic cream vehicle, resulted in serum concentrations above 5 μg/mL; (2) identify clinical adverse effects; and (3) evaluate the concentration of LEV in a lipophilic liposomic cream at set intervals. ANIMALS: Six healthy, client-owned cats weighing ≤5 kg. METHODS: Prospective clinical trial. Transdermal LEV was applied to the inner pinna at a dosage of 60 mg/kg (400 mg/mL concentration) at home for 6 days. Day 7, cats were hospitalized for blood sample collection for LEV concentration at times 0 (before dose administration), 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after administration. RESULTS: Median (range) timed serum concentrations were 16.6 (8.6-39.6) μg/mL, 16.1 (6.8-34.4) μg/mL, 15.4 (10.1-36.7) μg/mL, 17.4 (9.2-32.7) μg/mL, 15.1 (8.3-25.9) μg/mL, and 14.8 (11.9-28.4) μg/mL, respectively. Adverse events were limited to sedation (1/6 cats) and pinna crusting (1/6 cats). The LEV, in the proposed vehicle, retained concentration above 95% at 400 mg/mL up to 5 weeks. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Thrice daily transdermal LEV resulted in median serum concentrations ≥5 μg/mL throughout the sampling period and clinical adverse events were minimal. Transdermal LEV can provide an alternative for cats resistant to administration of other forms of anticonvulsant medication.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30663797/