Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment and outlook for dogs and cats with status epilepticus
By Blades Golubovic, Susan & Rossmeisl, John H·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2017·VCA Veterinary Referral Associates·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Status epilepticus in dogs and cats, part 2: treatment, monitoring, and prognosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog experiencing status epilepticus (SE), which is a prolonged seizure, may show signs like twitching, loss of consciousness, or stiffening of the body. Treatment usually starts with benzodiazepines to stop the seizures, but if those don't work, vets may explore other medications or even non-drug therapies. Monitoring with advanced techniques like EEG can help track the dog's brain activity and improve treatment outcomes. Unfortunately, dogs with SE face a higher risk of complications, and their overall lifespan may be shorter compared to dogs without this condition.
People also search for: dog seizure treatment · status epilepticus in dogs · dog epilepsy prognosis · benzodiazepines for dog seizures · dog EEG monitoring
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To discuss current anticonvulsant drug options and advances in treatment of status epilepticus (SE) and to review the prognosis associated with SE. TREATMENT: When treating a patient with SE, the main goals are to halt seizure activity, prevent further seizures, identify the cause of the seizures, and manage any complications. The veterinary literature indicates that benzodiazepines are the most common class of drugs used for the initial treatment of SE. Although many anticonvulsant drugs are currently available for treatment of SE, there is a lack of evidence demonstrating clear benefit to the use of specific therapeutics for benzodiazepine-refractory SE. Several multicenter, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trials are currently investigating the efficacy of new drugs, such as fosphenytoin, for use in canine SE. Another active area of research is the investigation of nonpharmacologic methods of seizure treatment including percutaneous vagal nerve stimulation and transcranial ultrasonic neuromodulation. MONITORING: Electroencephalography (EEG) is underutilized in the management of veterinary seizure disorders. However, recent advances in EEG technology may allow for earlier and proactive therapeutic interventions in epileptic patients, provide objective data collection regarding treatment efficacy, and yield insight into the neurologic status of patients with SE. Most importantly, use of EEG in patients with SE will lead to increased recognition of nonconvulsive seizures and nonconvulsive SE. PROGNOSIS: Mortality associated with SE is as high as 25% in dogs due to direct and indirect causes of death. Dogs with seizure disorders have a decreased lifespan compared to the general population, and epileptic dogs with SE have a significantly abbreviated lifespan compared to epileptics that do not experience SE. In people, nonconvulsive SE has a higher morbidity and mortality than convulsive SE, regardless of patient age or underlying diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28445601/