Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment and long-term results for cats with suspected epilepsy
By Pakozdy, Akos et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2013·Department for Companion Animals and Horses·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Treatment and long-term follow-up of cats with suspected primary epilepsy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with suspected epilepsy were treated with phenobarbital, either alone or with other medications, to help control their seizures. After treatment, about 40-50% of the cats became seizure-free, while others had varying levels of control over their seizures. Most cats showed a decrease in the duration and severity of their seizures, and many maintained a good quality of life. However, stopping treatment after being seizure-free for a long time often led to a return of seizures, so ongoing management is important.
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Abstract
We report an evaluation of the treatment and outcome of cats with suspected primary epilepsy. Phenobarbital therapy was used alone or in combination with other anti-epileptic drugs. Outcome after treatment was evaluated mainly on the basis of number of seizures per year and categorised into four groups: seizure-free, good control (1-5 seizures per year), moderate control (6-10 seizures per year) and poor control (more than 10 seizures per year). About 40-50% of cases became seizure-free, 20-30% were considered good-to-moderately controlled and about 30% were poorly controlled depending on the year of treatment considered. The duration of seizure events after treatment decreased in 26/36 cats and was unchanged in eight cats. The subjective severity of seizure also decreased in 25 cats and was unchanged in nine cats. Twenty-six cats had a good quality of life, nine cats an impaired quality of life and one cat a bad quality of life. Despite being free of seizures for years, cessation of treatment may lead to recurrence of seizures in most cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23090332/