LEV was prescribed for all dogs to improve seizure control apart from one case for which it was prescribed to shorten the post-ictal phase and in five cases it was used as a result of side-effects attributable to KBr and/or PB use (pancreatitis, marked behaviour change, severe ataxia). statement and Most authors recommend dosing every eight … Keppra seems to be the new favorite in our clinic. Eur J Pharmacol. Long-term levetiracetam treatment in patients with epilepsy: 3-year follow up. The efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam in pharmacoresistant epileptic dogs. I don’t see many dogs that are on Potassium Bromide anymore. 2006;47(8):1253–84. French J, di Nicola S, Arrigo C. Fast and sustained efficacy of levetiracetam during titration and the first 3 months of treatment in refractory epilepsy. One such drug is levetiracetam (LEV), for which there are multiple clinical observational studies reporting good efficacy and tolerability in human patients with epilepsy [1,6-8]. Early identification of refractory epilepsy. The officer wasn’t interested. Sixty-four dogs fulfilled the inclusion criteria of which six owners did not give consent to participate in the study and from a further six dogs follow-up data could not be gathered, leaving a study population of 52 dogs in total. Google ScholarÂ. There are multiple retrospective studies reporting good efficacy and tolerability of the anti-epileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV) in human patients with epilepsy; however, reports of LEV's tolerability and efficacy in dogs with epilepsy remain limited. 2011;21(2):160–7. There are many behaviors, events, and diseases that … The current study supports this clinical approach, as the pulse treatment protocol was as effective in controlling cluster seizures. Most authors recommend dosing every eight … PubMed  I've not had experience of a dog on Keppra but it's one of the medications that I've been on to try to control my own epilepsy. Zonisamide has a high margin of safety in dogs. , also known as a convulsion or fit, is a temporary involuntary interruption of regular brain activity. Furthermore, pharmacodynamic tolerance is not an uncommon clinical occurrence. 2002;3(5):460–70. Keppra, also referred to by the generic name, , is a prescription medication used to treat, Additionally, Keppra is not recommended for. Epileptic Disord. Our nutritional products are available for purchase worldwide. Holger A Volk. Some dogs will start eating … LEV, a structurally novel AED, is one of the more promising AEDs for canine epilepsy. Other causes include liver disease. LEV treatment resulted in 69% (95% CI 56.4-81.6%) of dogs having a 50% or greater reduction of seizure frequency with 15% (95% CI 5.3-24.7%) of dogs being free from seizures with a follow up time of 1.2 (0.3-6.4 years) and of 1.4 years (0.3-6.4 years) respectively. volume 11, Article number: 25 (2015) Receive 25% off your next order when you share your testimonial with us! PubMed  Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-015-0340-x. 2003;5:S9–S16. Treatment with gabapentin of 11 dogs with refractory idiopathic epilepsy. Like your furry, four-legged friend, humans use Keppra to help treat seizures. Part of The aim of this retrospective study was to: Describe the way LEV is used to treat epilepsy in a canine epilepsy clinic in a small animal referral hospital. IF your dog has been diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy, is on Keppra (levetiracetam) ONLY and his seizures are completely controlled there is is little to no risk of keeping him/her on Keppra. 1999;13(1):14–20. are often accompanied by a lack of control over the muscles. Get a coupon for 30% off a future order when you join our newsletter! Evaluation of levetiracetam as adjunctive treatment for refractory canine epilepsy: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Additionally, Keppra is not recommended for dogs with decreased kidney function. Epilepsy Res. When bromide is used as the sole treatment for epilepsy in dogs, higher dosages (50–80 mg/kg/day) may be necessary. Löscher W, Schmidt D. Experimental and clinical evidence for loss of effect (tolerance) during prolonged treatment with antiepileptic drugs. Unfortunately, that was the case when Troy, a 1 year old Mountain Cur, started having seizures … Neurology. Seizures were classified according to the former guidelines of the International League Against Epilepsy, modified for veterinary patients [26,27]. In human medicine, a recent study has shown that LEV had a high efficacy in the first weeks of treatment which was followed by a lower but more stable efficacy in the following weeks [34]. Long-term levetiracetam treatment of epilepsy patients: clinical audit. Do not use levetiracetam in pets that are allergic … Assessment into the usage of levetiracetam in a canine epilepsy clinic. 2007;68(6):402–8. Article  Expert Opin Drug Saf. Tags: keppra for dogs, keppra for dogs side effects. Contrary to popular belief, a dog will not swallow his tongue. 2005;46(8):1304–7. 2010;89(2–3):360–4. Muñana KR, Zhang D, Patterson EE. Doing so may lead to a life-threatening seizure. Levetiracetam monotherapy–outcomes from an epilepsy clinic. This could be associated with LEV, but it can also be secondary to the epilepsy. Fifty-two dogs were included in this retrospective study. Although it has a relatively short half-life in dogs and cats, the pharmacodynamic effect is thought to exceed the half-life. If your dog is pregnant, talk to your vet about possible alternatives. There are indications that some animals may develop a "tolerance" to levetiracetam and, after the initial honeymoon, the seizure frequency may rebound. Epilepsy is a term used to describe repeated episodes of seizures. There are indications that some animals may develop a "tolerance" to levetiracetam and, after the initial honeymoon, the seizure frequency may rebound. There is no doubt that double-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trials are of pivotal importance to establish efficacy and safety of novel AEDs, however, in recent years studies assessing the use of AEDs in practice are increasingly accepted to provide additional useful data in human medicine. “Getting a Handle on Your Pet’s Epilepsy.” Dogtime, 27 July 2015, Accessed 29 Nov. 2017. Keppra is a popular choice for veterinarians because it is not metabolized by the kidneys, which makes it a safer option for dogs with pre-existing liver or kidney diseases. I gained 80lbs on the same diet I'd lost … Google ScholarÂ. The initial dose of 60 mg/kg was also used successfully in the study from Hardy et al. The hospital’s electronic records were searched for the terms ‘levetiracetam’, ‘dog’ and ‘epilepsy’ or ‘seizure’ between February 2006 and February 2012. One dog in the current study also had an episode of vomiting and diarrhoea, which the owner associated with the LEV administration. Premature death, risk factors, and life patterns in dogs with epilepsy. Long-term toxicity studies revealed that LEV in dogs is extremely safe [38]. In addition to its seizure-suppressing activity, previous experiments in chronic epilepsy models in rodents suggested that LEV might also possess anti-epileptogenic or disease-modifying activity [18-21]. Characteristics of epileptic episodes in UK dog breeds: an epidemiological approach. “Oh, he’s had his puppy shots, but we don’t have the papers with us.” He laughed lightly. The study was approved by the Animal Care and Ethics committee of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC 2012/P129). In a former study, eight dog owners documented that their dogs became more lively and interactive on LEV treatment [14]. Dewey CW, Guiliano R, Boothe DM, Berg JM, Kortz GD, Joseph RJ, et al. Stephen LJ, Kelly K, Parker P, Brodie MJ. Diagnosing refractory epilepsy: response to sequential treatment schedules. Epilepsia. Article  Initially used in conjunction with other seizure drugs, it is now commonly used as a primary means of seizure control. Neurology. Based on experience in human medicine, Keppra is generally well tolerated. All the dogs in the pulse treatment group experienced cluster seizures and cluster seizures were reported in 83% (95% CI 67.7-98.4%) of the dogs in the maintenance treatment group (P = 0.04). Our results are similar to the findings from clinical studies assessing the overall usage of LEV in human neurology practice where the percentage of seizure-free patients ranges from 11-32% [1,6,7]. Common side effects include sleepiness and incoordination in dogs and decreased appetite, incoordination, drooling, and sleepiness in cats. Vet J. is a term used to describe repeated episodes of seizures. + Get a coupon for 30% off a future order. Central lines of the box represent the median, lower and upper limits of the box represent the 25th and 75th percentiles and whiskers represent the 10th and 90th percentiles. J Vet Intern Med. Prolonged treatment with LEV has also been shown to induce tolerance in rodent epilepsy models [ 35 ]. How it works. Zonisamide and Keppra both work very well against seizures, although Keppra in particular is subject to a “honeymoon period” of seizure-free activity that can wear off. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Epilepsy Res. Comparison of levetiracetam and controlled-release carbamazepine in newly diagnosed epilepsy. The majority of epileptic dogs have their first seizure between 1 and 5 years of age, and dogs in that age range are more likely to be diagnosed as idiopathic epileptics, … Neuro-behavioural problems, such as aggression occur mainly in children with a former psychiatric history [39,40]. In a small proportion of dogs in this study the owner reported an increase in restlessness and aggression. Other drugs include zonisamide, potassium bromide, etc. Keep your hand out of your dog’s mouth; you may be bitten. In other words, you need to take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as any epilepsy symptoms are noticed, so that the treatment can be started right away. Some breeds are more prone to epilepsy than others, including the: Male dogs have been shown to have higher incidence and mortality rates of epilepsy than females. George Nye and Sian Elizabeth Porter contributed equally to this work. Exceptions to this are if the dog's first seizure was a status epilepticus event or if the dog is an at-risk breed (like a border collie or Australian shepherd). For dogs, the typically prescribed dosage is 5-10 mg/lb given thrice daily (with or without food) every 8 hours, or as extended-release tablets twice daily [1, 3]. For some, one is not enough and they need 2, 3, or 4 … Epilepsia. It is generally accepted that cluster seizures are more challenging to control and therefore referral to a specialist hospital could be more likely. Google ScholarÂ. More dogs in the LEV pulse treatment group were reported to have side effects than in the maintenance treatment group (65% (95% CI 43.6-86.5%) vs. 34% (95% CI 14.6-53.4%), P = 0.03). In six of the 7 responder dogs, phenobarbital was reduced by an average … . There are many causes of seizures in dogs. Levetiracetam, also known as Keppra®, is a drug used to treat seizures in dogs and cats. Epilepsy Behav. Lancet Neurol. All tests were used two-sided with P < 0.05 being considered statistically significant. 2004;101(26):9861–6. Only dogs that were reportedly diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy were included in the study. 1998;284(2):474–9. Harden C. Safety profile of levetiracetam. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2007;48(3):134–8. Factors other than tolerance have to be considered for the return of poor seizure control, such as progression of epilepsy, poor owner compliance, placebo effect of using a novel AED, natural fluctuations of seizure frequency, regression to the mean and acquired drug resistance mediated by mechanisms other than tolerance [35,37]. Information and data necessary for the evaluation were obtained from a combination of electronic and written hospital records, the referring veterinary surgeons records and telephone interview with the dog’s owner. www.vetinfo.com/dog-seizure-treatment-with-felbamate-keppra.html. Levetiracetam safety profiles and tolerability in epilepsy patients. They can be infrequent and unpredictable or occur at regular intervals. et al. 2004;3(10):618–21. But I have to tell you that keppra … If your dog is on raised furniture such as a couch or human bed, carefully move your dog to the floor—if it can be done safely—to prevent a fall. Male dogs are more commonly affected than females. 2006;536(1–2):102–8. social@canna-pet.com This means that they works well in most dogs for a while, but then may become less effective. Dog seizures are often accompanied by a lack of control over the muscles. Beghi E. Efficacy and tolerability of the new antiepileptic drugs: comparison of two recent guidelines. J Vet Intern Med. Anticonvulsant therapy in dogs and cats. www.thesprucepets.com/levetiracetam-keppra-in-dogs-and-cats-3384713. with a picture of your pet, your pet’s name, your location, and your Canna-Pet success story. Give as directed by your veterinarian. French JA, Kanner AM, Bautista J, Abou-Khalil B, Browne T, Harden CL, et al. Oral LEV can be given in doses up to 1200 mg/kg/day for one year with minor side effects. www.dogtime.com/dog-health/general/794-epilepsy-disease-in-dogs-aaha. Hardy BT, Patterson EE, Cloyd JM, Hardy RM, Leppik IE. Short AD, Dunne A, Lohi H, Boulton S, Carter SD, Timofte D, et al. Only dogs which were reported in the records to be diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy (no remarkable findings on interictal neurological examination, haematology, biochemistry, brain magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid examination) and were administered LEV for ≥3 months were included in the study. Seizure frequency and seizure days frequency of all dogs (A, B) and the two treatment groups, maintenance (C, D) and pulse treatment (E, F) group. Mild side effects were experienced by 46% of dogs and a significantly higher number of these dogs were in the pulse treatment group. Despite no change in drug treatment, seizures can reoccur in human patients following several months of seizure freedom. If your dog is having a seizure, remain calm. There’s not much you can do to predict a dog’s diarrhea until it actually happens. Common Questions and Answers about Side effects of keppra in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. PubMed Central  Google ScholarÂ. Article  “I'll be more aggressive.” ... Levetiracetam has a frequent honeymoon effect. It’s also recommended to remove children and any other pets from the area so as not to overcrowd your dog. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. Mike smiled at the officer hopefully. Levetiracetam is often used with phenobarbital when phenobarbital alone does not provide adequate benefits. Differences between variables of the two treatment protocols were tested with a Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and the Mann–Whitney U-test for continuous variables. Google ScholarÂ. J Vet Intern Med. i gave her a dose at 4 pm. Prolonged treatment with LEV has also been shown to induce tolerance in rodent epilepsy models [35]. Löscher W, Honack D, Rundfeldt C. Antiepileptogenic effects of the novel anticonvulsant levetiracetam (ucb L059) in the kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Volk HA, Matiasek LA, Luján Feliu-Pascual A, Platt SR, Chandler KE. Seventy-four per cent (95% CI 53.7-94.3%) of these dogs were euthanized because the owners perceived the seizure control not to be sufficient. 2004;40(4):285–91. Note it, though, and report the episode to your veterinarian, being sure to record the date, time, and duration. Two treatment protocols were recognised; 29 dogs were treated continuously with LEV and 23 dogs received interval or pulse treatment for cluster seizures. J Small Anim Pract. J Vet Intern Med. A seizure, also known as a convulsion or fit, is a temporary involuntary interruption of regular brain activity. She has not had any seizures since starting the meds. Keppra, also referred to by the generic name Levetiracetam, is a prescription medication used to treat seizures in dogs. In a recent epidemiological study, 38% of dogs with epilepsy had cluster seizures [33], however in referral populations the number of dogs presenting with cluster seizures is usually higher. “Not yours. “I was on 700mg daily of Tegretol Retard for over 30 years and seizure free. 2010;51(1):89–97. The seizure frequency (whole population, maintenance group) and the seizure days frequency (maintenance group) increased prior to LEV treatment compared to before any treatment (Figure 1). We’ll follow up with a 25% off coupon code! Desitin financially supported the study by financially supporting clinical investigation staff to collect data. Platt SR, Adams V, Garosi LS, Abramson CJ, Penderis J, De Stefani A, et al. It is possible that the number of seizure-free dogs might decline should the follow-up period be extended. Interestingly, LEV showed a significant decrease to the baseline seizure frequency, which the placebo group did not. A consistent history was collected with the help of a questionnaire [14]. Berendt M, Gredal H, Ersbøll AK, Alving J. Following this, only the dog’s cluster seizures were intermittently treated successfully with the aforementioned LEV pulse treatment protocol. Order when you share your testimonial with us prevalence of epilepsy: a study... To one anti-seizure medication but it can also be secondary to the baseline frequency... To remove children and any other pets from the area so as not to your! Become less effective to sequential treatment dog keppra honeymoon Klopmann T, Harden CL, et al this,..., also referred to by the generic name levetiracetam, is an anticonvulsant.. Seizures [ 28 ] data storage anti-seizure medication is very soluble in water ( 104.0 mL! From double-blinded randomized trials kuba R, Novotna I, Brazdil M, Kocvarova J, Abou-Khalil B Tipold! 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