Clinical management of canine seizures

Client education is the most important step in seizure management. The owner should be well informed about canine epilepsy and the present limitations regarding treatment. Regular follow-up should be performed for drug monitoring, evaluation of the metabolic profile, and assessment of seizure frequency. Other methods of treatment may become available in the future to treat the dog with epilepsy. Potassium bromide, the first anticonvulsant discovered, is being reevaluated as an anticonvulsant in the dog. The dose advocated is 50 mg per kg once daily. This author has no experience with this drug. GABA-mimetic drugs have been shown to exert potent anticonvulsant effects against chemically and electrically induced seizures in rats. Surgical treatment of intractable epilepsy, such as division of the corpus callosum, is being performed in man. Also in man, cerebellar stimulation is effective in controlling intractable epilepsy. Recently, acupuncture treatment has been shown to reduce seizure frequency in a few epileptic dogs. Unfortunately, the ideal anticonvulsant drug still does not exist. Every patient should be evaluated as an individual. Administration of multiple drugs should be avoided whenever possible to minimize side effects and drug interactions.