Vital to keep dog’s seizures under control
Dear Dr. John,
My wife and I own a nineyear-old dog that has developed seizures over the last two years. She is a spaniel mutt that we got from a shelter years ago. Our vet put her on a drug called Levetiracetam. It has done a good job of controlling the seizures, but I write to ask if there are any side effects to using this drug in the short or long term. When I looked online, I saw several listed which gave me cause for concern. Are there other antiseizure medications that are commonly used or that you prefer to use with your seizure patients? Obviously, we want to keep her healthy and the seizures minimized. M.G. Dear M.G., Veterinarians usually treat seizures in dogs based on their own comfort levels and familiarity with any of the several anti-convulsant drugs available to us. Your veterinarian has your dog on a drug commonly known as Keppra. If your dog has successfully been taking this medication for some time without side effects, then I think your dog should be fine.
The commonly listed side effects of this drug in dogs include drooling, incoordination, and excessive drowsiness. In rare cases, gastrointestinal signs may be seen. There are several other anti-seizure medications available and routinely used in dogs. These include Phenobarbital, Potassium bromide, and Zonisamide. I have also seen dogs that have taken Gabapentin and clients that on their own chose to use CBD.
My personal preference is to use phenobarbital. It is also important to look at the root cause of the seizures before one elects the drug to use. A proper evaluation needs to be done first with a good history, blood work and a physical examination. Dog seizures can be brought about by low blood sugar or calcium, toxins of many sorts, liver disease, brain tumors, but most commonly, especially in older dogs, simple idiopathic epilepsy.
Once on medication, it is important to monitor blood levels of liver enzymes and drug concentrations while ensuring that the seizures are kept under control.