In this pre-Fetch dvm360 conference interview, Karen Kline, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology) shares what she believes are some of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to the neurologic examination of patients with seizures. In the interview, she also talks about what some common anticonvulsants for cats and dogs are.
Below is the interview transcript. It has been lightly edited for clarity.
Karen Kline, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology): The most important thing is thinking about the age and the signalment of the patient, but also what their neurologic exam and physical exams are like, because that can help you to determine what the next steps are going to be, diagnostically and treatment wise. But also talking to owners about realistic expectations when they’re managing their seizure patients. So I think those are some of the most important topics.
The most common anticonvulsants are phenobarbital and potassium bromide. Those are dog anticonvulsants. In the cat, many times we’ll use phenobarbital as well. We’ve heard of other drugs like Keppra and zonisamide and topiramate and pregabalin. We also have heard about the use of dietary changes and so forth. But the most commonly used drug [is] going to be phenobarbital, and it’s still a tried-and-true drug that that is very useful in our patients species-wide.
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