L’epilessia del cane: un moderno approccio clinico e terapeutico parte II: Diagnosi differenziali e terapia

Idiopathic Epilepsy (IE) in the dog is the major cause of epileptic seizures. Neoplasia, inflammatory/infectious diseases, cerebrovascular accidents are the most common causes of structural epilepsy. Hypoglycemia, Hypocalcemia and Hepatic Encephalopathy are the most common causes of reactive seizures. IE treatment is symptomatic. The goal of the therapy is the reduction of severity and frequency of seizures. The most important guideline includes the balance between a good control of seizures activity and development of relevant side effects. Phenobarbital and Bromide are still the two drugs most commonly used in the IE treatment. Among the new generation drugs, Zonisamide and Levetiracetam are the best known and most commonly used in veterinary medicine. Imepitoin is a new drug, recently and specifically developed for dogs, aimed to replace phenobarbital in the treatment of IE.