Dawn Merton Boothe, DVM PhD, Auburn University
Results from www.morrisanimalfoundation.org website:
Single Dose Extended Release Anticonvulsant Shows Promise.
"Epilepsy is a serious, late-onset seizure disorder that affects a large number of breeds and usually requires lifelong treatment. Dogs often develop a tolerance to therapy, so increasingly higher doses of anticonvulsants are needed. Previous studies showed that levetiracetam (commercially known as Keppra), a human antiepileptic drug, is well tolerated by dogs, even at concentrations that exceed the maximum therapeutic range for humans. The drug also shows promise in controlling seizures. However, the halflife of levetiracetam is short in dogs.
Researchers, funded by Morris Animal Foundation, studied the effectiveness in dogs of a new extended-release Keppra product that was recently approved for human-use. They found that the extended-release version levetiracetam is a safe, convenient anticonvulsant drug that can be given to dogs in a single oral dose with a longer half-life. These data suggest that the new product would be a better treatment option and would provide better long-term management of seizures in dogs with epilepsy."