COLLEGE STATION - Julius Caesar had it.
So did Napolean, Socrates, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Lord Byron, Richard Burton, Alfred Nobel and the apostle Paul.
It's epilepsy, and while great strides have been made through the years in treating the human side of the disease, it's only recently that progress has been made in diagnosing and treating epilepsy in the animal world.
Researchers at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine are looking into one drug that shows promising results, especially in canine epilepsy, the most common form. Dr. Dawn Boothe is in the second year of a three-year project funded by the American Kennel Club investigating drug treatments for the disease.
Boothe says the most widespread treatment of epilepsy in dogs involves a drug that has been around for years - phenobarbital. While it is often effective, the drug has one serious side effect - prolonged use of it can causes serious liver damage.
"That's why we're trying to seek other ways of treatment," Boothe, a professor of veterinary medicine, explains. "Since epilepsy usually involves treatments throughout the lifetime of the dog, we're looking at other drugs."
One that shows promise is potassium bromide, which Boothe says offers the same benefits as phenobarbital but so far, does not show any adverse side effects. The drug has been successful in treating more than 50 epileptic dogs brought into the college's Small Animal Clinic, but Boothe says another year of testing is needed.
Epilepsy is caused when nerve cells from the brain sometimes release abnormal electrical impulses. These impulses cause all of the nerves in the body to fire off at once, resulting in uncontrollable muscle movement. Drugs such as potassium bromide short-circuit those impulses, either eliminating or shortening a seizure before it begins. If a seizure does occur, the dog can become unconscious, have uncontrollable muscle spasms and sometimes die.
"During a seizure, just about anything can happen," Boothe says. "It definitely can become a life-threatening situation."
Boothe says about three percent of all dogs have epilepsy, and "while that number doesn't seem high, it still means millions of dogs have the disease, far more so than cats. In horses, the disease mainly hits just foals, but often it gradually disappears. Dogs seem to have the highest incidence," Boothe notes.
The disease has hit home for many at Texas A&M. The school's mascot, a collie named Reveille, has been diagnosed with epilepsy and has suffered several seizures but is being successfully treated, Boothe said.
Boothe says dog owners should be aware that a seizure can occur with no warning signs. Often, seizures occur late at night, or while the owner is away at work or school, meaning the owner never sees what's happening.
Sometimes, she says, excitement or loud noises, such as thunder, can trigger a seizure.
Seizures usually last anywhere from 15 seconds to two minutes but can last longer, Boothe says. If you see your dog suffering a seizure, you should make sure your animal is in a safe place and then contact a veterinarian immediately.
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Contact: Keith Randall (409) 845-4644 or [email protected].
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