Associations between neutering and idiopathic epilepsy in Labrador retrievers and Border collies under primary veterinary care in the UK

Meervenne, S. A. E. Van; Volk, Holger A.; Verhoeven, Pieternel; Ham, Luc Van; O'Neill, D G

doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.105354

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…No statistically significant associations were found between neutering recommendation and the different demographic categories. Two studies suggest that survival is longer in dogs with IE that are not neutered ( 30 , 31 ). A VetCompass study in the UK investigated associations of neutering with IE in 117 Labrador retrievers and 57 Border collies diagnosed with IE in primary care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross Sectional Survey of Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy Management in Primary Care in the United Kingdom

Griffin

Stabile²,

Risio

2022

Front. Vet. Sci.

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The aims of this study are to gain insight on how primary care veterinarians in the UK diagnose and treat canine idiopathic epilepsy (IE) and what they perceive as challenges in the management of canine IE. Two hundred and thirty-five primary care veterinarians took part in this survey. The questionnaire asked about the type of practice the respondent worked in, any relevant post-graduate qualifications, how many years' experience they had in practice and the participant's canine IE caseload. Participants were asked how they diagnose canine IE, how they select antiseizure drugs (ASDs) and how they assess outcome. The questionnaire also explored which information sources they have access to for deciding on canine IE treatment, challenges that may be faced when managing these cases and areas in which more support can be provided. 94.5% of participants (n = 222/235) managed <10 canine IE cases in a year and 87.8% (n = 206/235) used phenobarbital as their first line ASD. The reported mean initial phenobarbital dose was 2.1 mg/kg (standard deviation = 0.71) every 12 h. When considering how closely participants aligned with IVETF guidelines on the topics of diagnosis, ASD initiation and outcome assessment, on average participants would score around half of the available points. 53.2% (n = 125/235) of respondents recommended neutering in canine IE and 46.8% (n = 110/235) did not. 53.2% (n = 125/235) did not recommend any additional treatments for canine IE beyond use of ASDs. 23.4% recommended Purina Neurocare diet (n = 55/235), 12.8% recommended environmental modification (n = 30/235), and 6.8% (n = 16/235) recommend medium chain triglyceride supplements. In this study participants found managing client expectations to be most challenging alongside canine IE emergency management. The main limitation of this study is the relatively low response rate and therefore the results may not reflect the entire small animal veterinary profession in the UK. However, the results of this study represent a starting point to inform educational resources and support strategies to improve quality care of canine IE in primary care.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross Sectional Survey of Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy Management in Primary Care in the United Kingdom

Griffin

Stabile²,

Risio

2022

Front. Vet. Sci.

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“…A large body of literature exists covering various long-term health aspects of desexing, with most papers focusing on individual disease and/or cause of death risks; however, many of the existing studies on individual disease risks are limited to one breed or to a relatively low number of breeds [104,112,[114][115][116][117][118][119][120].…”

Section: Existing Review Articlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, one study of dogs affected with idiopathic epilepsy based on the VetCompass database using Labrador Retriever and Border Collie patient records from private veterinary practices in the UK found that 74% of gonadectomized patients were gonadectomized before the onset of seizures, and that dogs that had been gonadectomized before the onset of seizures had significantly longer survival times than those that had been gonadectomized afterwards [119].…”

Section: Other Disease Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Desexing Dogs: A Review of the Current Literature

Urfer

Kaeberlein

2019

Animals

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Background: Desexing dogs is promoted for population control, preventative healthcare, and behavior modification. Common methods are orchiectomy and ovariectomy/ovariohysterectomy. GnRH superagonist implants are available in some areas. Alternative methods like vasectomy and salpingectomy/hysterectomy are uncommon. The terminology used to describe desexing is inconsistent and contradictory, showing a need for the adaption of standardized terminology. Population Control: Surprisingly, empirical studies show no effects of desexing on population control in companion and shelter dogs despite desexing being consistently recommended in the literature. There is evidence for a population control effect in free-roaming dogs, where desexing also has benefits on zoonotic disease and bite risk. Population control in free-roaming dogs is mostly correlated with female, not male desexing. Health and Lifespan: Desexing affects numerous disease risks, but studies commonly neglect age at diagnosis and overall lifespan, age being by far the most important risk factor for most diseases. We argue that lifespan is a more important outcome than ultimate cause of death. A beneficial effect of desexing on lifespan is consistently demonstrated in females, while evidence for a beneficial effect in males is inconsistent. Studies are likely biased in desexing being a proxy for better care and desexed dogs having already lived to the age of desexing. Desexing reduces or eliminates common life-limiting diseases of the female reproductive system such as pyometra and mammary tumors, while no analogous effect exists in males. Disease risks increases across sexes and breeds include cruciate ligament rupture, various cancers, and obesity. Urinary incontinence risk is increased in females only. Various other disease risk changes show considerable variability between breeds and sexes. Behavioral Effects: Desexed males show reduced libido, roaming, conspecific mounting, and urinary marking frequency, as well as reduced male dog-directed aggression in a majority of males desexed for behavioral reasons. There is a detrimental effect on the risk and progression of age-related cognitive dysfunction. Desexed dogs may be less likely to cause bite injuries across sexes. The evidence for other effects such as human-directed aggression, human or object mounting, resource guarding, or shyness and anxiety is inconsistent and contradictory. There are few studies specific to females or individual breeds. Conclusions: The evidence for a beneficial effect of desexing is stronger in female than in male dogs; however, there is significant variation between breeds and sexes, and more research is needed to further elucidate these differences and to arrive at individualized evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice.

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“…Although it is well-established within the veterinary neurology community that Border Collie (BC) dogs show a high prevalence of IE ( 1 – 6 ), there is only one report that focuses on IE in this breed, based on a cohort of 49 BC dogs from Germany ( 7 ). Another study investigated IE in Labradors and Border Collies from the UK and the impact of neutering ( 8 ). Breed-specific differences regarding IE in dogs may hold important implications for owners, prognostication and successful clinical management ( 6 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic Characterization of Idiopathic Epilepsy in Border Collies

Santifort¹,

Bertijn

Bhatti

et al. 2022

Front. Vet. Sci.

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The prevalence of idiopathic epilepsy (IE) within the Border Collie (BC) dog breed is high. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the phenotype of BCs with IE and assess correlations between phenotypic variables and owner-provided quality-of-life (QoL) scores. Data of BCs diagnosed with IE during the period of five consecutive years were retrospectively analyzed. All the dogs were presented at least once to a veterinary neurology specialist at one of three veterinary referral hospitals and most were under the continued medical care of that specialist. Owners were requested to complete a standardized online questionnaire including quality-of-life (QoL) scoring questions. Data of a total of 116 BC dogs were included for analysis. The median age at onset of the first epileptic seizure (ES) was 33.5 months (6–188). A total of 34/86 (40%) of medically treated dogs received 1 antiseizure medication (ASM) and 52/86 (60%) received ≥2 ASMs. Phenobarbital was the most commonly employed ASM, used in 70/86 of treated dogs (81%). Four or more side effects were observed in 20/86 (23%) of treated dogs. Age at onset of first ES was significantly lower for dogs having experienced cluster seizures (CSs), status epilepticus (SE), or both (median 27 months) vs. dogs that had not experienced CS or SE (median 43 months). The QoL of BC with IE was scored with a median score of 7 out of 10. Owners scored their dog's QoL to have declined by a median of 30% during the course of life with IE with 39% (37/95) of owners scoring their dog's QoL to have declined by ≥50%. This study confirms the association of age at onset of first ES with the severity of epilepsy (e.g., presence of CS and/or SE) and further characterizes the phenotype of IE in BC dogs. QoL of BC can be heavily impacted by IE.

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Associations between neutering and idiopathic epilepsy in Labrador retrievers and Border collies under primary veterinary care in the UK

Cited by 6 publications

References 26 publications

Cross Sectional Survey of Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy Management in Primary Care in the United Kingdom

Cross Sectional Survey of Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy Management in Primary Care in the United Kingdom

Desexing Dogs: A Review of the Current Literature

Phenotypic Characterization of Idiopathic Epilepsy in Border Collies

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