Validation of the diagnosis canine epilepsy in a Swedish animal insurance database against practice records

Heske, Linda; Berendt, Mette; Jäderlund, Karin Hultin; Egenvall, Agneta; Nødtvedt, Ane

doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.03.003

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…According to the study performed by Heske et al [ 10 ], the incidence rate of epilepsy in the Rottweiler breed was 24.3 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 19.5–29.1) per 10,000 dog-years at-risk, which is higher than the overall incidence rate of 18 (95 % CI 18–19) for all breeds. The study included IE as well as SE cases, but based on a validation study of the same database it was concluded that a majority of the cases were idiopathic [ 30 ], lending further support to the impression of a relatively high prevalence of a possible idiopathic epilepsy in this breed. Heske et al [ 10 ] further showed that the mortality rate from epilepsy in the Rottweiler breed was 21.5 (95 % CI 16.5–26.5), which is significantly higher than the general mortality rate among epileptic dogs of all breeds of 11 (95 % CI 11–12) [ 10 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All dogs included in this study had first- or second degree relatives with epilepsy. In addition, to fulfil the criterion of IE, the patients had to have an age of onset of ≥6 months and ≤7 years, and a follow-up time-period of ≥4 months after the first seizure, with no other neurological signs developing, consistent with the classification used in a previous study [ 30 ]. At least 70 % of the dogs included in this study most likely suffered from IE, as these had a follow-up time of more than 4 months.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study consists of a case-series of Swedish Rottweilers with owner-reported epilepsy. The diagnosis is validated against published diagnostic criteria [ 30 ] based on detailed questionnaires, and the majority of the included dogs are believed to suffer from IE. Because the dogs were recruited to the study based on owners volunteering to participate, the included individuals are likely to represent animals with owners that are very focused on the disease or actively associated with the breeding club.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Clinical characteristics of epilepsy of unknown origin in the Rottweiler breed

et al. 2015

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BackgroundEpilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions in dogs. Despite that epilepsy appears to be common in the Rottweiler breed, published literature about the phenotype of epilepsy in this breed is lacking. The aim of this questionnaire-based study was to describe the clinical characteristics of epilepsy in the Rottweiler breed including; signalment, pedigree, housing conditions and information about the seizures such as age at onset, seizure type, duration, and progression, as well as number of seizure days (24 h), effect and side effects of anti-epileptic drugs, and potential comorbidities. The diagnosis for epilepsy of unknown origin was based on the following inclusion criteria: ≥2 seizure days, starting between 6 months and 7 years of age, no known history of poisoning or serious head trauma, and (when available), pre-study routine serum biochemical parameters were within the reference intervals.ResultsA total of 37 cases (23 females and 14 males) were included in the study. The median age at onset of seizures was 36 months (range 8–84 months). The dogs suffered from generalized tonic–clonic seizures, and more than 50 % of the dogs had experienced cluster seizures (>1 seizure in 24 h). The dogs commonly started to seizure while resting (23/36) and/or sleeping (20/36). Only 3 of the 36 dogs experienced seizures during activities such as walking or training. All of the 24/37 (64.9 %) dogs on antiepileptic drugs received phenobarbital. Five dogs needed add-on treatment (n = 5), and of these: one dog was on 3 drugs (phenobarbital, potassium bromid and levetiracetam) (n = 1), three dogs were on phenobarbital and potassium bromide (n = 3), and one dog received phenobarbital and imepitoin (n = 1). Seizure frequency did not necessarily improve following antiepileptic treatment, and for six of 21 (28.6 %) of the dogs, seizure frequency increased. All of the Rottweilers in this study had relatives with epilepsy reported.ConclusionsThe Rottweilers suffering from epilepsy in this study presented with generalized tonic–clonic seizures, and their response to antiepileptic treatment was variable. More than 50 % of the dogs had experienced cluster seizures (>1 seizure in 24 h).Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13028-015-0168-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Clinical characteristics of epilepsy of unknown origin in the Rottweiler breed

et al. 2015

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“…A validation of Agria Pet Insurance database against practice records performed previously showed excellent agreement for sex, breed and for 85% of diagnoses, and fair agreement for birth date with a tendency of better agreement for clinics with computerized medical records 20 . The agreement is likely better today since computerized medical records are used to a higher extent, and more recent studies reported excellent and acceptable agreement for epilepsy and atopic dermatitis diagnoses 21,22 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…20 The agreement is likely better today since computerized medical records are used to a higher extent, and more recent studies reported excellent and acceptable agreement for epilepsy and atopic dermatitis diagnoses. 21,22 Most of the previous studies evaluating the epidemiology of SJD in dogs are based on data from veterinary teaching hospitals and primary-care veterinary practices. 1,3,4,11,13,23,24 However, most of these estimates reflect only proportions of clinic patients, which may not reflect actual rates and may not be generalizable to the wider dog population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The epidemiology of stifle joint disease in an insured Swedish dog population

et al. 2021

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Background: Stifle joint diseases (SJD) are common in dogs and include a variety of diagnoses. The objective of the study was to provide an overview of the epidemiology of SJD in insured dogs. Methods: An historical single cohort study of dogs insured in Agria Pet Insurance (2011-2016) in Sweden was performed. Incidence and relative risk (RR) of SJD was calculated for the whole dog population and for subgroups divided by breed, breed group and sex. Results: The study population included almost 600,000 insured dogs (>1.7 million dog-years). Ninety-three different stifle joint diagnoses were reported in 9624 dogs, and the most common were cruciate ligament rupture and patellar luxation. The incidence of SJD was 55.4 cases per 10,000 dog-years at risk. Bulldog and boerboel had the highest RR of SJD. The breeds that accounted for the highest proportion of all SJD claimed dogs were mixed breed and Labrador retriever. Female dogs had a slightly increased RR compared with male dogs (RR 1.06, p = 0.006). The incidence increased yearly during the observation period. Conclusion: The study demonstrates breed-specific differences in incidence of SJD in dogs, which may be of importance for breeders, dog owners and veterinarians.

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Data collection and management

Stouthamer‐Loeber¹

2018

Veterinary Epidemiology

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Validation of the diagnosis canine epilepsy in a Swedish animal insurance database against practice records

Cited by 10 publications

References 21 publications

Clinical characteristics of epilepsy of unknown origin in the Rottweiler breed

Clinical characteristics of epilepsy of unknown origin in the Rottweiler breed

The epidemiology of stifle joint disease in an insured Swedish dog population

Data collection and management

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