title: Risk factors for survival in a university hospital population of dogs with epilepsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although a common neurological disorder in dogs, long-term outcome of epilepsy is sparsely documented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate risk factors for survival and duration of survival in a population of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy or epilepsy associated with a known intracranial cause.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and two client owned dogs; 78 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and 24 dogs with epilepsy associated with a known intracranial cause.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective hospital based study with follow-up. Dogs diagnosed with epilepsy between 2002 and 2008 were enrolled in the study. Owners were interviewed by telephone using a structured questionnaire addressing epilepsy status, treatment, death/alive, and cause of death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median life span was 7.6 years, 9.2 years, and 5.8 years for all dogs, and dogs with idiopathic epilepsy or dogs with epilepsy associated with a known intracranial cause (P < .001), respectively. Survival time for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy was significantly (P = .0030) decreased for dogs euthanized because of epilepsy (median: 35 months) compared to dogs euthanized for other reasons (median: 67.5 months). Neutered male dogs with idiopathic epilepsy had a significant (P = .031) shorter survival (median: 38.5 months) after index seizure compared to intact male dogs (median: 71 months). Treatment with two antiepileptic drugs (AED's) did not negatively influence survival (P = .056).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dogs with idiopathic epilepsy can in many cases expect a life span close to what is reported for dogs in general. In dogs where mono-therapy is not sufficient, the need for treatment with two AED's is not linked to a poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fredsø
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Toft
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berendt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D004285:Dogs; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006762:Hospitals, Animal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: Canine; Life span; Mortality; Seizure