title: Clinical characteristics of epilepsy of unknown origin in the Rottweiler breed.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epilepsy 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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 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).
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.B. 8146 Dep, 0033, Oslo, Norway. linda.heske@nmbu.no.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heske
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7023, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden. izabella.baranowska@gmail.com.|Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden. izabella.baranowska@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Izabella Baranowska
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Körberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.B. 8146 Dep, 0033, Oslo, Norway. ane.nodtvedt@nmbu.no.
authors.forename: Ane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nødtvedt
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.B. 8146 Dep, 0033, Oslo, Norway. karinhultin.jaderlund@nmbu.no.
authors.forename: Karin Hultin
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jäderlund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004285:Dogs; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants