Neurocare first line?

RE: Neurocare first line?

Craig Reilly — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:48:25 GMT

Thanks. Interesting thoughts - evidence based medicine idd as often elusive when examined critically.

RE: Neurocare first line?

Beats — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:30:00 GMT

From memory, there has not been an intervention trialled (and published) for canine epilepsy that has not concluded it worked. [I haven't fact-checked this recollection, so could be wrong]

Certainly though, if a trial is not placebo controlled and simply compares seizure frequency immediately post-intervention to that immediately pre-intervention, then it's at big risk of spurious correlation (most interventions, and especially adjunctive interventions) are going to be started at a period of higher seizure frequency, which will frequently be followed by a period of lower seizure frequency owing to regression to the mean).

The linked paper is placebo controlled, but the measured outcome is not reduced seizure frequency.

The same researchers do seem to have assessed with seizure frequency as the measured outcome and published that here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32293065/. I'm not sure I find a reduction in seizure frequency from 2.67/month to 2.51/month to be very exciting though.

In a non-fussy dog, where dietary change is not likely to risk any problems, and where cost of treatments is of no concern to the owner (rare in my experience), I might recommend it.

RE: Neurocare first line?

Craig Reilly — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 11:31:07 GMT

Yes Clive - but all the work has been in the adjunctive setting i.e. adding diet in on top of medication.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33268017/

RE: Neurocare first line?

Clive Ansell — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 09:18:51 GMT

is there any reliable evidence that it works?

RE: Neurocare first line?

Craig Reilly — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 09:15:48 GMT

Thanks for your reply - my view too - was interested to hear if widely accepted as yet - suspect from the lack of general response you and I may be in the minority lol

RE: Neurocare first line?

Virginia Campbell — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 23:53:41 GMT

Dog food. If I had a case that had brief, not very severe, very infrequent fits where I wasn't quite inclined to start Pexion or phenobarb yet, I'd probably try it alone. If I had a case that would normally have me reaching for the drugs, I'd start both then if all going well wean the drugs down and off if possible. (Kind of like giving the food trial in atopic dogs a flying start with a week of pred unless they are mild - both to calm the signs down and give your long term strategy a chance to get established, and also to cheer up the owner and give them the will to give the expensive food a chance and not declare "it didn't work so I just gave him the jumbones and rodeos and tea and toast again cos he likes them". ).

RE: Neurocare first line?

Clive Ansell — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 14:45:54 GMT

What is it?