Successful management of refractory psychomotor seizures with gabapentin and phenobarbital in a Doberman pinscher dog

Abstract

Gabapentin is a new antiepileptic drug which is used in humans with complex partial epilepsy. Recently, two published studies described the efficacy of gabapentin in dogs with refractory epilepsy. However, clinical application of gabapentin in dogs with refractory psychomotor seizure has not been documented. The present report describes a 2-year-old male Doberman pinscher dog with a history of recurrent bizarre behaviors such as aggression, circling, and flank-biting. Initial oral administration of phenobarbital resulted in resolution of psychomotor seizures, but 3 months after the initial presentation, the dog became refractory to the selected treatment. The treatment was changed to a combination therapy with phenobarbital and gabapentin. Two days after starting the combination therapy, the dog became seizure-free, and there were no detectable signs of previous abnormal behaviors during the 14-month follow-up period.