Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40170936›Full record

ArticleThe Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne2025

Treatment-Refractory Epilepsy Alimentary Therapy (TREAT): A canine case study.

Grace Frankel, Melissa Findlay, Leeanne Bargen

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Grace FrankelClinical pharmacist, Southern Health, 381 Stonebridge Crossing, Steinbach, Manitoba R5G 0P8 (Frankel); Emergency veterinarian, Pembina Veterinary Hospital, 400 Pembina Hwy, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2E7 (Findlay); Small-animal practice veterinarian, Pet Vet, 25 MB-52A, Steinbach, Manitoba R5G 1X6 (Bargen).
Melissa FindlayClinical pharmacist, Southern Health, 381 Stonebridge Crossing, Steinbach, Manitoba R5G 0P8 (Frankel); Emergency veterinarian, Pembina Veterinary Hospital, 400 Pembina Hwy, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2E7 (Findlay); Small-animal practice veterinarian, Pet Vet, 25 MB-52A, Steinbach, Manitoba R5G 1X6 (Bargen).
Leeanne BargenClinical pharmacist, Southern Health, 381 Stonebridge Crossing, Steinbach, Manitoba R5G 0P8 (Frankel); Emergency veterinarian, Pembina Veterinary Hospital, 400 Pembina Hwy, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2E7 (Findlay); Small-animal practice veterinarian, Pet Vet, 25 MB-52A, Steinbach, Manitoba R5G 1X6 (Bargen).

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Half of all epilepsy cases in both humans and canines are identified as idiopathic. Of these cases, 30 to 40% remain treatment-refractory to antiepileptic medications. Several human and dog studies have demonstrated low-carbohydrate diets and dietary medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplementation are effective for seizure reduction, with some patients achieving a seizure-free status. Recent evidence suggests the gut-brain axis has an important role in the pathology of neurological disease among both humans and dogs. Altered gut microbiota may have a major role in treatment-refractory epilepsy. This case report describes a dog with treatment-refractory epilepsy experiencing cluster seizures triggered by an altered gut microbiome despite therapeutic drug concentrations of multiple agents. Consideration of an underlying gastrointestinal disorder should be investigated in patients with treatment-refractory epilepsy, despite therapeutic concentrations of several antiepileptic medications. Dietary and gastrointestinal health-promoting interventions for epilepsy should also be considered before add-on pharmacotherapy or euthanasia. For difficult epilepsy cases, we suggest exploring the role of a limited-ingredient, low-carbohydrate diet, MCT supplementation, and/or pre/probiotics to augment pharmacotherapeutic strategies. This information may be critically valuable in designing high-quality, diet-based therapies for epileptic dogs. Key clinical message: Gastrointestinal workup, dietary changes to a low-carbohydrate diet, supplementation with MCTs, and addition of pre/probiotics could be considered to augment pharmacotherapeutic strategies in treatmentrefractory epilepsy cases in dogs.

Indexed as

Dog DiseasesDrug Resistant EpilepsyEpilepsyAnimal FeedAnimalsAnticonvulsantsDietDogsGastrointestinal MicrobiomeTriglyceridesAnticonvulsantsTriglycerides

Identifiers

PMID40170936
PMCPMC11932361

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.