3 Encephalopathy and Seizures: Diagnosis and Managment Flashcards
What is the forebrain comprised of
Cerebrum and diencephalon
Main indicator that something is wrong with animal’s forebrain
personality change
Unique symptoms of change in the forebrain
Blindness
Seizures
Circling
Definition of encephalopathy
Brain dysfunction
Non-specific
Extra cranial liver causes of encephalopathy
portosystemic shunt
liver failure
Signalment for portosystemic shunt encephalopathy
Little young dog
Other causes of extracranial causes of encephalopathy
Toxins
Insulinoma causing hypoglycemia and seizures
Vascular
Intercranial causes of encephalopathy
Neoplastic
Inflammatory disease
Trauma
Less likely - infectious
Head pressing usually neurolocalizes to
Forebrain
What tests do you run if you’re worried a dog has cirrhosis
Bile acids
Ammonia
What will an ammonia test tell you
If normal will not rule out liver disease
Will tell you if current dysfunction is due to the liver.
What would cause an increased ammonia with strange behavior
Hepatic encephalopathy
if normal ammonia, not a rule out
Purpose of imaging a dog with suspected hepatic encephalopathy
Look for shunts
Size of liver
What test do you do to determine condition of the liver
Biopsy
Initial treatment for a dog with suspected hepatic encephalopathy
Lactulose, denamerian, low protein diet, +/- antibiotic (for gut flora, metronidazole)
Do you treat patients that are having seizure due to hepatic encephalopathy
Not usually
treat underlying disease
Best way to diagnose hydrocephalus
Ultrasound the head
Black fluid all around brain
Characteristics of congenital hydrocephalus
Malformation of the ventricular system
Irreversible
Can prevent deterioration
Main cause of acquired hydrcephalus
tumor
Inflammatory diseases
Treatment for hydrocephalus
Reduce CSF production
Medications that reduce CSF production
Omeprazole
Prednisone - antiinflammatory dose
Acetazolamide - dont use commonly, will mess with renal function
What can you do if medical managment fails to reduce CSF production
Place a shunt
Emergency treatment to reduce CSF production
Mannitol
Hypertonic saline
Seizure classifications
Generalized
Partial
Psychomotor
