GRH Neurology

Cluster seizure management

• To appreciate the importance of differentiating between seizure types and why this is important in the seizure work-up
• To understand the pharmacology and clinical applications of emergency anticonvulsant drugs used in veterinary practice
• To understand the pharmacology and clinical applications of chronic anticonvulsant therapy and its limitation for acute seizure management

Status epilepticus management in dogs and cats

• To understand when and how to diagnose the cause for status epilepticus
• To understand when emergency anticonvulsant therapy is indicated and the most appropriate drugs to use
• To understand the pharmacology and clinical applications of emergency anticonvulsant drugs used in veterinary practice

Clinical examination is required to diagnose and localize disorders of the nervous system, and provide information on the severity of some disorders.

Many neurological problems are episodic, so that cases appear normal when examined in the consulting room. Now that almost everybody walks around with a good quality video camera in their pocket, there’s plenty of opportunity for clients to record these problems as they occur, making it much easier to understand the nature of the problem. Unfortunately, owner videos come in a variety of shapes and sizes and clients will sometimes expect you to reach a decision on the spot. Quality can be poor, with grainy, poorly focused images, shaky footage and low lighting. It can even be difficult to determine the precise nature of the abnormality being illustrated. Overall, however, client videos should be viewed as an invaluable asset in deciding how best to investigate a problem.

Learning Objectives:

• To have some insight into the difference between seizure activity and other sporadic episodes of collapse
• To recognise that neurological disease can mimic other causes of collapse and weakness
• To appreciate that owner videos are an asset in determining the nature of collapse.

Welcome to the BSAVA science webinar series – taking a closer look at some of the papers published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP). In this webinar, Luisa Dormer (Scientific Editor at the BSAVA) and Nicola Di Girolamo (Editor-in-Chief of JSAP) are joined by Abbe Crawford and Tom Cardy to discuss their paper Is there a link between bacteruria and a reversible encephalopathy in dogs and cats?.

Holger Volk discusses a problem-oriented approach to epilepsy in dogs and cats - once the problem has been defined, differential diagnoses, diagnostic tests, and formation of a treatment plan can follow. This 2 hour webinar is a recording of the live session from this Regions Now event, brought to you by our South East Region. Regions Now events comprise an introductory lecture with supporting content available one week before a live lecture. This is followed by a one-week online discussion forum allowing participants to offer observations about the lessons learned and describe their own experience in handling cases. Regions Now sessions are free to BSAVA members and available for non-members to book - visit the Regions page of the BSAVA website for details of future Regions Now events. Recordings will be available for 3 years via the BSAVA Webinar Library.

Neurological conditions can mimic orthopaedic disorders and lead to lameness as the main clinical sign, commonly described using the terms paresis, plegia or ataxia. This chapter covers neurological examination, diagnostic procedures, traumatic nerve injury, vascular disease, degenerative disease, inflammatory diseases, neoplasia, neurological conditions caused by toxins and intermittent lameness.

 Steven De Decker, Head of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Royal Veterinary College and BVNS President, helps us logically assess the dog with hindlimb paralysis.

Disorders of the nervous system include a wide range of conditions with very different needs in terms of rehabilitation, support and palliative care. This chapter covers Principles of treating neurological cases; Managing recumbent dogs and cats; and Changes in demeanour. A variety of case scenarios in dogs and cats will be presented to illustrate the considerations to be made and the options available within a specific clinical setting. Case examples: Tail pull injury in a cat; Brain tumour in a dog; Cervical disc herniation in a dog; Cervical myelopathy in a dog; Discospondylitis in a dog; Refractory epilepsy in a dog; Thoracolumbar disc protrusion in a dog.