Seizure disorders and therapy selection

Seizure disorders represent a complex challenge in veterinary neurology, requiring multiple considerations to be taken into account for each individual seizure patient. This presentation aims to explore the clinical reasoning process when developing etiological differentials and therapeutic modalities for seizure disorders, with particular emphasis on scenarios where advanced diagnostic tools may be limited or unavailable. During this hour, the presenter will challenge the dogma of “seizure protocols,” highlighting the individual variation between patients and clients in veterinary medicine.

The agenda of this in-depth discourse includes discussing pertinent parameters and co-morbidities that influence decision-making factors, underscoring their significance in tailoring therapeutic intervention to individual patients. This session's import is encouraging practitioners to engage in decision-making at the individual patient level while recognizing prevailing challenges and pitfalls in seizure therapy within the general practice setting.

Examples used within this session are gleaned from the presenter’s experience in teleconsulting directly with general practitioners. This session hopes to offer invaluable insights to professionals in the veterinary medicine field, from seasoned practitioners to recent graduates and students; attendees stand to benefit from a refined understanding of clinical reasoning with seizure cases informed by the latest scientific developments while operating within real-world limitations. Armed with the insights from this session, practitioners will be better positioned to approach seizure disorders with a structured, scientifically informed strategy that highlights the individuality of patient care and client limitations.

This session originally was presented at AVMA Convention 2024.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop a structured, scientifically informed strategy to approach seizure disorders that prioritize the individuality of patient care and recognizes client limitations.
• Apply the clinical reasoning process in the development of etiological differentials and therapeutic modalities, especially in scenarios with limited diagnostic tools.
• Integrate the principles of the "Spectrum of Care" mindset, understanding the diverse range of available resources and varied client circumstances in veterinary medicine.

Ryan Gibson, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology) (@thebraindogtor on socials) is a veterinary educator and neurologist from Auburn University. His teaching focuses on foundational neuroscience, applications in clinical neurology, and microanatomy. He founded The Brain Dogtor Consultations and Education, offering online consultations for veterinarians via stratocyte.com, Vets on Call Network, and Veterinary Specialists on Demand, and serves as a forum consultant for VetHive. Through these consultations, Dr. Gibson aims to serve a population of pets that may not have access to specialist-level care and support veterinarians on challenging neurological cases! Dr. Gibson collaborates with multiple researchers on projects exploring new drug discovery for neuropathic pain, studying the aging of the neurological system across species, and seizure therapies. He founded Pet Parent Educators, which aims to increase client education following the diagnosis of chronic conditions such as seizures and diabetes and through various life stages with both live virtual and on-demand options. He also established the Neuroscience Educators and Researchers in One Health Group at Auburn University to bring clinical and research scientists together to nerd out on neurology and encourage collaboration! Dr. Gibson is passionate about teaching and serving general practitioners and is excited to speak at AVMA!