Krótkoterminowe skutki dodatkowo stosowanego lewetyracetamu na funkcję nerek u psów z idiopatyczną epilepsją otrzymujących fenobarbiturany: czterotygodniowe badanie prospektywne

Levetiracetam (LEV) is a commonly used adjunctive antiseizure medication (ASM) in dogs because of its favorable pharmacokinetic profile and limited hepatic metabolism. However, because LEV is predominantly eliminated through renal excretion, prospective clinical evidence regarding its effects on renal function in dogs remains limited. This prospective study evaluated short-term changes in renal biomarkers during adjunctive LEV therapy in 12 client-owned dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) receiving concurrent phenobarbital (PB). Dogs were evaluated on day 0, day 14, and day 28 over a 4-week study period. Renal assessment included serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), phosphorus, albumin, and urinalysis. No statistically significant changes were observed in renal biomarkers (SDMA and serum creatinine) or serum bio-chemical parameters (BUN, phosphorus, and albumin) throughout the study period. Uri-nalysis findings remained stable with no evidence of proteinuria, glucosuria, or urinary casts during LEV therapy. Sedation was the most frequently observed clinical adverse event during the study period, occurring in 83% (10/12) of dogs receiving concurrent PB and adjunctive LEV, although it was generally mild and did not require treatment discon-tinuation. Overall, adjunctive LEV therapy was well tolerated over the 4-week study peri-od and was not associated with clinically significant short-term changes in renal bi-omarkers or urinalysis findings in non-azotemic dogs with IE receiving concurrent PB.