ArticleVeterinary medicine and science2025
Effects of Phenobarbital and Prednisolone on Neurological Signs of Canine Distemper.
Article in Veterinary medicine and science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Effects of Phenobarbital and Prednisolone on Neurological Signs of Canine Distemper.Veterinary medicine and science · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCanine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly infectious and often fatal disease in dogs, affecting various systems. Despite vaccination efforts, cases of distemper, especially the neurological form, remain a global concern due to its high fatality rate.
objectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of phenobarbital and prednisolone in treating the neurological form of canine distemper (CD).
methodsThirty-five dogs with neurological signs of CD were included in the study after careful clinical examination. Confirmation of CD was based on clinical signs, rapid diagnostic tests, and RT-PCR testing of blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Dogs were treated with oral phenobarbital (2.5 mg/kg) and prednisolone (0.55 mg/kg) every 12 h. Treatment outcomes were categorised as recovered, died, or euthanised.
resultsOut of the 35 dogs, 25 tested positive for CDV. Among positive cases (n = 25), two dogs mostly recovered, one dog partially recovered, one dog remained unchanged, 18 died (15 died naturally and three were euthanised), and three dogs were lost to follow-up. In the negative test group (10 dogs), eight dogs died, the outcome of one dog was unknown and one dog remained unchanged. Disease duration ranged from 2 to 586 days (average: 72 days in positive cases, 59.2 days in negative cases). The low recovery rate (8%) suggests limited effectiveness of the treatments used, including prednisolone, particularly for myoclonus, which was the most frequent clinical sign. Regarding seizure management, while our study observed some effectiveness of phenobarbital in controlling seizures, it's important to note that the efficacy of phenobarbital can vary. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size and owner non-compliance limited the study.
conclusionsOur findings suggest limited benefit from prednisolone for neurological CD. Further research is necessary to develop more effective treatment strategies for this devastating canine viral disease.
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