This news item is about: A two-year, multi-institutional study funded by the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation and the Collie Health Foundation has identified a new drug-pregabalin-as an effective anti-seizure option for dogs with poorly controlled epilepsy. Epilepsy is a common and often life-shortening condition in dogs, with as many as 30 percent of those afflicted resistant to standard anticonvulsant drugs. The study assessed pregabalin’s ability to control seizures as an adjunct to phenobarbital, potassium bromide, or a combination of these two. A preliminary study, also performed at Cornell, showed that pregabalin lasts in the dog’s system about twice as long as its predecessor, gabapentin. Pregabalin is the “next generation” version of gabapentin, having a more potent action at the drug target site than gabapentin. Distributed by Pfizer, pregabalin (trade name Lyrica®) is a pill that is given orally, typically twice a day and has been proven safe for use with humans.