Phenobarbita

[MC0915]

Hi,
  My 6 yr old chihuahua has just been diagnosed with epilepsy. He has been having seizures everyday for the past week. My vet just put him on Phenobarbita for the seizures. He took his first dose on Monday and it is Wed and he is still having them, although they don't seem as intense. Does anyone know how long these drugs take to work and if it is a guarantee that they will stop the seizures. Any help would be appreciated as I am very worried about him :( Thank you

[Ghilly]

There are other medications besides phenobarbital used as treatment for epilepsy (Dilantin, Tegretol, , but the main problem seems to be that when they are used in dogs, they are metabolized too quickly to do much good.

Valproic acid has been used in conjunction with phenobarbital to treat epilepsy in dogs.  In one study, when used in conjunction with either phenobarbital or primadone, valproate was successful in reducing frequency of seizures in 21 of 41 dogs by 50% (paraphrasing research information by Dr. William Thomas, DVM, MS).  If you're getting SOME results with just the phenobarbital, ask your vet about adding Valproate to see if it improves the efficacy of the phenobarb.

Keep a journal of his seizures noting the date, the time the seizure began, how long it lasted, and how long it takes him to return to a state of relative normalcy after the seizure ends.  Stay in close contact with your vet so that adjustments can be made quickly if and when needed.  Idiopathic epilepsy can be one of the most frustrating things to figure out in a dog, second probably only to food allergies.  Stay diligent, don't give up.  Do a good job of playing detective and chances are eventually you will figure it out.  Please keep us posted as to your dog's progress.

Ghilly

[Misfits4Me]

Hello & welcome....Welcome back to Jaybay, too!

Seizures can be brought on by alot of unsuspecting things.....Something simple like certain chemicals & preservatives in food can cause them.....If your feeding a food that's laden with chemicals & preservatives, I'd stop now......A fresh food diet would be a good choice...

Next, topical flea & tick products can cause them as can heartworm medications......I have a friend that's Chi started having seizures, also. Come to find out, it was the heartworm pill causing them....Once she started using a different brand, they subsided....Just an example!

I suspect Vaccine reactions can trigger them, too.....Anybody thought of that? Has your dog just been vaccinated, like recently up to 3mos.?

I hope you get them under control for both of your sake.....However, I'd be looking diligently for the cause, also.....Take care.....Karla

[Jaybay]

Phenobarbitol is the first line of treatment for dogs with epilepsy and it can take a while to determine the correct dose.  I would expect to see a better response by now so give your vet a call and report what you're seeing.  He may want to increase the dose.  If medical treatment doesn't improve the seizures, you'll need to look deeper for the cause.  Most of the time seizures show up for no apparent reason.  Sometimes they're caused by a lesion in the brain.  You'd need to have some imagining studies done to see if that's what's going on.