seizures in dogs

[shellandmax]

I just took my 6 yr old Yorkie, Max, to the vet today.  He has had about five seizures in his lifetime, and the last four occurred about three or four months apart. After those seizures, which lasted all of five minutes, he would snap right back to normal. But after his last seizure, which occurred on Saturday.....different story.  That morning, he woke up very lethargic acting, and slept all throughout the day, not eating anything or wanting to drink anything.  Then in the early evening, he had a major seizure.  This time, he had three of them in a row, and afterward, was back to lethargic. As money is tight because of Christmas, we had no money to take him to the vet until today.  He has been lethargic ever since Saturday morning, will only eat beef and rice that I make him and not much of it, he's drinking some water and using the bathroom outside like normal, but all he wants to do all day is sleep.  It's very sad. Sooo not himself!   The vet said all his blood work came back normal, and put him on Phenobarbitol.  Now I read that this drug will make him lethargic!  If he's any more lethargic than he is now, he wont ever move!  I am so torn, being that I don't want him to have another seizure, but if he's any more lethargic, what kind of life will that be for him???  Is there any medications that work the same but wont put him in a comatose state? Any help will be so appreciated.

[LouLou230853]

I am no vet but my Irish Setter started with epilepsy when she was about 2 -3 years old. Her first seizures were also short in duration but one night she began "fitting" and we had to take her to the vet as she would not come out of it for over an hour. We gave her phenobarbitol for a while but then the vet changed her to liquid potassium bromide which we gave her (she hated it) for about 2 years and then weaned her off it slowly. She has not had a seizure since and she is now over 11 years old.

[Misfits4Me]

Here is a link from this forum....Maybe it will help you w/answers..
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dogs/Phenobarbital-side-effects--how-long/show/1525013