We put my 15 week old show GSD male pup on Phenobarb today. He had one seizure a few weeks ago and we thought is was a vaccine reaction. Well, he had 3 grand mal seizures yesterday. We are going to try the Phenobarb for a few weeks with him. The vet thinks it could be idiopathic. Another name for when they don't know the cause! LOL Has anyone ever had a pup on Phenobarb before? He is a little sedated after the first dose. He is actually not on a high dose right now. 30 mg BID, and he is 26 pounds.
2007-04-09 06:41:50 · 6 answers · asked by bear 2 zealand © 6 in Pets ➔ Dogs
You will have to adjust his dose as he grows. he will also have to have blood work checked regularly to check the pheno levels, and liver fuctions. Some docs add Potassium Bromide to the treatment.
2007-04-09 06:53:44 · answer #1 · answered by merrygirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I've had to use it with a couple of puppies and a couple of adults over the years. The 30 mg dose sounds right. I have a 26 pound, nine year old American Eskimo on the 30 mg. The lethargy will eventually recede as the dog gets accustomed to the dosage. If the dog needs to remain on Phenobarb for extended periods then consider working with your vet to get him onto potassium bromide. It enhances the effects of the Phenobarb and you can reduce the dosage. Long term usage of Phenobarbitol can cause organ damage. Luckily it's a relatively inexpensive treatment and is tolerated well.
2007-04-09 14:15:03 · answer #2 · answered by Sally B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to be on it for epilepsy, too. He'll probably be a little confused from it, and plenty tired. One of the nasty side effects is a hangover effect. It makes you have the morning after without the pleasures of the night before, so if he's a little grouchy in the morning, have pity on him.
If the phenobarbitol doesn't help the seizures after a few more weeks, you might discuss other meds with the vet. I don't know how many will be appropriate for a dog, but I've personally been on phenobarbitol, Dilantin, Tegretol, Neurontin, Lamictal, Depakote, and a few others I can't remember now.
2007-04-09 13:50:15 · answer #3 · answered by cross-stitch kelly 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
trying pheno for a few weeks suggests will be on it for a lot longer-any animal we put on it must then be weaned off slowly over quite a period of time.
They will be sedated especially at the dose he is on.
a 15 week old pup with seizures is not a great thing-if idiopathic is DEFINITELY not a good idea to breed from your show gsd-sorry to be bearer of bad news :-(
2007-04-09 13:52:03 · answer #4 · answered by samwj 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes we had a malamute on it once. It took a few weeks to get them under control and he had several seizures that they had to track before they got the dosage right for him, but it did help. Good luck to you. It will make him a little sleepy but they do get used to it and it is much better than the alternative.
2007-04-09 13:53:29 · answer #5 · answered by Blueyedshewolf 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
phenobarbitol is bound to make him sleepy. it may take more than a few weeks on it to get the seizures under control. every time he has a seizure write down what he was doing, what he had eaten before that and the environment. watch for flickering lights and watch out for strong smells.
2007-04-09 13:46:59 · answer #6 · answered by MommyCaleb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋