My cat has seizures. Vet suggested Tegretol, but warned it's lethal.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Seizures can occur due to many reasons that go from a toxicity, metabolic diseases, inflammatory diseases and even tumors. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment. Diagnostics that will be recommended will include bloodwork and advanced imaging such as an MRI. They would also be able to start him on anti-seizure medications to try to avoid the onset of more seizures. Good luck and have a good day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor girl! There is an interaction between phenobarbital and prednisone. The prednisone will not work as well when the animal is take phenobarbital. But that's not to say that this caused the seizure. It does happen that a seizure disorder requires increases in the anti-seizure medication over time because the lower dose isn't as effective anymore. I cannot find an interaction between tresaderm ear drops and phenobarbital, so it may be an unfortunate coincidence she had a seizure after getting the drops. I think the best thing for her is to take her into a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

The phenobarbital level in her blood should be checked to make sure she gets enough of it daily. Other medicine can be tried (Potassium Bromide for example). I sure hope this input will help Stormy. Good luck.

Eddie is gorgeous! Thank you for including a picture. If his seizures have increased to every other week, then it is likely time to start some anti-convulsant medications to try to decrease the frequency of the seizures. I am attaching a link to a handout on siezures below. The handout specifically addresses seizures in dogs, but much of the information also applies to cats incuding the medications that we use. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=560 I would certainly recommend having your veterinarian examine Eddie and perform bloodwork to look for any underlying diseases that could be treated before starting anti-convulsant medications. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear that Clunker has been having seizures. It is important to see exactly what is going on, to determine that he is having a true seizure, as opposed to a collapse or localized tremors for a different reason. A video would be very helpful and I would be happy to provide a consultation. If this is a true seizure, they are usually the result of abnormal brain activity. This can be due to a large number of diseases including brain cancer, infection, or epilepsy (the cause of which is not currently known in cats). With brain cancer or epilepsy, blood work can be normal, however, x-rays or a CT scan would determine if there is something else causing the seizures. It may be helpful to know that seizures themselves are not thought to be painful, and it is normal for animals to urinate/defecate while they are having a seizure. This frequency of seizures is definitely confusing and distressful for Clunker, and a veterinarian can prescribe an anti-seizure medication to keep him comfortable. It is important to have Clunker evaluated by a vet to ensure that there is nothing else that can be causing collapse or tremors, such as a hormonal issue or viral infection, and to have him treated appropriately.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do not think that you are being selfish at all. You care about him which is good. It is common for dogs with epilepsy to eventually need more medications added to their anti-seizure medication protocols. There are several anti-seizure medications that can be considered including phenobarbital, potassium bromide, Keppra, zonisamide, among many others. I would encourage you to discuss with your veterinarian about other anti-seizure medications. Often times dogs with epilepsy respond favorably to other medications. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. Kovu probably is going to need a more extensive workup than just the blood work he received at the ER. I am concerned about the heart murmur because a cardiac abnormality can cause a condition caused syncope, which might be mistaken for a seizure. If you were my client, I would highly recommend a cardiac consultation prior to placing Kovu on anti-seizure medication. Only after I was sure the episodes are not heart related would I think about starting a daily anti-seizure medication. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.