Why is my vet recommending a 4-week phenobarbital test for my pet?

Based on the history, a toxicity seems less likely and a primary disease of the brain more likely. If the seizures are not well controlled on phenobarbital it may be that she needs a higher dose. You should discuss phenobarbital levels with your veterinarian. If the levels are in therapeutic range, a second anticonvulsant such as levetiracitam should be considered. Furthermore, you may consider following up with a veterinary neurologist to discuss diagnostics including an MRI of the brain.

Hi and thanks for your request. The aim of the phenobarbital administration is to reduce effectively seizure frequency and severity. In my experience a frequency of once a month is fair and acceptable. Ideally Phenobarbital concentration should be checked 3 and 6 months after starting the treatment to monitor liver parameters and make sure the concentration of the drug in the blood is within therapeutic ranges. Dose could be even increased, but to be able to give you specific advices about it I would need to know Shadow's weight. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Phenobarbital therapy in dogs is begun at 2 to 4 mg/kg twice daily. So for a 33kg dog that would mean 66 to 132 mg twice a day. We always try to start low and increase if needed but he was essentially really underdosed in the beginning with taking 30mg twice a day. He is now on a more appropriate dose. Sedation is normal when therapy is initiated but once the dog's body gets used to the drug (after about 2 weeks) he should become more like himself. If you are really worried, you can ask the vet to run a phenobarbital level blood test to see if his dosing is too high and it can be adjusted accordingly. Please be aware that dogs will never be completely seizure free even while on anti-seizure medication. Breakthrough seizures are common but they should be pretty infrequent. If he continues to seizure or does not do well on the phenobarbital there are other medication options so please work closely with your vet.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is probably the overstimulation of her brain and the nerves that causes the breakthrough seizures. Exercise would not make her burn through the medication faster. It is really best to minimize excitement in any dog that has a history of seizures. That being said, if this is a new thing and it has been longer than 4 months since her last phenobarbital blood test, it would be best to go ahead and have that checked to see if the dosage needs to be adjusted. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

No. Phenobarbital needs to maintain specific blood levels and the half life of the medication is 12 hours. That’s why it is dosed at that interval. You must also be careful not to over dose the medication. If you have having trouble with control of Tootsie’s seizures, I recommend to call your veterinarian. There are other medications that can be given in combination with or in substitution for phenobarbital. Follow the instructions on the label with this medication. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Yes, veterinarians can refuse to refill prescriptions. I realize that this can be frustrating, but some medications can have side effects or cause organ damage, requiring regular monitoring, often in the form of blood tests. Epiphen (phenobarbital), for example, can greatly impact the liver and the levels of medication within the bloodstream must be monitored to assure that the medication stays at a safe and effective therapeutic level. In the US, we also must have examined a pet within the past 12 months in order to legally prescribe any medication - including some flea and tick preventions. I don't know what regulations may exist in the UK. It may be worth another call to your vet to determine the reasons behind the refusal to refill the medication. I hope this helps to clarify the situation and that everything gets worked out for Buckley!

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.