My dog has cluster seizures, meds aren't working. What should I do?

I'm sorry to hear this is happening to Oscar. You may want to ask about a referral to a specialist who may better be able to manage Oscar. You may also ask about weaning off of one of those medications. You may also ask about Zonisamide. There is a diet which may also help made by Purina ProPlan called Neuro Care (it probably won;t make or break but it can't help). I hope this helps.

You will need to take Freddy back to your veterinarian for a blood test checking phenobarbital levels and possibly an adjustment of his medication or change of medication. This can only be done with a hands-on exam. If you are able to, video one of these cluster seizures and take the video to your vet so he can see them.

I'm so sorry about your dog. I know this is a very scary time. There are multiple causes of seizures. I'm not sure how old your dog is, but in dogs under 5 years old who are completely normal in between seizure episodes, epilepsy is the primary cause of seizures. In older dogs it could be inflammation, a brain tumor, and infection or problems with the organs (particularly the liver). I always recommend blood work first to look for any problems there. If the blood work is normal, the next step is to evaluate the brain by doing an MRI. If blood work has not been done, I would highly recommend it. If problems are found in the blood work, then you should treat that. If everything is normal in the blood work, I would recommend starting seizure medication. Some dogs will have seizures very infrequently like your dog started out. Those dogs don't usually need medication. But when they become more frequent and are clustering (multiple in a 24 hours period) then I would definitely recommend medication at this point. There are multiple different seizure medications to choose from, so talk to your veterinarian about that. Many times the seizures will be manageable with medications, but it takes consistent medication multiple times per day and blood rechecks for the drug levels. Honestly, some dogs will be very difficult or impossible to control and will continue to have seizures despite being on multiple medications. So to answer your question, yes, there is something you can do to help your pet and based on the number of seizures he is now having, he needs to be put on medication. I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend contacting his veterinarian. He will likely need to start another medication to control his seizures. Phenobarbital, potassium bromide and zonisamide are common choices. However, your veterinarian will know his medical history and which would be the best choice. Being able to have his seizures better controlled will improve his quality of life. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm so sorry to hear Hunter has been suffering from seizures. I would recommend reaching out to your regular veterinarian to discuss alterations in his medication protocol, as it is best for someone familiar with him, his case and his medications to make any alterations. Good luck!

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Frannie. When seizure frequency reaches every 4-6 weeks, I will commonly start anti-seizure medications. Every time a dog has a seizure, they become more likely to have another one. I would discuss starting her on a proven medication with her veterinarian. There are a variety of them such as phenobarbital, zonisamide, potassium bromide, levitiracetam, etc depending on her case specifics and medical history. There is even a prescription diet that can be fed in addition to medications to help decrease seizure activity. I hope this information helps!