Why are my senior dog's seizures worsening despite medication?

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!

There are different seizure medications and some work better than others for different individuals. I would recommend discussing different medication options with your veterinarian for Tyson. Some of the more common medications are phenobarbital, KBr, and zonisamide. Some dogs also require a combination of medications. Also, if recent blood work has not been done it should to make sure nothing has significantly changed.

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.

I'm so sorry to hear that Lilly has developed seizures. Seizures in dogs can be fatal if not treated. There are a huge number of newer anti-convulsant drugs that are much safer than some of the older ones (and even a new diet). I always tell people that old age is not a disease. Seizures and their side effects are much more likely to kill Lilly than any of the medications that your vet might prescribe. I think it is worth having your vet examine her and discuss the treatment options. Hopefully your vet can put your parents' minds at ease about the medication and make Lilly feel better. I have included some information about seizures below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=560 I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

It's possible that the seizures are due to a brain tumor, which is very likely due to his age. this means his condition will deteriorate regardless of the treatment, sometimes the deterioration takes several months and sometimes it's a matter of days.

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!

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!