Should I wean my senior dog off phenobarbital after no seizures?

The good response to phenobarb makes a tumour less likely - these tend to respond very poorly and continue to have increasing seizures despite medication. His age also makes epilepsy likely so I would continue with the treatment as prescribed for 3-6months and possibly taper down carefully after this if no seizures occurring, or maintain as is if stable and limited side effects

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.

Yes there is no required tapering of this drug to get pets off of it. However keep in mind that once you take your pet off it takes 10 weeks for the effects of the drug to disappear. If you are looking for other anti-seizure medication options and would like to discuss these I am also available for further discussion if you wish.

I think many veterinarians would continue with both medications if the seizures were refractory to the first medication, but other times the goal is to try to transition from one anticonvulsant to another for various reasons. I would recommend asking the specialist or your veterinarian (whoever will be managing Jig’s seizures) what the long term plan is.

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.

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. In the initial stages of starting Phenobarbital, dogs develop what we call transient symptoms. These include becoming wobbly (ataxia), drooling, disorientation, panting, etc. These symptoms will eventually subside as the dog's body becomes used to the phenobarbital. If Trapper is no longer having seizures, I would call the veterinarian and ask if the dose can be slightly lowered. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.