My dog is switching seizure meds. Is it too soon to reduce Epirepress?

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!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! First, you are no bother at all-that's what's we are here for. Secondly, yes, you have a cause for concern. Any time a known epileptic starts seizing again, especially with any frequency, it's time for a vet visit asap. Likely they will do bloodwork to make sure nothing has changed since you were prescribed medications last. You did not mention any phenobarbital or potassium bromide for long term relief from seizures? Is your dog on any any antiseizure medications or just the Valium as needed? If he is not on medications currently they may very well start him on something for long term relief. If he already is-they will likely adjust the dosages. I hope this helps!

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Hello there and thank you for using Pet Coach! There are multiple anti-seizure drugs available and some with less side effects than others. If Bailey is on Phenobarbital, Keppra may be a good option for him as this particular drug has fewer side effects and I find that it is less harsh on the liver. Switching to a different drug with less side effects will certainly help. You can also talk to your vet about prescription liver diets in addition to the Denmarin. Hepagen-C is a veterinary product that is over the counter, which we use at our clinic in conjunction with Denamarin or Denosyl. Your vet can also perform a Bile Acids test to determine how much function of the liver has been lost. A scan would certainly be recommended and there are sedative combinations and drugs that we can use that will not trigger seizures, as they are anti-seizure drugs that we use to control seizures. I would still recommend an ultrasound, but talk to your vet about the different drugs that can be used to prevent seizures while sedated. I hope this helps! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed. Please remember to rate this post as helpful or not. Thank you!

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. Keppra is an excellent anti-seizure medication used extensively in human & veterinary medicine. The advantage to keppra over phenobarb, is the keppra is metabolized unchanged by the body, thus the liver does not ever see it.. Therefore, it is an excellent drug when the liver has become compromised by the phenobarb. Not every dog needs to be switched, but when they are, the seizures are very well controlled. Hope this helps.

Poor guy. Since it takes this drug roughly 2-4 weeks to stabilize in your pets system, it is safe to do a mild tapering of the medication. Ask your vet for tapering instructions since this was prescribed by him/her only. I would then consider getting Kasey on an alternative anti-seizure medication called Zonisamide instead. CBD oil is not legalized in many states for pets nor does it have any proof to stop seizures in pets at this time, so it would not be a good option for Kasey. I hope that Kasey's seizures are managed well soon! Best wishes and take care. : )