What is Piracetam for dogs? Is it for memory, cognition, or seizures?

Maocai is adorable! Unfortunately prolonged/severe seizures can cause permanent brain damage and personality changes. Purina makes a prescription diet called Neurocare that is highly rated by owners of dogs with seizures, dementia and other cognitive issues. VetriScience also makes a senior multivitamin that is highly rated by owners who report that their dogs appear to be more alert and responsive after taking them regularly. I recommend inquiring with your veterinarian about a prescription for the Purina Neurocare diet. Good luck!

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is mainly found in fish. Animal bodies cannot create DHA, so it must be ingested as a part of the diet or through supplementation. Recent studies have demonstrated improvement in the neurologic function of puppies when their mothers were supplemented with DHA during pregnancy and lactation, relative to puppies from mothers that had not received supplementation. After weaning, puppies fed diets containing DHA or given DHA supplements have demonstrated benefits both in learning and memory function.

You are correct that both of these medications are used to treat epilepsy in dogs. From the label of Pexion: "The pharmacological response to imepitoin (Pexion) may vary and efficacy may not be complete. Imepitoin is contraindicated in patients hypersensitive to it, with severely impaired hepatic function or severe renal or cardiovascular disorders." However, I could not find information that hyperactivity was a side effect of this medication. It could be that Jasmine is feeling uninhibited on this medication and thus does not know how to control her hyperactivity. A common side effect of Epiphen (phenobarbital) is sedation, but this effect commonly wears of with continued used. I could not find information on the same effect when using Pexion. Not knowing your dog's complete medical history and particular reasons for choosing anti-epileptic medications, I cannot make specific recommendations for her. I would recommend discussing these effects with your veterinarian. You may consider a consultation with a board certified veterinary behaviorist, or medications used for anxiety instead of seizures. Common supplements used for anxiety include Zylkene and Comfort Zone Adaptil Collars or Diffuser.

The dosage of 100 mg twice daily is well within the dosage guidelines. The recommended dosage is 10-30 mg/lb twice daily. You dog is approximately 15 lbs, so the maximum dose for that weight is 450 mg twice daily.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bella. So Gabapentin has many uses including pain relief, and when used with Galliprant, it provides even better pain control from arthritis. Using them in combination is likely why you are seeing her act more energetic than being on the Galliprant alone. Gabapentin is an unusual pain medication in that it is rarely used by itself. On its own, gabapentin is not particularly effective in preventing pain, which is why it's frequently used in combination with other drugs. I honestly can't answer why Galliprant is so much more expensive, but if this combination works, I would stick with it. I hope this helps!

Piroxocam is an antiinflammatory drug that is in a similar class as carprofen, aspirin, ibuprofen and others. These drugs all have varying potential for adverse effects and stomach irritation and ulcers is one of the bigger concerns. Whenever we prescribe drugs we weigh the risk versus the benefit. In Ribzy's case, Piroxicam is a good drug for treating the suspected TCC. It also has good evidence for safe doses that will prevent the potential side-effects. In her case, the benefit of taking this drug is worth the small risk of the reversible side-effects. The Pepcid may help to prevent the side effects. This can be given at anytime, because it will take a while to actually work. Just make sure it is given as prescribed. The Piroxicam should given with food. I recommend giving it in her food, or just before she starts to eat. I hope that helps and Ribzy gets better soon. It looks like you are taking great care of her, so keep with it and and hopefully this tumor will be a problem of the past in the near future.

Hello! Anipryl can be very effective in dogs with CCD. It is individual as to how well it works though. In some dogs it gets rid of almost all signs, but in others it may only help with 1 or 2 of the issues they have. There is no way to tell before trying it, if Babs will be one of the dogs it helps a lot. In dogs that respond to it, it will usually be working within 1-2 months.