Phenobarbitol side effects??

[tara1969969]

My bloodhound "coco" has been on the pheno for about 2.5 months now and thank goodness her seizures have stopped.  She was having grand mal seizures every other day after some time...they just kept getting closer together.

I do see that she is more hungry than normal but one thing that is differant from what I am seeing in the other posts is that she is actually getting up earlier and earlier every morning?  I am trying to put her to bed later but when she normally would get up at 6:30, became 6:00 and now 5:00 am.  She just cries and bangs at her kennel till I come and feed her and let her out.

Any thoughts?

[Chris7272]

We have a 8 year old, 20lb Pomeranian mix "Prissy" that was having seizures 2-4 times per month & our vet put her on Phenobarbital 8.1mg @ bedtime. It helped for a couple of years & then she had a couple of siezures withing 2 weeks apart & our vet doubled the dosage to 16.2mg, since she was on a very low dose to start with & if needed, we could increase the dose up to a whole 32.4mg pill @ bedtime.

One time, we ran out of the Phenobarbital & we waited 2 days before going to the pharmacy to P/U refill. On that 2nd day, our little Prissy just moped around all day & acted like she felt horrible. Then we thought, withdrawals. After giving her a pill that night, she felt good the next day. She can go 1 day without taking her meds, but the 2nd day is horrible. I myself have went thru withdrawals from pain meds & it is terrible, so I could relate to how she must have felt.

After seeing how bad she felt, we now make sure to never run out of her "doggie downers". Every night, she takes her pill with no problems at all, as if she is just wanting to take it, because it makes her sleep good.

I would not put a dog on phenobarb, unless you are planning on doing this for the rest of your dog's life & keep up with refills & going back to the vet every 6 months to get another script.

[Ghilly]

If a dog has epilepsy and is put on an anti-seizure medication, unless a surgical procedure is performed to remove the source of the seizures they will most definitely have to be on the medication for the rest of their lives.  To cease giving them the medication would only cause the seizures to start up again and it seems that once they do, it's more difficult to get them under control a second time.  As long as the source of the seizures remains, however, the seizures will recur if the medication is stopped.

In humans, there is now a surgery that can be performed on the part of the brain responsible for the seizures that essentially, for lack of a better way to put it, removes the source of the seizures and enables the person to live a normal life without medication.  I do not know that this surgery is available yet for dogs, or whether or not there are any canine neurosurgeons who would perform it, but if it does exist, my guess is that it would still be cost-prohibitive for anyone but the wealthiest pet owners or people who have pet health insurance.  

A change in appetite is a common side effect of phenobarbital.  Some dogs eat less and have to be cajoled into eating, others become voracious and can't seem to eat enough.  It might be that your dog is one of the ones who has experienced a marked increase in appetite and is so hungry in the mornings it's waking her up earlier and earlier.  I don't know how you are feeding her, but instead of feeding her one large meal each day, perhaps try dividing up her daily food into several smaller meals.  This might help to prevent that buildup of stomach acid that occurs when a long period of time passes between meals.  

One of the main problems with long-term phenobarbital use is the potential for liver damage.  It's a good idea to be aware of the symptoms of liver failure and to realize how important it is to act quickly if you see the signs of this.  Icterus (jaundice) is one of the main signs of liver problems.  The whites of the eyes turn yellow, as do the insides of the ears and the relatively hairless part of the belly between the hind legs.  In these areas where the hair is either extremely thin or almost nonexistent it is much easier to see the skin, and therefore easier to tell whether or not the skin has that tell-tale yellowish color.

Maybe you could try putting a Buster Cube or other "educational" toy in with her.  These toys are able to be opened so you can fill them with pieces of food or treats and as the dogs play with them, the food or treats fall through holes in the toy to "reward" the dog for its play.  This might keep her not only occupied, but it might help to stave off her morning hunger long enough to be able to give you a little more sleep in the mornings.  It's worth a try.

Ghilly

[4slenderthread]

I am so-o glad for both you and your pet. I had a pug that began having seizures and the first vet we took her too didn't - "..feel comfortable.." putting her on phenobarbital. He said that once they start taking it, they must continue to take it. That's exactly what he said. I have no idea whether that is true or not - but I would definitely call around and find out. Our 'little girl' began having seizure after seizure, foaming at the mouth and wandering into walls! I took her to a nearby pet ER and they placed her in an oxygen container. She was left alone by the idiots that worked there at night. When one of them returned, she had passed away. There is nothing worse than losing someone (you love) and you don't know why. I'll never know why a young, previously healthy animal would get sick so quickly. If they had put her on meds, it may have made all the difference ... but I will never know!
No matter what, get more than a single opinion about your dogs medication, since phenobarbital is a serious substance. I wish you all the best! Take care and good luck!!