Dog on phenobarbital for seizures: weight gain, weak legs. What to do?

Question

Hello, My dog Burt is 7 years old. He has had 3 seizures over the course of 2 years. His vet put him on 30 mg phenobarbital twice daily. He's been on this for 1 year, no seizures. He has gained a total of 17 pounds and now his back legs are very weak. He struggles to get up after laying down. Last night we went on a longer walk, today he is really struggling getting up and down, limping. I want to wean him off the meds, the vet says, no. The side effects are worse than the seizures! Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 7 years and 2 months old | 167 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The phenobarbital can cause a voracious appetite leading to weight gain, unfortunately. I have seen this happen in several of my cases on Phenobarbital. I would not recommend taking him off of the Phenobarbital as the seizures could start up again. Once under control, ideally you do not want to mess with the medications unless the seizures are uncontrolled. If you do wean him off of the phenobarbital, do so at your own risk as he may suffer from the seizures once more if not on medication to stop them. I would recommend putting him on a diet such as Hills Metabolic + Mobility to try and get him to lose weight. This is a prescription diet and is very effective at reducing weight in addition to supporting the joints. I hope this helps! You will have to get this food from your vet or have your vet write you a prescription, as this is a prescription diet. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Dog on phenobarbital for seizures: weight gain, weak legs. What to do?

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