ANY CATS WITH EPILEPSY?

[Natalusky29]

Hello,the 12nd of August my cat was diagnosed with epilepsy due to a previous intoxication,however the vet didnt make any testing and gave me phenobarbital in case I needed it.
Today (21st August) she had another seizure and I can’t take her to the vet until Monday morning (23rd) I’m taking her to another vet with best valorations and reviews in case the seizures are a symptom of a illness.

The thing is that I’m scared because if someday I can’t give her her meds on time...
Or If I have to give her the medication without being hidden in a treat because without it my cat will be reluctant to eating it.
Also I have ordered some Feliway because some people said that less stress means less posibilities of having a seizure. (and I’ve also plan on switching to a grain free diet apart from the wet food that I give to her on a daily basis)
What’s your take on phenobarbital?

 

[fionasmom]

What to Know About Phenobarbital Seizure Treatment for Cats

This article addresses cats a little more than dogs. Usually phenobarbital is used for dogs with seizures, but can be used for cats. I have never treated a cat with it, so can't give you any first hand experiences. With dogs, the dosage has to be given in very strict intervals. If the vet said every 12 hours, it has to happen that way or seizures can become worse. The article reinforces that point too.

Not all seizures are epilepsy although the vet may have good reasons for thinking it was; however, I am glad that you are going to another vet on Monday for a second opinion.

Search Results for Query: phenobarbital
Other posts about phenobarbital in cats from members

 

[Twinkie245]

Hello, I had a cat with seizures due to a head/brain injury….she would seizure approximately once a month and her post ictal period would last 24 to 48 hours. It was a war getting her to take the meds but that paled in comparison to getting her to the vet for routine blood tests to ensure no liver damage from the drug.

The vet and I agreed that in the balance, we would forgo the phenobarbital to spare Pookie the trauma of a vet visit and potential liver damage (as a kitten some evil brats threw her off a 4th floor roof when they got tired of kicking her) and Pookie had monthly seizures but she lived an otherwise healthy life until she passed of kidney failure at the age of 17. It never got any easier to hear that mournful warning meow and watch her spasms and the confusion and aggression during the post ictal periods but I always knew she would be better in a day.

Not sure if this is helpful.

 

[GoldyCat]

Natalusky29 what do you mean by "in case I needed it?" Phenobarbital is a drug that needs to be given on a regular basis to keep the blood levels stable. As a rescue drug it's not really effective, so if you're only giving it after she has a seizure it's not doing what you need it to.

I hope you can get better answers from the new vet.

 

[Natalusky29]

Natalusky29 what do you mean by "in case I needed it?" Phenobarbital is a drug that needs to be given on a regular basis to keep the blood levels stable. As a rescue drug it's not really effective, so if you're only giving it after she has a seizure it's not doing what you need it to.

I hope you can get better answers from the new vet.

Sorry for the misunderstanding,I said that because she first had seizures every month and the vet said phenobarbital was not needed in that moment (yet)
I’m scared of giving phenobarbital because it’s something she has to take for her entire life every single day twice

 

[LTS3]

Phenobarbital can be compounded into a transdermal gel for easier giving and the cat won't associate it with food.

Here's some info on phenotbarbital and its use to treat seizures in pets: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951404 Note that is says "If a dose is accidentally skipped, give the dose when it is remembered and give the subsequent dose at the appropriate time interval". It's always best to discuss with the vet before starting the medicine what to do if you forget to give a dose.

Using any steroids has side effects but they're typically minor such as increased hunger and thirst.

 

[Perxian]

Sorry to bring up an older post, but I do have some experience in this. We have a 6 year old calico who is epileptic. After her diagnosis she went on phenobarbital and was a completely different cat. Lots of in-coordination and dissociation. Just super wobbly and she was always out of it. They put her on zonisamide after that and while her demeanor was better she went off food completely, which is something we've been trying to fix lately.
Been discussing with various vets who essentially said treating seizures isn't a perfect science and these meds can be very aggressive especially on the liver. My vets described phenobarb as a pretty archaic drug, but is always the option to start out with due to its success rate. Works for some cats, just not for us. It's also a drug that needs to be weaned off or else seizures can be triggered. That process did cause our calico a small seizure, but it was nothing compared to her 60 second grand mals we were used to. I'd tread with caution before starting phenobarb, but it's not the worst thing they could be on and is pretty easy to wean off if it proves unsuccessful.