Your pet's ideal
phenobarbital dose is best determined through measurement of its's blood serum phenobarbital levels after it has been on a trial dose for some time and periodically there after.
These problems, when they are significant, can often be minimized when the dose is closely regulated or if a combination of medications is used that lower
the phenobarbital dose.
Some dogs and cats rely on their daily
phenobarbital dose to control serious seizures.
The phenobarbital dose must maintain the phenobarbital blood level within a safe therapeutic range and be adjusted accordingly.
Not exact matches
In more severe cases of seizures dogs are often hospitalized to receive intravenous loading
doses of
phenobarbital since it otherwise may take up to 2 weeks to reach a steady concentration in the bloodstream.
Diazepam can be combined with
phenobarbital to treat cats that still have seizures while receiving
phenobarbital alone or for cats that require a larger than recommended
dose of
phenobarbital to control their seizures.
Once the therapeutic
dose for your pet is determined,
phenobarbital blood levels and liver function tests will need to be monitored at least every six months to ensure that your pet's blood levels stay within the therapeutic range (i.e. that they do not get dangerously high or low), and that the no damage to the liver is occurring.
When unacceptable side effects develop with
phenobarbital use, the
dose may be substantially cut back or even discontinued.
The one residual symptom, common in dogs with hydrocephalus, is an occasional seizure episode and this is being successfully controlled with a low
dose of
phenobarbital.
Phenobarbital is damaging to the liver in high
doses.
This medication is sometimes used in dogs in combination with
phenobarbital and potassium bromide to lower the daily
dose of
phenobarbital received and in cases where
phenobarbital and potassium bromide were not able to control the seizures sufficiently.
In higher
doses,
phenobarbital can cause liver damage.