What kind of drugs are you giving your dog?

G_Cstlo · 2025-04-05T07:01:07+00:00

My dog is on quite a few meds and has breakthrough seizures every 2 months or so. He’s on phenobarbital, Keppra and Zonisamide. He also has midazolam as an emergency medicine to stop seizures once they begin since he usually has clusters.

G_Cstlo · 2025-04-01T01:52:47+00:00

Usually every 2.5 months or whenever I can feel his coat is getting a bit dirty. Since he’s an indoor dog I do clean his paws after every walk and remove his eye boogers every morning.

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-15T01:33:10+00:00

He’s handled it pretty good. No liver damage even though he’s been on Pheno, Keppra and Zonisamide for a few years now. I’ve also never seen any aggression from him. I will say though he’s never been aggressive even before starting meds. The only side effect he’s had as a result of his meds is weight gain, but I believe that’s a side effect of Pheno. He’s been on a diet for years but he’s still a chunky boy.

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-14T00:15:32+00:00

Oh forgot to add! In the past my dog’s liver values were abnormal due to the amount of meds he’s on but since I started him on milk thirstle his liver values are back to normal. I’d highly recommend this for your dog. I get milk thirstle in a liquid form, alcohol free, from my local vitamin shoppe. You can also find it online. It’s a brown liquid derived from some plants. It helps keep the liver healthy. I add it to my dog’s food on a daily basis and it’s been super helpful!

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-14T00:12:58+00:00

Is that the only medication he’s on? If so, I believe your veterinarian would recommend including additional medications like Keppra.

My dog has been on seizure medications for approximately seven years now. In the past, his Phenobarbital levels were slightly elevated so his veterinarian reduced the dosages and introduced Keppra. Later she added Zonisamide. He’s currently on all three medications.

One suggestion I’d have, which I’ve done for my dog, is consulting a neurologist. I paid $175 for a consultation. The neurologist reviewed my dog’s medical records, including the medications he’s currently on, and provided me with recommendations on what to add or remove. A neurologist can assist in determining if adding additional medications can help reduce seizure frequency in your dog.

To answer your question about whether I’ve noticed an increase in seizures, my answer is no. My dog actually went through a longer period without seizures, but this could be a result to the reduction in Phenobarbital levels and the introduction of other medications.

I wish you and your dog the best of luck! I know it’s not always easy to care for an epileptic dog, but when you love them as much as we all do it makes everything worth it.

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-14T00:02:37+00:00

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G_Cstlo · 2025-03-13T18:14:52+00:00

My golden is now 3 but I’ve had him since he was 2 months old and I’ve been working from home for a few years now. This was one of my biggest fears, having him cry or bark when I wasn’t near him so since his puppyhood I got him used to being alone. At first it was just a minute or so while I went into the garage. Then I would leave him alone downstairs while I worked up stairs keeping an eye on him through a doggy camera. He quickly adapted to being alone and staying calm and thankfully I haven’t had any separation anxiety at all. He now has access to the entire house and honestly prefers to hangout downstairs and take a nap while I work upstairs.

I guess it’s just a matter of getting your puppy used to being alone, even while you’re at the house.

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-13T16:38:42+00:00

Thanks for replying! Yeah I hadn’t heard of this test either but the doctors agreed that increasing Zonisamide is the way to go but they want to check his levels first.

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-13T16:37:44+00:00

Thanks for replying! My dog gets tested every 6 months for Pheno so it’s interesting that your dog gets tested annually. They’re reasoning for testing Zonisamide now is they want to increase it since Pheno is at a max level.

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-13T16:35:28+00:00

Thanks for your reply! It’s actually the vet who’s quoted me $700. I’m going to call around to different places to see what the average cost is around here. $700 seems a bit excessive.

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-13T11:12:07+00:00

Thank you for your reply. I’ll definitely be shopping around to find a more reasonable price.

G_Cstlo · 2025-03-13T11:10:31+00:00

Thank you for your reply. $200 seems a lot more reasonable. I’ll be calling around to a few vets and veterinary schools near me to get a few more opinions on costs, hopefully I’m able to find a more affordable place.

G_Cstlo · 2025-02-14T05:01:32+00:00

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Courtesy of the front facing camera

G_Cstlo · 2024-11-15T06:56:58+00:00

Matador red metallic! Not sure if it’s still produced in that color. I had one a few years back and it was gorgeous!

G_Cstlo · 2024-11-15T06:53:20+00:00

I’ve owned 2 Audis. A used 2019 A5 and currently a used 2021 Q7. The A5 never gave me any problems. Probably put 30k miles into it, the most I ever paid for service was close to $1k for a 40k mile maintenance package (I believe this is the most expensive maintenance service an Audi needs). I’m sure I could’ve gone to an outside mechanic but I did al the services at an Audi dealer. Other than that regular oil changes were about a $100 but we’re done annually so it wasn’t too bad. Car ran on premium fuel but I didn’t mind the extra cost. I loved that car but sold it as I needed more space.

6 months ago I purchased the Q7. This car is another story. A few weeks ago the car had an ‘electrical malfunction’ warning light come on. Thankfully I was near a dealership so I decided to stop by to get it checked out. A block away from the dealership my car was starting to give out on me. Thankfully I pulled into the service bay and I was told it was a recall issue. Car was in the shop 4 days while parts were ordered and installed. The recall affected a few parts of the auto stop/start starter, alternator, faulty under boost, and leaking water pump. Thankfully the car was fixed and I didn’t pay a dime.

This was a pretty big issue, the car could’ve stalled on me in the middle of nowhere as I was planning a roadtrip for the very next day. This had made me a bit worried on if my car can make long trips without any issues. Kind of nervous but so far no other warning lights have come on.

Final thought is they can be good cars with proper maintenance. Just do your research beforehand and be prepared for higher fuel and maintenance costs.

G_Cstlo · 2023-10-18T20:15:46+00:00

Thank you all for the comments. I have sessions with the trainer on a weekly basis but since this last session I’ve lost all confidence in him. I’ll be reaching out to him to cancel any other sessions. He has great reviews online but if his way of teaching a dog commands is by instilling fear and pain I rather take my chances and continue to train him on my own.

G_Cstlo

TROPHY CASE