[107barney]

I'm sorry that you had such a scare with Elvis. I too have an epileptic dog, and I worry about him.

I guess in reading your story, my first red flag would have been the advice to have an MRI in July to assess "damage" done and "determine treatment." I would have immediately sought a second opinion as I would not be comfortable with the advice that seems to suggest damage might occur and might need to be assessed. I'd be wondering what the MRI in July's benchmark would be for comparison (especially if there has not been an MRI previously). Why wait, especially if one has never been done before?

I've read quite a bit on the drugs used for epilepsy in dogs, including new first line treatments since my dog happens to be on one of the "newer" drugs. While phenobarbital is tried and true, it can come with a price, and many board certified neurologists (i.e. Dewey, Sisson, Windsor and others) are now choosing other drugs (e.g., keppra, zonisamide) as first level drug for dogs. Some of these newer drugs have less side effects and have been shown to be effective seizure control.

I have never been told by any vet who has reviewed Teddy's record or has seen Teddy in his short three year life (including two board certified neurologists, two regular vets, and a board certified internist) that he will NEVER have another seizure. We are concerned with the progression of seizures and the frightening possibility of life threatening status epilepticus, and that is why we choose to medicate our dog.

I prefer to deal only with a neurologist to manage my dog's epilepsy, but, that's your judgment to make, not mine. I would not rely on a general vet such as this one for an opinion. I'm not sure if some of these other drugs might work for Elvis, but I'm almost certain that you'd find about them only through a board certified neurologist.

I hope Elvis' case can be well managed and you find something that is effective for him. Phenobarbital is not the only drug that is effective for epilepsy and while some dogs do great on it, it can have serious side effects. Having said that, if my dog needed it, I'd put him on it, but for us, it simply has not been recommended.

Best wishes.