- Treatment can reduce the severity and frequency of seizures but won't eliminate them. Epilepsy cannot be cured, so the main goal is managing it. Most often, drugs treat epilepsy successful, though sometimes surgery is an option.
-
Phenobarbital is the most common treatment. It's a sedative that's inexpensive and easy to administer. The drug acts upon the brain's electrical impulses and suppresses the abnormal impulses that cause seizures. If there is no noticeable improvement after phenobarbital has been administered for two weeks, other options will be recommended. Other treatments include primidone and potassium bromide.
Potassium bromide is used in conjunction with phenobarbital when phenobarbital isn't enough. It cannot by itself adequately control seizures, but it is sometimes used in dogs with liver disease who cannot otherwise tolerate phenobarbital or primidone. Valium and rivotril have also been used with varying degrees of success. - Most dogs with epilepsy live normal lives, suffering seizures infrequently. Consider surgery if your dog's condition cannot be managed through medication.
