my french bulldog has been on phenobarbital (15 mg) 2x daily for 1 month. what was originally diagnosed as seizures was found to be a severe inner ear infection. 2 weeks of antibiotic and symptoms have disappeared. how do i wean him off the phenobarbital?

Updated On January 27th, 2020

Pet's info: Dog | French Bulldog | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 8 months old | 18 lbs

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

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Hello. The best way to do this is to cut the dose by 50% every 10 days. So, give 1 tablet once a day for 10 days, then 1/2 tablet once a day for 10 days, then 1/2 tablet every other day for 10 doses ( 20 days ). If you see any signs of tremors, weakness, or even a mild seizure, go back to the last previous decrease for another 5 days & try dropping it again. Your pet was not on the medication for very long, but there may already been some modifications in brain chemicals. Best to always go slow. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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