Felbamate is a relatively new anticonvulsant medication that is being used to treat seizures and epilepsy in dogs.
Felbamate to Treat Seizures and Epilepsy in Dogs
Felbamate can be used together with Phenobarbital and/or potassium bromide without causing additional sedation. This is one of the advantages of using felbamate to treat seizures and epilepsy for dogs.
Felbamate appears to be relatively safe when used in dogs but it has not been used extensively and there is still some debate about whether dogs receiving felbamate should be monitored regularly with blood testing.
Some veterinarians believe that at a minimum liver enzymes should be checked every 2-3 months. Others feel that the drug is safe and monitoring of liver enzymes in the blood is not necessary.
Side Effects of Felbamate for Dogs
Because felbamate use in dogs is still fairly new, the list of side effects may not be complete. How often those side effects occur and how serious they are likely to be is still largely unknown as well.
Felbamate is known to cause sedation as well as vomiting and nausea in dogs. In people, it is also known to cause aplastic anemia (a serious blood disease involving the red blood cells) and hepatic necrosis (death of the liver cells). These side effects may be problematic for dogs receiving felbamate as well.
Felbamate has a very narrow margin of safety in cats and is not generally recommended for treating feline seizures and/or epilepsy.
(Source: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 6th edition, Donald C Plumb)
Felbamate to Treat Seizures and Epilepsy in Dogs
Felbamate can be used together with Phenobarbital and/or potassium bromide without causing additional sedation. This is one of the advantages of using felbamate to treat seizures and epilepsy for dogs.
Felbamate appears to be relatively safe when used in dogs but it has not been used extensively and there is still some debate about whether dogs receiving felbamate should be monitored regularly with blood testing.
Some veterinarians believe that at a minimum liver enzymes should be checked every 2-3 months. Others feel that the drug is safe and monitoring of liver enzymes in the blood is not necessary.
Side Effects of Felbamate for Dogs
Because felbamate use in dogs is still fairly new, the list of side effects may not be complete. How often those side effects occur and how serious they are likely to be is still largely unknown as well.
Felbamate is known to cause sedation as well as vomiting and nausea in dogs. In people, it is also known to cause aplastic anemia (a serious blood disease involving the red blood cells) and hepatic necrosis (death of the liver cells). These side effects may be problematic for dogs receiving felbamate as well.
Felbamate has a very narrow margin of safety in cats and is not generally recommended for treating feline seizures and/or epilepsy.
(Source: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 6th edition, Donald C Plumb)
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