Every since Dakota was put on the seizure medicine he is hungry constantly. He's gained 9lbs which is not good having that extra weight on his bad hip. I've cut back on his food portions just a bit to try and get that 9lbs back off but he is acting like he is starving! He constantly calls my attention and when I give it, he runs to the breezeway and will woo woo me, then look at the food, then back at me and woo woo some more. Dakota is not a vocal dog so this is him demanding I pay attention. I try to reason with him and tell him he can't have anymore food, which, believe it or not, he will let it go but then a half hour later he tries again. He gets so insistent that he will come over to me and paw me to get me to look at him and then he runs to the breezeway. Sigh.... I feel so bad because I just can't let him eat more. Is there some food or treats that I can give him that is low calorie and won't cause him to gain weight??? Other than this, he is doing splendidly on the medicine. Not one siezure since he got put on it.

Is he on Phenobarbital? or a different med?

It must be Phenobarbital becuase obarb is written on the bottle. I went to get the bottle to look it up for you and Dakota thought I was getting treats!!!

I'd try low calorie/low fat food and possibly something thicker like The Honest Kitchen to help him feel fuller. Maybe try giving him some filler treats like the suggestions in this thread: Healthy Fillers

AW!! poor thing! I'm gonna do some research on it in some of my vet tech books. Definitely agree with Val; green beans are a good filler.

Thanks Valerie and Brooke! Lots of good suggestions on that thread. I will try them out!

Alright, the most common side effects of long-term use of Phenobarbital are excessive urination, excessive thirst, excessive hunger, excitability, and ataxia (loss of coordination). So hunger is a side effect I'm sure you already know this from your Veterinarian but Dakota needs his bile acids tested ever 6 months to make sure that there is no significant liver damage since Phenobarbital is extremely rough on the liver. Loss of appetite, weight loss, chronic diarrhea or vomiting, icteris (jaundice), swollen belly, lethargy, dark brown urine and pale gray or mustard colored stools are all signs of liver damage. Liver damage can be reversed due to the fact that the liver can regenerate itself, with a slow reduction of the Phenobarbital. I also looked online for an herbal supplement to help with the liver if it ever becomes a problem with Dakota. It says that Milk Thistle will help the liver (needs to be taken with meals to reduce stomach upset) .It is good for obstructions of the liver and spleen, for icterus (jaundice), and for kidney stones. Hope some of this helped you.

Thanks Brooke!!! The vet has been keeping an eye on his liver. So far, no issues. The only side affect I am seeing is the hunger.

I tried the green beans on him this morning and no go. He picked arond them. He must not be too hungy then! I will try out the others and see if he likes them.

26nikita wrote:

I tried the green beans on him this morning and no go. He picked arond them. He must not be too hungy then! I will try out the others and see if he likes them.

LOL Green beans are my litmus test for Faith who acts like she's absolutely starving at all times. She doesn't like green beans so I know when she turns them down that she can't be THAT hungry!