Can an obese dog with seizures and on Phenobarbital medication safely diet?

Our question this week was:

Dear Dr. Debra, we have a Cocker Spaniel, his name is Casey. He has seizures and is on Phenobarbital. We have seen weight gain and are concerned!

I just watched the video about Milo, would changing to Hills Prescription r/d dog food and exercise bring off the weight even with seizures? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! He has regular check ups but nothing ever said about his weight gain. He weights about 35 pounds.Thanks,

Alma Loyall

Answer

Hi Alma – thanks for your email. You wrote asking if your cocker spaniel that has a history of seizures, is on the drug Phenobarbital, and is obese can safely go on a diet for weight loss.

The answer is yes. You wrote that you saw a video on "Milo" – that was promoted as part of the Hills Feeding is Believing campaign. For any of you that did not see this video – it is pretty amazing. Milo was grossly obese and responded well to dietary change for his weight loss.

Anyway – I think a diet is a good idea. I'd recommend that you discuss this with your veterinarian to ensure they agree and help you choose the best weight loss diet for your dog. I like the Hill's product and personally have had good luck with the r/d and w/d diets.

An article that might be helpful to you is Obesity in Dogs. This article talks about he causes and best methods for treating obesity.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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