It’s been a while since I’ve written here, and I wanted to share a little update on what’s been going on with Forrest and why things have been so quiet lately.
Since November, Forrest’s seizure pattern has gradually been tightening and shifting. What used to feel somewhat predictable has started has become anything but. This is the most challenging season in our epilepsy journey we’ve faced.
Despite being on Denamarin Advanced to support his liver, Forrest’s most recent bloodwork showed a spike in his ALT levels, which prompted his neurologist to order a bile acids test. Unfortunately, the results came back with concerning information suggesting that Forrest has developed a form of liver disease.
Right now we don’t know exactly what type. He is scheduled for an abdominal ultrasound this Thursday, which should give us more answers.
His neurologist believes this could be medication-induced liver disease from phenobarbital, which can sometimes be reversible, provided he can safely taper down the dose. The plan moving forward is to transition him onto potassium bromide. If he tolerates it well and it controls his seizures, we will begin a very careful taper off phenobarbital to give his liver a chance to recover.
He is scheduled to begin a potassium bromide loading dose this Saturday, unless the ultrasound reveals something that changes our course.
As you can probably imagine, this has been a heavy and exhausting season. I simply haven’t had the time or emotional space to sit down and write the way I usually do. Right now my main focus is simply caring for Forrest and resting when I can alongside him. Managing epilepsy in dogs often comes in waves, and lately it feels like we’re all but drowning and are in desperate need of a life raft.
Even though things have been quiet here on the blog, please know that we’re still here.
If you’d like to follow Forrest’s day-to-day journey, I share much more frequent updates on his social media pages. Click this link to follow Forrest on Facebook. 🐶https://www.facebook.com/forrestakalittledude
And if you’ve walked this road before, I would truly love to hear from you.
If you have an epileptic dog and have gone through a difficult season like this, please feel free to share your story in the comments. If your dog has taken potassium bromide, I would especially appreciate hearing about your experience — how your dog tolerated it, and anything you learned along the way.
Sometimes the most comforting thing during hard seasons is simply knowing we’re not walking them alone.
Thank you for being here and for continuing to follow Forrest’s journey.
From our lavender world of grace, we’re holding onto hope, walking by faith. 💜
The Epi Dog Mom Blog 
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