Meds A-Z
Phenobarbital
Detailed information about Phenobarbital
Pet Owner Quick Guide
Start here: what this medicine is for, what it does, and when it's usually needed.
Usually used for:
Conditionally approved for the control of seizures associated with idiopathic epilepsy in dogs.
What it does:
Anti-seizure medication used for epilepsy and seizure disorders.
When it's needed:
Use caution with liver disease.
Call your vet sooner if you notice:
- Use caution with liver disease.
Commonly reported reactions:
- (1 reports)
- (1 reports)
- (1 reports)
What to ask your vet today:
- Is this medicine the right fit for my pet’s current symptoms?
- Which warning signs mean I should call back right away?
- How should I handle missed doses or refusal to take the medicine?
Phenobarbital
Drug type: Generic ingredient • Branded profile • FDA branded products available
Species: Both
Manufacturer: MSK
Quick Facts
Official label facts first, then secondary summaries. Marketing content is separated below.
- https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov/adafda/views/#/home/previewsearch/141578 · official_label · FDA application profile
- https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov · fda_animal_drugs · Medication usage source
Warnings / Contraindications
Use caution with liver disease.
- High: Use caution with liver disease.
- https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov · fda_animal_drugs · Contraindication source
Adverse Reactions
Snapshot first, detailed rows second. This section summarizes signal data and is not a diagnosis.
Tap or hover a reaction to see what it means in plain language.
Most Reported Reactions
| Reaction | Cases | Species | Serious cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dog | 1 | |
| 1 | Dog | 1 | |
| 1 | Dog | 1 | |
| 1 | Cat | 1 | |
| 1 | Dog | 1 | |
| 1 | Cat | 1 | |
| 1 | Dog | 1 | |
| 1 | Dog | 1 |
Species coverage: Dog (17) Cat (15)
View detailed reaction table
| Reaction | Species | Seriousness | Frequency | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 |
- https://api.fda.gov/animalandveterinary/event.json · adverse_reaction · openFDA case USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-047727
Storage & Handling
Store at room temperature; keep secured.
Documents
Official label facts are separated from secondary summaries.
Official documents: 2 • Secondary summaries: 0
No source yet.
Promotional Materials (Marketing)
This content is marketing material and not clinical guidance.
No marketing assets are linked yet.
No source yet.
Technical appendix (vet reference)
Canonical medication sections are above. This legacy block remains available for deeper cross-reference without cluttering the primary workflow.
At a Glance
Quick facts and links to official labeling and safety signals.
- Medication catalog: Source PetWisePlus | Refreshed Feb 12, 2026, 7:40 PM UTC
-
Animal Drugs @ FDA:
Source FDA
| Refreshed Feb 16, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC
Applications/products are imported from FDA export data.
-
Animal Drugs @ FDA previews:
Source FDA
| Refreshed Feb 9, 2026, 3:05 AM UTC
Label highlights/doc links are fetched from FDA preview endpoints.
-
Animal Drug Product Listing Directory (NDC):
Source FDA
| Refreshed Feb 16, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC
Package/product NDCs from FDA’s electronic listing directory (XLS).
- openFDA reaction terms: Source FDA openFDA | Refreshed Feb 16, 2026, 11:02 AM UTC
- openFDA case summaries: Source FDA openFDA | Refreshed Feb 9, 2026, 3:19 AM UTC
Diagnosis-code mappings are not available for this medication yet.
Counseling and Monitoring Highlights
Global Pet owner/Vet mode is controlled in the header. This section avoids duplicate in-page persona tabs.
- Use caution with liver disease. (Contraindication, High)
Identifiers & Packages
Normalized identifiers (NDC/NADA/ANADA) and package metadata from regulator listings.
| Package NDC | Product NDC | Form / Route | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64950-541-01 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-541-10 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-542-01 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-542-10 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-543-01 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-543-10 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-544-01 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-544-10 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-560-01 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-560-10 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-561-01 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-561-10 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-562-01 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-562-10 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-563-01 | 64950 | - | |
| 64950-563-10 | 64950 | - |
Enriched Documents
Documents are tiered by source trust: Official, Clinical, Manufacturer, Marketing.
-
FOI Summary 141-578 Approved September 6, 2023.pdf
• FOI summary • Official
• June 3, 2024
FDA FOI summary for application 141578
Data Sources & Revision History
Every non-trivial field is expected to include provenance and update timestamps.
- storage_handling: Store at room temperature; keep secured. (Clinical, 2026-02-12)
- contraindications: Use caution with liver disease. (Official, 2026-02-12)
- side_effects: Sedation, increased thirst/urination, increased appetite. Long-term: liver enzyme changes. (Official, 2026-02-12)
- usage: Anti-seizure medication used for epilepsy and seizure disorders. (Official, 2026-02-12)
- side_effects updated 2026-02-12 19:40 by etl_backfill • Backfilled from existing medication fields
- contraindications updated 2026-02-12 19:40 by etl_backfill • Backfilled from existing medication fields
- usage updated 2026-02-12 19:40 by etl_backfill • Backfilled from existing medication fields
FDA Products & Applications (Animal Drugs @ FDA)
Official sponsor/proprietary-name/application-status records linked by active ingredient.
| Product | Sponsor | Application | Status | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
FIDOQUEL™-CA1
RX
Phenobarbital
Tablet
• Oral
|
Genus Lifesciences Inc. | C 141-578 | Approved | Jun 3, 2024 |
Data source: FDA Animal Drugs @ FDA (public search export).
What It's For (FDA Label Highlights)
Extracted from FDA Animal Drugs @ FDA product labeling. Always confirm details with your veterinarian.
Composition / specifications
Conditionally approved for the control of seizures associated with idiopathic epilepsy in dogs.
Administer phenobarbital as tablets given orally twice a day at the minimum dosage of 2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) and may be titrated to effect to a maximum dosage of 5 mg/kg. The dosage of phenobarbital tablets should be adjusted based on monitoring the clinical response of the individual patient.
FDA page: Open in Animal Drugs @ FDA
Official Documents (FDA)
Direct links to FDA-hosted PDFs and SPL packages (when available).
-
Summary
Conditionally approved for the control of seizures associated with idiopathic epilepsy in dogs
- FIDOQUEL™-CA1 (ZIP)
FDA page: Open in Animal Drugs @ FDA
Usage
Anti-seizure medication used for epilepsy and seizure disorders.
Source: FDA Animal Drugs @ FDA • Reference
Contraindications
Use caution with liver disease.
Side Effects
Sedation, increased thirst/urination, increased appetite. Long-term: liver enzyme changes.
Source: FDA openFDA • Reference
Top Reported Reactions (openFDA)
Aggregated reaction terms from FDA openFDA reports (not verified; does not prove causation).
Data source: FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary adverse event reports.
Adverse Event Case Summaries (openFDA)
These are individual FDA adverse event reports. They are unverified and do not prove the medication caused the reaction.
Dog, ['Weimaraner', 'Retriever - Labrador'], Male, 14 year, 26.3 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unknown • Reactions: Gait abnormality, Walking difficulty, Unsteady gait, Product label issues • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-054553
- Serious AE: No
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Male
- Age: 14.00 Year
- Weight: 26.300 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Unknown
Dog, Pekingese, Male, 11 year, 9.208 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unassigned, Unknown • Reactions: Panting, Fever • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-055149
- Serious AE: Yes
- Treated For AE: Yes
- Sex: Male
- Age: 11.00 Year
- Weight: 9.208 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Unknown
- Form: Unassigned
Dog, Dachshund (unspecified), Female, 9 year, 7.711 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Oral, Dose: 1.50 tablet per 2 dose, Frequency: 1 per day • Reactions: Tremors, Tiredness (lethargy), Panting, Twitching, Systemic disorder NOS • Outcome: Recovered/Normal
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-055213
- Serious AE: Yes
- Treated For AE: Yes
- Sex: Female
- Age: 9.00 Year
- Weight: 7.711 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Oral
- Dose: 1.50 tablet per 2 dose
- Frequency: 1 per day
Dog, Bulldog - French, Male, 6 year, 16.5 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unassigned, Oral • Reactions: Lack of efficacy - NOS, Intentional misuse • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-053288
- Serious AE: Yes
- Treated For AE: Yes
- Sex: Male
- Age: 6.00 Year
- Weight: 16.500 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Oral
- Form: Unassigned
Cat, Maine Coon, Male, 12 year, 11 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Tablet, Unknown • Reactions: Diarrhea, Inappetence, Ketosis, Seizure NOS, Pancreatitis NOS • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-050891
- Serious AE: Yes
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Male
- Age: 12.00 Year
- Weight: 11.000 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Unknown
- Form: Tablet
Cat, ['Maine Coon', 'Cat (unknown)'], Male, 11.5 year, 6.6 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unknown • Reactions: Weight loss, Ketosis • Outcome: Outcome Unknown
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-048528
- Serious AE: No
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Male
- Age: 11.50 Year
- Weight: 6.600 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Unknown
Cat, Domestic Longhair, Female, 6.4 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unknown, Dose: 7.50 Milligram per animal, Frequency: 12 per hour • Reactions: Ketosis, Weight gain, Hyperglycaemia • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-048417
- Serious AE: No
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Female
- Weight: 6.400 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Unknown
- Dose: 7.50 Milligram per animal
- Frequency: 12 per hour
Dog, Siberian Husky, Male, 11 year, 26.7 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unknown • Reactions: Anaemia NOS, Decreased haematocrit, Decreased red blood cell count, Decreased haemoglobin, Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-047727
- Serious AE: No
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Male
- Age: 11.00 Year
- Weight: 26.700 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Unknown
Data source: FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary adverse event reports.
Overdose Information
No approved overdose-management text is linked yet. If overdose is suspected, contact a veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately.
Storage & Handling
Store at room temperature; keep secured.
Share Your Thoughts
Let others know your experience or advice regarding this medication.
This medication has not been reviewed by a veterinarian yet.