Welcome – I am sorry you have to be here, but you will find great support from the people on this board.
Maggie is on Zonisamide, but in her case, it was the second drug we tried after starting her out on Phenobarbital. She has had side effects after each the addition of each new drug (she is currently on 4 different drugs) but each time after a couple of weeks most of those subsided. Her most persistent side effects are some lethargy, usually for a couple of hours after she takes her meds and an upset tummy. I give her a powdered probiotic and ½ a Prilosec every day to help that – but let me tell you, her farts are deadly!
As far as getting pills down your boy…we have struggled with that (and appetite) with Maggie. I still have to pill her occasionally even with all our efforts (she takes 5 pills at a time 2x daily and 2 pills 3x daily – so it is fun when we have to pill her!). We have to keep changing things up as she loses interest in whatever we are doing after a time. We have had luck (for a time) with each of these – Velveeta Cheese, Nathan’s kosher hot dogs and currently sliced turkey lunch meat. Sliced deli ham worked for a bit, but she is off that now. Chicken breast meat works too. We never got too far with pill pockets. One thing that has helped is I have become more matter of fact about pilling her, which surprisingly makes it easier on both of us. She doesn't like it, but she seems resigned when we have to do it - at least I am not chasing her through the house to try and catch and hold her and it doesn't take two of us anymore.
About food…we are regulars at the pet food store in our town. We have tried everything we can think of – but are working most on trying to minimize grain. Our challenge again, is Maggie will eat one thing for a time and then turn up her nose. She is really liking scrambled eggs so she gets two of those in the morning with some sausage mixed in – this works for getting the supplements she takes into her. We alternate between Stella’s freeze dried biscuits (she likes Duck, Duck Goose) and Evangers Grain Free canned food – varying the flavors. She really liked the beef but it is looking like we will have to change that up again. I even went through a time of making her homemade food, but she stopped eating that once I had 3 weeks of meals in the freezer.
It can be frustrating to manage and there have been times I’ve been sitting on the kitchen floor in tears because she won’t eat or won’t take her meds – but somehow or another we are muddling through. You will find the new normal, and most of the time it isn’t so bad (unless it is being horrible)
