Jim ... my .$02 ... you didn't mention either the duration or severity of the seizures. However, when they are that frequent the dawg needs your help. It's been my experience that once you start phenobaritol as a preventative, your dawg will be on it forever. You might be able to get by on a reduced dosage, at least initially. Yes, there are or can be side effects to pronged use of phenobarb but that's true with most any medication over a prolonged period of time.

Here are a number of alternatives but, you'll notice, that almost all suggest liver damage may occur following prolonged use.
http://www.destinationrx.com/learnin...&name=Epilepsy

Please don't assume that just because YOU AREN'T SEEING it's seizures more often than 2X/mo ... that your dawg isn't having more of them. MOST seizures occur while at rest, and often at night when you're asleep and therefore you're not aware of them. But the dawg is and he clearly needs medication so please don't withhold it for fear of a side effect.