Imepitoin is a GABA-mimetic drug previously shown to have anticonvulsive activity in a canine seizure model. In this multicenter randomized trial, efficacy of imepitoin was comparable to phenobarbital in 226 client-owned dogs newly diagnosed with epilepsy. Adverse events (eg, sedation, polydipsia, increased appetite) were more common with phenobarbital than with imepitoin, and elevation in liver enzymes occurred only in the phenobarbital group. Safety of imepitoin was further evaluated in healthy beagles. Infrequent mild clinical signs of toxicity occurred at doses of 150 mg/kg twice a day; the no observable effect level (NOEL) was 90 mg/kg twice a day, which is 3× the recommended therapeutic dose. The authors concluded that imepitoin is safe and effective for treating canine epilepsy.