Few things cause you more angst than when your dog is suffering in any way, shape, or form. If you could, you'd instantly switch places with your furry companion.
Your four-legged pal means the world to you. They deserve the best possible life chock full of scratches behind the ear, games of fetch, and delicious treats.
So, when your dog starts suffering from seizures, it weighs heavily on your mind. You leave no stone unturned in finding solutions and remedies to this potentially dangerous issue.
The good news? You’ve landed on the right guide.
We're excited to explore this topic and possible ways to alleviate your dog's seizures and related symptoms. Your pup's well-being is a top priority for the passionate team at Pakamana.
What’s Causing Your Dog’s Seizures?
First, we should provide a disclaimer. This isn’t medical advice. If you have any medical questions about your dog, please get in touch with your vet.
Seizures can occur in dogs without warning and any underlying conditions. However, they can be the result of any of the following conditions:
- Nutritional imbalances.
- Autoimmune disease.
- Genetic epilepsy.
There are also more severe underlying reasons for seizures, like brain trauma, tumors, and infectious diseases. These aren’t the most common reasons, but they’re added motivation to go to the vet if your dog experiences a seizure.
How do Vets Typically treat Seizures?
Generally, a vet will treat your dog’s seizures with potassium bromide or phenobarbital.
These treatments are usually prescribed if a dog has one-plus seizure per month or seizures happen in clusters. Grand mal seizures that last extended periods will also typically be prescribed one of the above treatments.
Treatments will only be prescribed after the vet takes a thorough medical history of your pup. They'll want to determine if your dog wasn't exposed to hallucinogenic or poisonous substances or has any head trauma. They'll also assess whether liver, kidney, heart, electrolyte, or blood sugar issues are at play.
From there, prescribed treatments will be catered to your dog’s specific needs.
You can discuss alternatives or extra efforts you can make to quell seizures in your dog with your vet. One such option involves finding the best CBD oil for dogs with seizures.
Is CBD Oil Good For Dogs Suffering From Seizures?
CBD for pets is a topic with limited research, especially regarding its effects on seizure symptoms.
Nonetheless, there are plenty of reasons for optimism.
First and foremost, all science indicates that CBD is 100% safe for pets to ingest.
Conversely, THC can be toxic to pets. Therefore, all CBD products you give your pet shouldn’t have any THC–as it could cause an array of adverse outcomes.
THC is the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. On the other hand, CBD carries many properties that boost and support wellness without any psychoactive effects.
Many CBD-based products have trace amounts of THC. This is fine for humans–THC isn’t harmful to us as it is for dogs. Plus, the trace amounts in question aren’t usually enough to cause a psychoactive response in people.
Even trace amounts of THC can put your dog at extreme risk. So, while CBD is safe for dogs, only certain CBD products (entirely free of THC) are appropriate.
Specifically, the hemp oil in broad-spectrum CBD tinctures undergoes a secondary extraction. This eliminates all THC traces, ensuring your pet’s 100% safety when ingesting CBD products.
The positive results found in the cited research combined traditional anti-seizure medication with CBD. This further speaks to the importance of involving your vet in decisions impacting your pet's health.
Note that vets can’t outright suggest or prescribe most forms of CBD but can offer guidance.
Let’s now delve into the topic of how much CBD oil to give dogs for seizures.
Appropriate CBD Dosages For Your Dog’s Seizures
Appropriate dosing is integral to the potential success of CBD on your dog’s seizures.
Research surrounding CBD treatments for seizures indicates doses should be between 2mg to 8 mg per kilogram in weight. The bulk of papers err on the side of caution and suggest no more than 1mg to 2mg per pound of body weight. It’s recommended that doses should be administered twice daily.
The referenced studies cite that these dosage levels could be adequate. They are also entirely safe for pets suffering from seizures.
What Is The Best CBD Oil For Dogs With Seizures?
Not all CBD products are created equal.
CBD distribution has only been legal to sell since 2018, so there are bound to be product oversight and quality control issues.
Due to the ambiguity involved in CBD distribution, the FDA has noticed that many CBD products barely contain any CBD (if any).
You must perform due diligence to purchase CBD from a reliable source.
Trustworthy CBD product manufacturers and distributors can provide certification to verify the amount of CBD in their products.
Furthermore, as was discussed earlier, the best CBD for dogs with seizures won’t have a single trace of THC. It will also be organic without harmful solvents, fungicides, and pesticides.
Another factor to consider when deciphering the best CBD oil for dogs with seizures is your ability to control the dosage. After all, we already know dosage amounts can be pivotal in a treatment's success.
For the above reasons, tinctures are the ideal way to administer CBD doses to your dogs.
Tinctures allow you to control the dosage based on your pet's needs. Treats infused with CBD are available, but the dosages are rigid. You can experiment and see what works best in offsetting seizures.
What’s The Best Way To Administer CBD Dosages To Your Dog?
Our customers experience the best results when administering CBD doses to their dogs by dropping the oil over their wet or dry food. One dosage at breakfast and another at dinner should do the trick.
While CBD doesn't have psychoactive effects, your dog might gain a tolerance to it if you administer too many dosages. Another way to look at it is to keep the dosages twelve hours apart to maximize their effect. This would dull the positive impact.
CBD Isn’t A Cure-All, But Its Healing Properties Are Legitimate
No–CBD isn't a 100% cure-all magic potion that will rid your dog of seizures.
Still, mounting research continues supporting CBD’s healing properties for pets and humans. Increasing evidence speaks to CBD's wellness-boosting capabilities (when it's combined with other sound lifestyle habits).
Moreover, you have nothing to lose by letting your dog try CBD. There's no risk. Even high-quality tinctures are cost-efficient (especially compared to other vet prescriptions) and are 100% safe for your dog. It's a win-win scenario.
We'll again stress the importance of discussing CBD with your doggo's vet. They'll have likely performed their research on the topic and will have taken a keen interest in it. Thus, a veterinary pro can provide crucial insights on how to get the most out of these products and best ensure optimal results.
You’ll also gain optimal results by shopping with a CBD company with high-quality, reliable products you can trust–which you’ll find at Pakamana.