Hello, everyone! This week I want to talk to you about CBD oil for dogs. Specifically, I would like to address how CBD oil could significantly help your dog with epilepsy.

Before going on with the article, I want to let you know as a Canine Behaviorist, I work closely with veterinarians, and highly recommend talking to a veterinarian before implementing CBD oil into your dog’s routine to ensure it’s the best solution for your individual dog (remember, all dogs are different).

I also highlight CannaCanine’s CBD oil in this article. I do not earn any commission on their sales, but I have received a handful of different CBD products for dogs and their product is by far the highest-quality product. I am so impressed with CannaCanine’s product I have taken them on as a client writing content for their organization.

With this said, let’s move on to the article.

Did you know one to five percent of dogs have a seizure disorder? This may sound like a small percentage, but when you think about how many dogs there are, that’s way too many.

Watching your dog have a seizure is frightening. You’re watching your dog go through a traumatic experience. You feel out of control, and you’re not sure what to do to help them if you’re not familiar with this condition.

If your dog has never had a seizure before, you should still understand what should be done in case of an episode. If you notice your dog experiencing a seizure, try to be calm (keep in mind your dog can ‘feel’ your emotions) and observe his surroundings to ensure there’s nothing in reach that could cause harm. You should also watch where your hands are. Your dog could accidentally bite you as he or she will not have control over his/her body during this time.

When we adopt our dogs, serious conditions like seizures aren’t usually our main concern. But, learning about everything that could affect our dogs and how to help is important.

If you’re unsure of what a seizure looks like, you’ll generally notice: collapsing, stiff muscles, jerking movements, loss of consciousness, foaming at the mouth, and/or a confused gaze. She might appear as if she’s looking out into space… as if she’s in another dimension.

After a dog has a seizure, she might have a hard time walking on her own. She may be disoriented. You might also notice her bumping into things she usually knows are there.

CBD has become popular in the dog world. Not only has CBD been found to help with seizures, but with pain, sleep, anxiety, skin problems, cancer, and digestive issues, too.

There are 2 Types of Seizures

There are two types of seizures a dog could have; symptomatic or idiopathic.

Symptomatic seizures are caused from an abnormality inside or outside of the brain. This could be from lead poisoning, encephalitis, or some sort of head trauma.

Idiopathic epilepsy doesn’t have a cause, though. Idiopathic epilepsy is thought to be genetic. Dog breeds who are commonly diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy include English Springer Spaniels, Viszlas, Collies, Beagles, and Dachshunds. If you have one of the dog breeds prone to epilepsy, don’t worry yourself too much but just be sure to keep a watch for symptoms.

What’s the Best Way to Treat Seizures?

The medication that is prescribed to dogs with seizures has been found to help but may also come with heavy side effects including lethargy, long-term liver damage, and/or confusion.

One of the methods dog lovers are turning to instead of pharmaceutical medicine is Cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD oil is a non-toxic, natural, and effective form of treatment (of course, make sure you talk to your vet).

When you’re researching CBD and seizures in dogs, there are hundreds of positive testimonials. But, it comes as no surprise that CBD is met with controversy.

It’s important for you to understand CBD oil doesn’t make your dog ‘high’ like marijuana does. THC is responsible for the ‘high’ effect. And, there is little to no THC found in CBD oil.

CBD, Not THC

If you’re a supporter of the medicinal effects of the cannabis plant, you may be asking why THC is not recommended for dogs. After all, we do recommend medicinal marijuana for humans who are experiencing serious medical conditions.

The reason. Dogs are extremely sensitive to THC. THC is the primary psychoactive component of a marijuana plant. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of 113 compounds found in cannabis plants. The compounds, known as Cannabinoids, are natural and don’t contain any psychoactive properties or effects.

CBD with extremely low doses of THC may help dogs with seizures significantly, though. And, it has been found to be particularly helpful to dogs who are experiencing pain from cancer and/or seizures.

Dr. Stephanie McGrath is a veterinarian who specializes in neurology at Colorado State University. She is an advocate for CBD in veterinary medicine and is currently leading a clinical study on the treatment of epilepsy (which causes seizures). You can do your own research about her studies to see what she’s found if you’re interested in learning more about the effects of CBD.

CBD Dosage for Dogs

When you choose to use CBD oil for your dog with seizures, it’s important to start at the lowest dose possible. You can then increase the dosage if necessary.

The dosage of the CBD oil is also a discussion you could have with your veterinarian… especially if your dog is taking any other medications. You want to make sure the CBD oil won’t interact negatively with any medicine you’re dog has been prescribed.

The Side Effects of CBD

When you’re looking for a new medication for your dog, natural or pharmaceutical, you want to know the side effects.

CBD has no known side effects when administered on its own. However, CBD can have interactions with certain prescribed medication by inhibiting a family of liver enzymes, called cytochrome P450. This enzyme metabolizes more than 60 percent of the marketed medications we consume.

You can read more about CBD Drug Interactions on CannaCanine’s website. You’re able to look at a full list of medications metabolized by Cytochrome P450 3A4.

Testimonials Say it All

CannaCanine enjoys sharing testimonials so you’re able to hear real-world experiences about dogs who have used their products. Below, you will read a testimonial from CannaCanine about Blaise, a dog who was experiencing seizures, who had been prescribed pharmaceutical medication for treatment. His owner no longer wanted him to take phenobarbital… so she considered CBD oil. The CBD oil worked wonders on Blaise.

Please note, every dog is different and there’s no guarantee any medication, whether pharmaceutical or natural, will work the same for every dog. But, if you’re looking for alternatives, the research shows CBD oil may be worth considering … especially with the support from your veterinarian.

“Blaise started to experience seizures when he was just a year old. The seizures started to be mild and were few at the start. I thought nothing of it at first because they were so infrequent. When Blaise was around two and a half he started having partial seizures. These affected half of his body and he would suddenly tumble to the ground. This was absolutely horrifying to watch as they came often without warning.

To help combat his seizures I was recommended to give him phenobarbital. Phenobarbital is a common medicine given to dogs to help treat seizures. Several people told me to hold off on the phenobarbital treatments due to the ill side effects on dogs. I decided to wait before starting treatment to see if the seizures would return. By Blaise’s third birthday he finally had a full seizure. My worst fears had finally manifested!

Our vet immediately put Blaise on a high dose of phenobarbital for every 12 hours. Blaise became so drugged up that he would lose his balance and fall over. The worst of it was when he fell down twelve flight of stairs! I hated seeing him like this. His perky and fun personality was gone, replaced by lethargy and sadness. Blaise became a shell of the fun dog he once was.

A a nurse I had read articles on the beneficial effects of CBD oil on seizures. I started to research natural and alternative medicine for canines to learn more about CBD oil. At first I was cautious but decided to try it on Blaise. It was the best decision I could make! I was glad I ordered the CBD treatment. Despite the process of weaning him off of phenobarbital, the first dose of CBD oil made him more alert. Little by little, I got him off the phenobarbital.

Today, Blaise is seizure free and no longer taking phenobarbital. All thanks to CBD oil!”

Chat with Your Vet

I can’t emphasize this enough. Before implementing CBD oil in your dog’s routine, you should talk to your vet. If your dog is struggling with a medical condition, you want to make sure you have the dosage right. And, you also want to ensure your dog is a suitable candidate for CBD use.

If your veterinarian isn’t familiar with alternative medicine, you might consider contacting a veterinarian who specializes in it. You can find an alternative veterinarian by searching the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association’s website.

CannaCanine’s Product

CannaCanine is 100 percent organic and non-GMO, two qualities you should search for in any CBD oil to ensure maximum quality. CBD that isn’t organic could contain pesticides and herbicides, resulting in more harm than good for your dog.

CannaCanine only contains two ingredients- organic MCT Coconut Oil and Organic CBD Hemp Oil. This is another factor you should consider when searching for CBD oil for your dog. Generally, the more ingredients there are in the oil, the lower the quality of the oil.

Why is coconut oil included? That’s a great question. Coconut oil increases the absorbency of the CBD oil. And, it can work wonders for our dogs. Coconut oil can help with itchy skin, eczema, cuts, scrapes, wounds, and hot spots. And, on top of all of that, it’s a powerful anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral.

I couldn’t wait to try CBD oil for my dogs after learning all the benefits. And, for a limited time, CannaCanine is offering a special promotion.

This year is the Year of the Dog, and to celebrate, CannaCanine is offering you 30 percent off of your store purchase. If you decide this could be a good option for your dog, use code YEAR to take advantage of the sale.

If you have any questions, I am happy to answer them. Please feel free to contact me via AmberLDrake.org or at AmberLDrake@dogbehaviorblog.org.

If you have any topics you would like discussed, I am open to suggestions here too. I want to make sure I’m answering all your questions.

Talk to you soon.