When your dog has a seizure, it is the most frightening thing ever –you don’t know what is causing it, how to prevent it or how to react at that moment in time.
No matter how intense it is, if your dog has a seizure you should take them to the vet for a thorough checkup. Most of the times they will provide over the counter prescription medicines but you can also opt for alternative natural treatments like CBD oil for dogs and cats. It has been claimed by many pet parents to be a helpful aid with little to no side effects.
What Is A Seizure Exactly?
When your dog experiences a seizure, their brain is receiving a confusing and unnatural amount of electrical waves from the nervous system. Depending on the intensity, only a certain portion of the brain may be affected or all of brain can be affected.
It is important to understand that there are many types of seizures that your dog can experience, such as: general seizures, focal/partial seizures, or cluster seizures.
Some dogs even have epilepsy which is a disorder in which seizures become regular and can potentially cause additional problems for your pet. In order to understand the nature of your dog’s illness, it is best to get a vet to determine the diagnosis and cause.
What Symptoms Should You Look Out For?
There are various symptoms your dog can possibly exhibit during a seizure, but here are a few of them:
- Unconsciousness
- Twitching
- Lack of response
- No muscle control
- Foaming at the mouth
- Lack of bladder control
- Lack of bowel control
- Spasms
No matter the duration, if your dog displays any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is best to act instantly so that preventative measures can be taken.
What Are The Causes?
Seizures can be caused by a diverse list of factors –trauma, infections, bacteria, heart strokes, cancers and their genetic pool.
Some dogs, like Beagles and Shetland Sheepdogs, are predisposed to seizures because of their genes and selective breeding.
How Should You React When Your Dog Is Having A Seizure?
There are a few things to remember when your dog is having a seizure.
You should never try to move them unless you absolutely have to. Instead, you should just monitor them and ensure that their environment is safe.
It is also helpful if you record the times of their seizures so that you can give the vet every piece of information in order to make an informed diagnosis.
Try comforting your dog while staying away from their moth region; their muscle movements are involuntary and may result in them biting you. You can instead put a cold damp towel over their paws so that they remain cool and don’t overheat.
After the seizure has faded away, give your dog some attention so that they are comforted.
Where Does CBD Treatment Come In?
Using CBD oil for dogs with seizures is a consideration owners take into account after having been prescribed drugs like Valium and potassium bromide.
Many revert to using CBD for pets due to its organic and claimed effectiveness for humans and animals.
An encouraging factor is that the best CBD oil for dogs usually won’t contain any THC; meaning it will not be able to give your dog the high that marijuana usually induces.
A hemp or cannabis plant goes through a CBD extraction process that makes it possible for the plant to result in oils, thus giving you a supply of CBD oil for dogs with seizures.
Additionally, over the counter prescription medicines tend to have many side effects that create different issues for pets altogether.
As a vegan option CBD oil also works, protecting your dog from additional threats as well. Any stress or nervousness that your dog is experiencing because of their seizures can be treated with the use of CBD oil – just give them a few drops in their mouth or on treats, and you’re good to go.
One of the most important reasons why you should give your dog CBD oil for seizures is because it is a source of abundant antioxidants. These antioxidants can help influence the nervous system by preventing neurodegeneration which is one of the major causes of diseases like epilepsy. Besides this, they are also essential tools that help improve your dog’s immunity so that they can fight off infections proficiently.
The Dose of CBD Oil For Dogs With Seizures?
Giving your dog CBD oil for their seizures is something that you need to do carefully.
CBD oil needs to be dosed properly depending on many different factors. Thus, determine the dosage after taking into account the following aspects:
- The frequency of the seizures
- The severity of the seizures
- The weight of the dog
- Their level of sensitivity to the CBD oil
- The recommendation given by the vet
If your vet is open to talking to you about CBD oil for dogs with seizures, they will be of much help. A general rule of thumb is to start at a low dose and slowly increase. Some recommend beginning by taking your dog’s weight and multiplying it by .20 or .25 to get a starting milligram dose. Giving it twice a day is also a better idea than just once, allowing the system to process the CBD.
Overall, dogs that have seizures are unfortunately put through a lot during their lifetimes. As pet parents we want them to feel good and stay healthy. There is no clear but answer as to how you can help them, but the best CBD oil for dogs can definitely help!