★★★★★
About distilled water.... I just remember being instructed by our dog's veterinarian to only give our dog distilled water at one point for a medical condition unrelated to anything neurological and the dog started having seizures. Our dog was then prescribed phenobarbital for those seizures - which really sedated him and we weren't happy about. We couldn't believe this was happening.
After about four days of distilled water and the phenobarbital, the seizures kept getting worse. We stopped the distilled water and went back to putting regular tap water in his water dish. The seizures stopped and we stopped the phenobarbital too. We never had a problem with seizures after that.
I learned to have a lot of respect for distilled water and to be very careful how it is used after that.
Do you have any further update on your furbaby?
I have a 6lb. 3 year old Shih Tzu Molly she is a tiny girl. Molly seizures 1-3 times a day, they started after her rabies shot and Trifexis. I wanted to hear if your changes that you made helped long term. We have been through all the prescription meds with no results, just looking for a little hope.
Dietary Changes
Compost Warning
Hi Theresa!
Added the charcoal already but will add garlic tonight. I grow my own so fortunately I have a bunch. Thank you for the info it is greatly appreciated. She is home and doing very well. Laying outside watching over her feathered friends. Definitely a bit more tired but she was pretty drugged up when we got her home last night. It also crossed my mind that she had her shots Sunday so the compost compiled with a weakened immune system probably put her over the edge.
Compost Warning
Hello Heather,
I can only add that you might want to dose activated charcoal and betonite clay to help with the detox. Also raw, organic garlic - crush a clove and let it sit for 15 minutes before feeding - can help with detoxing the bowel as well.
Compost Warning
My healthy and lively 7 month old Lab Lily approached me for her daily egg for watching over the chickens and ducks for the day last night when I noticed her shaking so bad she could hardly stand up. I brought her inside and I thought she was definitely having a seizure. Her eyes were blinking constantly, she couldn't stand, was panting heavily, had uncoordinated movements, the whole nine yards. I have always done things as naturally and holistically as possible, but I knew this was a vet moment. We arrived at the emergency clinic 30 minutes after it all started. She was getting worse. They rushed her into the back and it seemed like hours (because it was! ) when we finally learned she had Mycotoxicosis. She had a fever of 104.5. Hours later she was still convulsing. Mycotoxicosis is the term used when your dog is poisoned from backyard compost bins or areas where decaying matter can be found (e.g., forests, gardens, etc.).
I know people may already know this can happen, but I did not, neither did any of my friends in similar situations. For twenty years my dogs have been in the compost bin from time to time, and a couple times I recall a wake up call in the night to go outside from them eating it.
We could have lost her to this. It required IV fluids and flushing the toxins from her system. I can do a lot at home, but I am not skilled enough to administer IV fluids. Without this she may have died.
The reason for this post is to give people info about this. Fence off your compost, or if you live near forest where your dogs maybe eating deer or other poop in the woods- they could get this, or it could be why they keep having seizures. I am not implying this is every seizure situation by any means. Most people don't watch their dogs to see what they are doing outside every minute. It will cost us nearly $2000 for this, but more importantly we almost lost our newest family member to something that could have been avoided. Years ago I knew someone that adopted a dog who was on all sorts of these seizure meds, and would have these prolonged episodes (like Lily) and now it makes me wonder if she had this. While finding info online about it last night it did say continued seizures can be misdiagnosed when it is actually these mycotoxins which are causing the issue.
I give her grain free puppy kibble, fresh raw and cooked meats & veggies, bones, coconut oil, probiotics and pumpkin puree daily. She spends a lot of time outside and is also walked daily. She is going to pull through, but it was a real scare. I hope people will share this and read more about Mycotoxin poisoning because I am sure I am not the only one on Earth Clinic composting in my yard.
Hi Claire, Glad to hear about your positive results with your Jack Russel. Which brand do you use because I am need of help for my husky? Thank you so much.
Taurine
What brand of Taurine did you purchase and where did you purchase from, also where did you get the dosage amount to give your dog. My Molly (6Lb. 3 year old Shih Tzu) has seizures 1 to 2 times a day. She takes Phenobarbital 2 X a day and Keppra 3 X a day, but even with this medication she is still having 1-2 seizures a day. I'm hoping the Taurine could possibly help her. Thank's for sharing your story!
Heartworm Meds and Seizures
hi my 4 year old jack Russel just started having seizures she had 4 seizures in this Month, I heard about CBD oil just wondering which one and where to buy and how to use, really appreciate if someone could help.
Hemp
Hello Bronwyn,
I agree something is not adding up. What are you feeding your dog? Corn/grain based diets that have sweeteners and red food dyes have both been linked to UTIs and seizures in dogs.
Hemp
hi- I also have a 2.5 yr old female Rottweiler. Mid September she was treated for a mild UTI as she goes swimming in our lake ALOT! No biggie- she was on 10 days of antibiotics and two days after finishing she had her first ever gran mal seizure- it was a big and bad one. She was started on Keppra, and now her seizures are getting worse and worse- example: she has had 4 in 24 hrs. I have not excepted that fact the vet says she has epilepsy bc I feel as tho something is not adding up with UTI. She was also on trifexis which I have now stopped as of 9/15/16 but her seizures are worsening. I have ordered some CBD oil.
Heartworm Meds and Seizures
My dog had 10 seizures in 2 days. I was worried about having to put him down. Started using CBD oil. His seizures have stopped for 5 days. Only use a couple drops a day. Would rather use that than phenobarbital.
Taurine
★★★★★
I had a dog who use to get frequent seizures every year. I read up on holistic remedies for seizures. When I started giving my dog Taurine 500 mg. everyday and she hardly had any seizures.
Dietary Changes
Give your dog a raw diet. Have heard plenty of people change to all raw with good results and also give zinc. I had a dog with the same problem. I I gave her half tablet zinc she was a cross kelpie border collie. But you will have to go less than that - just once per day.
Dietary Changes
Hey Anna,
It is very hard to give advice on this topic without a veterinary work up to rule out medical conditions. Things like hyperglycemia and pancreatic tumors can bring on seizures, as well as epilepsy, and they may or may not require medication. The best advice I can give is to read up - google 'canine seizures' and start reading the articles. Please learn which seizures are emergencies so you know if/when you need to go to the doggie emergency room.
That said, one of the easiest things you can do to stack the deck against causing seizures in your dog is to feed him top quality groceries. Certain red food dyes have been linked to seizures in dogs; chances are if you feed a supermarket brand dog food, or any brand sold in a grocery store it is a less than recommended diet. I had a friend who fed her small breed dog the Beneful dog food and he had seizures; when she changed diets to a 4 star diet [rated on dogfood advisor.com] the seizures stopped. What you feed your dog matters a LOT. Also be wary of any diet that contains the herb rosemary, as while typically a good herb with antimicrobial properties, in some dogs will cause seizures.
Please report back!
Dietary Changes
Hi, I have a chihuahua mixed with jack Russell he's only 18monts old and he has seizures at least once a week. He's on meds but it seems like it's not working. Can you please help me on what I can do to ease them. It's hurts me so much to him go through this.
Avoid Food With Rosemary
Don't overlook the obvious, all those things you list are high in salt, dogs and salt is not a good marriage.
Dietary Changes
Obviously the human food is too high in salt, so for certain dogs its a no no (like mine). Too much salt can cause seizures in dogs, for some reason its never talked about. Watch treats and cheap dog food for salt amounts.
Honey
Hi Dana, be careful with the ice as you can bring down the temp too far. It's better to use a damp towel and wipe the dog over.
Honey
★★★★★
I have found the same thing with my little dog when he starts to have a seizure. If I can get a teaspoon of honey into him (or peanut butter) I can stop the seizure from coming on. I also put an ice pack on his belly and move it to his shoulders as well to cool his belly. If he is outside and beginning to seizure, he will take himself into the dog wading pool to cool as well.
Heartworm Meds and Seizures
I rescued a Beagle 10 years ago and his seizures started within 2 months of his adoption. I refused the normal RX's because of kidney and other organ failure that often occur. I then began to search out REAL preservative free dog food. I went through about 10 different kinds, even tried home made but with me working proved to be a real hassle - shelf life is not long at all. I finally found Paul Newman's Organic dog food (yellow bag with red label) and he has been seizure free for 10 years. Hope this helps you!
Heartworm Meds and Seizures
MSM 500 grams or b complex, zinc 15 mgms -- I have had good success with both of these.
Heartworm Meds and Seizures
I am researching Cannibis too. My lil Sheltie Stormy is epileptic and starting to show kidney problems because of the meds.
Hemp
★★★★☆
My black lab George is also epileptic, he is 5 yrs old.I give him taurine supplements, vitamin c in ester c powder and 1 tablespoon of hemp oil per day. His seizures have reduced and his general condition is much improved. He is prescribed Pexion 400 mg 3 per day divided into two doses one morning and one evening.
The supplements I use are the best reviewed I have found in the UK and also affordable.
Hemp
My golden retriever Bruin has been experiencing grand-mal seizures for the last 3 years.. hes on Keppra 1500 mgs and Pheno 64.5 mgs x3 (twice every day) and he STILL has a bad episode of 5 or more seizures once a month. I researched CBD oil and I want to see if that would work for him. Anyone have any suggestions on the best brand to use? Are the canna supplements just as reliable?
Thank you for any comments
Fish Oil
★★★★★
Before my story, I wanted to thank everybody on this site to share their experience and stories. You guys all have helped me so much in seeking help in different health issues I have encountered on me and my families. Thank you.
Here is my story:
My pug named Rain had been on an r/d diet for many years. After they changed to a new package, she had consumed over one bag of the new packaged food and she always show a lot of hesitation to eat. I felt bad because I did not listen to her signal. She just had a seizure out of nowhere on Friday, March 11, 2016 and she is 11 years old. But she did not just have one seizure, she had a seizure every 5 hours on average starting that Friday. I was so desperate to look for remedies and info and couldn't figure out what's wrong with her because with all the researches I had done in this short time frame, she did not seem to have liver, kidney or any other problems. But I remember ever since she started the new package of the r/d food, she acted very weird, like always frozed in the middle of the road and couldn't hear me calling her unless I screamed loud enough.
I was able to find a lot of info online and on the earthclinic.com site. I have tried taurine supplement with minimal help and then the next day fish oil. I looked through all the info about dog food and fish oil and the benefits of it and I felt confident enough to give her a try.
So when the store opened on Sunday 11am, I bought the fish oil, fed her the oil with chicken, and her supposed Sunday 3:00pm seizure did not come. And I waited till now and her 8pm seizure did not come either. I feel like the fish oil is really helping her. But within the past couple of days which was Friday nite and Saturday till Sunday morning, she had already gone through 8 seizures in total. I had already stopped feeding her this diet the next day after the first seizure incident after I read a lot of ppl's stories here. I really think something's wrong with it.
I also remember after she started the new bag, she started having her first ear infection and skin problem which she never had for her whole life. I want to thank everyone here again for their time to tell their stories because all these info really help ppl like me And others who need help.
It's almost Monday 1am, she seems very comfortable sleeping still.
Dietary Changes
That is very encouraging!! I have a 6 year old St. Bernard. I have her on pheno and potassium chloride. Were you able to get your dog off the pheno? I heard once they start on it, you can't take them off. I am going to switch her diet to Natural Balance. I have had her on Purina for large breeds.
Acupressure
Dietary Changes, Avoid Tap Water
I know this is an old conversation, but I still reference it often and figured I would throw in my two cents in. Be aware of the pesticides! My collie mix has seizures every full moon even though she is on several medications. When I moved into a new townhouse she started having seizures that didn't coincide with the lunar cycle. It took me a while to figure it out, but every time I simply walked her over the neighborhood grass to go to the mailbox, she would have a cluster within the next 3 days. Once I started keeping her on the pavement through the neighborhood, the out-of-phase seizures stopped. The neighborhood management was incredibly helpful and provided me with the MSDS for all the chemicals they use.
Hemp
Hello, did you have any luck using the canna-pet hemp?
I have been giving my 91lb Rottweiler Charlotte's web cbd hemp extract oil for 3 weeks 25 to 30 drops every 4 to 5hrs. She gets 1 grandmal seizure ever 7 to 10 days. She also had bacteria in her urine. I have to test her urine again to see infection is gone. She had a seizure today.
Potassium Bromide
WOW! A three week long seizure?! You mean seizures three weeks in a row, I'm sure. So sorry to hear your little ones are dealing with this. My precious Maltese, TuffPuppy's grand mals were caused by antibiotics that here body was incapable of tolerating. The introduction of phenobarbital is what actually did her in this last July 30,2015. She, OF COURSE, couldn't process that with a very compromised liver and kidney function. I still recall arguing and arguing with a VERY cold, unsympathetic and just plain unknowing vet (traditional vets are NOT taught other means than introduction of these very destructive drugs). TuffPuppy staggered around all the time and, well, I cannot even talk about it. When the "head pressing" started I knew the drugs had caused irreversible brain damage and there was no hope. I would give anything to go back a year in time and have the knowledge I've gained. My new Maltese is being raised holistically and her Vet (NO dog of mine will ever go to the vet that Tuffers went to) is a traditional Vet but with a very open mind to alternative treatment and he agreed to research and try non traditional approaches outside of extreme emergencies. YIPEE! I have to suggest to you two alternatives to potassium bromide and phenobarbital, both of which WILL ultimately cause organs to fail. One is COMMONLY used in Europe and it is a calcium supplement ampule and it does NOT cause the terrible side effects of PB or phenobarb. Magnesium is very effective as well. On the traditional end of things you have the option of Neurontin (generic name is gabapentin). One thing that, IMO, should be introduced in ALL cases involving powerful drugs is milk thistle, which helps to aid the liver in protecting this most vital organ from breakdown due to the toxicity of all drugs. I would always advise that your Vet agree to allow and work with a Vet trained holistically to enhance the prognosis o best outcome possible. Good luck to you and thank you for being so proactive as to look at websites such as this for your baby's welfare!
Dietary Changes
My precious Maltese, TuffPuppy, died this last July 30,2015 from severe screaming grand mals that started as a result of a know it all vet that insisted on giving her an antibiotic that I kept telling her my dog can't tolerate drugs like that (traditional vets always prescribe and insist they know more than you about your own baby). First, get a full chem panel done and check if anything is out of normal range. This allows you to determine possible cause and consider treatment options. You do not want this seizure issue to go on long as if they get to the point that they are head pressing, there is irreversible brain damage and well, TuffPuppy isn't here anymore. The miniscule amounts of rosemary shouldn't be an issue but CAN be. Big difference between shouldn't and can. I'd cut it off completely. I'm not a fan of ANY dog food at all. None. I say ask your butcher to put aside cuts for your dog that otherwise would be cut into stew portions (those cuts aren't done on purpose for stews...they are just not large enough for steak or roast or what is eye pleasing to a human....your dog is MUCH larger than a 4 pound Maltese to feed so it's important to set up a relationship with your butcher). Make sure you are adding plenty of green and orange veggies with the food too (if your dog starts craving starches, that's an indication that there's something other than food or environment causing seizures). Take notes of environment when seizures occur. Light can cause them, sounds, antibiotics in food. Many things but distinct in pattern. After a seizure, blinds closed, lights out or down, little if any noise and take temperature rectally to ensure it doesn't exceed 101.5°. If rises put cold packs on lower back. Learn CPR for your dog. I don't want to get into all the things I did to try to save my TuffPuppy over that 8 month period and scare you but its something you will need to know if it continues. There ARE holistic products available but I never got the chance to try them. Phenobarbital and other drugs will cause you nightmares that I assure you you don't want to see.
So, to recap: Full Chen panel and read it yourself. Get wholesome, not dog , food and green and orange veggies. Darken room and shut off sound after and monitor temperature. Keep very careful logs of incindenys. If your dog sleeps a very long time after you've been apart, consider that a seizure occurred and log it as such. This is by no means all encompassing but a not too overwhelming start to get things under control. I wish the lt of luck, love and outco for you. My little girl is gone but I've a new one now and I'm raising her with proper nutrition and supplements. I don't want to get into advertising for for brands but there are one or two (well, one, that I recommend but that's not for this stage.
Homeopathy
Hi Lia Omg.. Same thing is happening to my dog. My one dog passed away and 2 months later my female Rottweiler started having seizures. Her 1st seizure started in May it was happening once a month. Now they are every 10 or 13 days. I think The rabbies vaccine increased it my stupid vet did more harm. She is being fed frozen raw meat patties since July they were other complications that occured that I think is to why they are happening more. I live in NJ I want to try to give her cannabis oil but not sure if it's legal for pets.I need to find out any luck with getting another dog to help stop your dogs seizures?
Dietary Changes
Hi Deirdre I didn't get a notification that someone responded to my question. Just so happens I just went on and looked. I do give her filtered water.
I think my dog has severe anxiety since my other dog passed away. She is lost without her playmate. I bought this product called crystal star relax caps known to to help dogs with seizures she has been on them a week. I am probably going to take her to a holistic vet. Thanks
Dietary Changes
Dietary Changes
I have been feeding my dog Tuckers frozen raw patties pork/lamb with pumpkin and pork/bison/pumpkin since July she is having more seizures instead of 1x a month now its every 10days. So raw is not working I refuse to put her on meds. Her seizures started after my other dog passed away.Is your dog still seizure free?
Dietary Changes
Hi Christine,
So sorry to hear about your dog. Perhaps you can try giving your dog only filtered spring water, not tap water or even filtered tap water. This helped our dog when he had a seizure a few years ago. Right after he had the seizure, I researched remedies on Earth Clinic and found a few posts about tap water contaminants as a possible cause of seizures. Since he hadn't been vaccinated recently and I hadn't changed his food, it seemed possible that tap water was the culprit. I immediately went out and bought him bottled water and he's never had another seizure. He only drinks spring water. Please let us know!
Dietary Changes
★☆☆☆☆
Hi My 4 year old 85lb Female Rottweiler had her 1st grand mal seizure in May of this year 2015 she was being fed EVO red meat large bites I had another male Rottweiler he was diabetic and had died from cancer. After 2months my dog had her 1st seizure . I thought maybe her dog food was causing them she was now having 1 Every month I work from home so she is with me all day.
I switched her to natures variety limited ingredient still didn't work so I began to feed her Tuckers frozen raw pork/bison with pumpkin patties with her new food still had a seizure 1x a month she was also being fed biscuits RAW BOOST from Natures' Variety. I read up Rosemary triggers seizures! It was true in her case. So stopped feeding her treats and dog food. She is being fed Tuckers frozen raw patties she is still not seizure free. She had a seizure yesterday morning 6:30am right after she was fed her patty and drank her Primal raw goats milk that has cinnamon in it.
Not sure what is causing her seizures. My husband and I think it's her anxiety or maybe she is missing something in her diet. We don't want to just start feeding her dry dog food again. She looks great her coat is shiny she is playful. Any help be so appreciated thanks
Hi, I just read your post, b/c I am concerned about my Jack russell/corgi cross boy, @ 11 yrs old. He has just started showing signs of degenerative myeopathy in past few mos, and now starting w/seizures (opposite, perhaps, of your pup?)
I just brought my boy to the vets, for bloodwork but am looking into getting cannibis oil to prevent seizures. Any thoughts out there?!
Fish Oil
Hi what fish oil do u use and how much do u give them? My mom's dog has this. So please can u tell me what fish oil and how much to give him? Thank u, Dean
Hemp
Aloha. I have a 4 year old 130 pound dog who started having seizures 3 months ago. He clusters too, grand mal seizures are horrible .. He is on phenobarbital and kepra I started giving him canna-pet hemp supplements for giant dogs twice a day .. But he just been having petite mal seizures and I want to know if I am giving him enough of a dose for his weight ..... How many pills are you giving your dog diesel?? Thanks so much for sharing I am praying that this CBD supplement help my dog. I love him so much
Website Recommendations
Hello, please see the posts on the Earth Clinic pet epilepsy page about how people changed their dogs' water source from tap water to filtered water and the dogs had no more seizures.
Website Recommendations
I virtually cured my dog with her seizures with zinc one tab per day but you will have to give her a much smaller dose
Website Recommendations
Hello. I have seen ur post on natural remedies for your epileptic dog. I know u posted this back in 2008 but I currently have a chihuahua who is suffering from terrible cluster seizures and I am terrified she will die from it soon. I would prefer to stag away from conventional medication. Any information u can provide me would be amazing. Thank u
Potassium Bromide
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Hello,
I have two Boston Terriers, George and his daughter Tina. It seems their seizures center around the new moon. Not every month by any means, but if it's going to happen they will both have a seizure on the new moon.
A few months ago Tina had at least one seizure three weeks straight. While I waited for a day off to take her to the vet I came on site here and was encouraged to find good suggestions on alternatives to phenobarbitol. I know it causes liver damage and I wasn't willing to go that route. As an herbalist the last thing I want to do to my dogs is give them drugs that don't always work and cause damage. So I talked to the vet and he assured me that Potassium Bromide is a safe alternative. I had already been using Bach's rescue Remedy with pretty good effect, but dosing is kind of tricky, too little isn't effective and too much becomes more stimulate than sedative.
Well, we put them both on Potassium Bromide and at first everything seemed fine. Then Tina started developing symptoms of Ataxia, at first I thought it was just too strong a dose so I started giving her a smaller dose. Every day it got worse, she was becoming more and more crippled in her back legs. it scared me enough to put her back on the RR. Sure enough she started improving right away. In about two weeks she was walking normally and being able to jump on the furniture again. The next new moon she had two seizures in two days and that scared me into going back to the PB. Eight days later she was blind in her left eye and quickly losing sight in her right eye. She's been back on the RR for about a month now and her vision has almost completely recovered.
I won't say absolutely do not use Potassium Bromide. My George hasn't had any problems. Except that, and I can't be completely sure missing a dose will cause them to be able to seize. Christmas Eve Tina seized before breakfast, and I was still upset when I fed them and forgot to give George his meds and he seized that afternoon.
So if you do plan to use PB watch your pet closely. Keep a constant check on hearing and eyesight and if you notice they have become clumsy when they usually aren't watch closely to make sure it doesn't continue to worsen. I wouldn't want anyone to have the tragedy I came so close to with my little girl.
Hey Sue!
A meat grinder will easily grind poultry bones and pork rib bones are fairly soft as well. I feed beef and pork neck bones when I can get them, but mainly I feed beef rib bones [Texas rib is the name of the cut] - I feed bones for the exercise and to keep the teeth clean. Avoid the huge knuckle bones, cooked pet store bones, soup marrow bones, leg bones/weight bearing bones.
Dietary Changes
Dietary Changes
Hey Sue!
RAW feeder friends of mine feed it all - neck bones, skulls, you name it. You might consider getting a meat grinder and grinding up the chicken leg bones. Most dogs that are weaned onto raw learn how to eat all the bones properly - but for those that are new to it the grinder works like a charm.
Dietary Changes
I have been feeding my dog raw food for quite a few years. I'm still having a hard time getting over the bone issue. I've given bones but never chicken legs. Could you give me some advice on the bones and what bones you feed?
Dietary Changes
Hi Lori ~ My black lab/Shepard mix is 18 months and started having grand mal seizures in July. We immediately took her to the vet but they could not find a trigger or source for the seizures and diagnosed as Epilepsy. After discussing the meds I decided to instead try changing her diet to control the seizures first and spoke with a friend of mine who is a certified animal nutritionist and she suggested Raw Diet - We have been feeding our girl raw for little over a month and the changes in her are seen almost immediately - she is happy, more energetic, her coat is shiny and puppy soft, there is no dog smell or bad breath and her bowel movements are small and not smelly at all - complete change in her for the better.
I too was worried about everything I heard about raw eating, salmonella, etc. but they are completely false! Bella loves her chicken legs, gets chicken feet as a treat and gobbles up her chicken organs (excuse the pun) - I feed her on her own towel that I can throw in the wash after she is done and trained her to keep her food on the towel and voila! No issues.
As for her contracting some disease from the raw food that is also false - the enzymes in dog saliva/stomach kill bacteria so that is also a non-issue.
I could not be happier with the changes I see in my fur baby and she seems to be happier too! As for her seizures, she has only had 1 in a month since we have been raw feeding and she came out of it so quickly with little to no disorientation - and that was mainly because she got into the garbage :(
I strongly urge anyone who is considering going raw to give it a try - I promise you will see results and if you don't like it well then you can always switch back to kibble.
Hemp
UPDATE: Doctors Greg Copas and Sarah Brandon, the vets who started Canna-Pet are now at www.cannaforpets.com Their new product name is Canna Companion. Diesel is now off of Keppra.
Hemp
★★★★★
Hemp is working for my dog's seizures!! ... I previously wrote about my dog Diesel here https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/epilepsy3.html Look for two entries, 02/06/12 and 10/20/13 to read about the difficulties we have had and all of the things we had tried to get control of his seizures. Note that in October 2013 we had tried the hemp oil supplement containing CBD, which really seemed to be working. We had 42 days seizure free (which was really good) and then over the next couple of months we had some breakthrough seizures and the oil didn't seem to help as much as his seizures came back more regularly.
Soooo...In my never-ending search to help my little guy, I found a hemp supplement that isn't an extract or oil but is 100% hemp. It is called Canna-Pet and is actually developed by veterinarians for dogs and cats. http://www.canna-pet.com
There have been major improvements in Diesel. Not only way less seizure events, but he is more alert, has a better appetite and sleeps better.
So I started reading and learning about phytocannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids, the important parts of cannabis. I learned that the process to make the oils and extracts (heat, alcohol, chemicals) could destroy some of the natural things in the hemp, which are beneficial. The new product doesn't use any of these methods.
For anyone who would like to learn more about the important parts of cannabis and hemp and why they are important, here are some of the links I came across while educating myself. Keep in mind that some of the links are about medical marijuana, but the same important things are in hemp such as CBD.
Here is an article about the Canna-Pet product and the vets who developed it. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/10/prweb11276477.htm
Here is a link to the "white paper" from Canna-Pet - If you scroll down you can learn about phytocannabinoids, pharmacological actions of non-psychotropic cannabinoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, cannabinoid profile of medical marijuana and cannabinoid profile of Hemp #112 and their "golden Ratio" and references at the bottom. Tons of information. http://www.canna-pet.com/technical.html
Importance of Terpenes http://www.hightimes.com/read/talking-terpenes
Difference between Industrial Hemp and Cannabis (I never knew...) http://hempethics.weebly.com/industrial-hemp-vs-cannabis.html
Interesting and fun facts you didn't know about Hemp (I didn't know any of this) http://hempethics.weebly.com/i-bet-you-didnt-know.html
VIDEOS
An excellent video about CBD... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31SrjjgPbhU#t=22
For those that did not see...I know it is about marijuana but the CBD is the important part... WEED - CNN Special Dr. Sanjay Gupta 2013 Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4GUkzTnFG0
And...
WEED 2 - Dr. Sanjay Gupta 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAFu-Ihwyzg
Diesel is still on phenobarbital, Kbr and Zonisamide along with the hemp. These medications have never given control to him. If the hemp continues to control/eliminate seizures, these medications will be reduced with the guidance of my vet.
Hey Jona!
I reviewed the comments and it appears many have used both the pheno and the EVCO at the same time. Some simply stopped the pheno as it seemed to not be working. I urge you to work with your veterinarian to determine the cause of the seizures if at all possible. Some folks report keeping the seizures successfully at bay by feeding a home made diet.
Please report back and let us know how your boy does on the EVCO!
Coconut Oil
Our dog Sydney was just diagnosed as being epileptic and was prescribed phenobarbital. After reading about Organic Virgin Coconut Oil on this site, I'm interested in giving this to Sydney, but I was wondering if there are any interactions between the 2? I would feel absolutely horrible if I found out too late that they should not be used together.
Avoid Food With Rosemary
★★★★★
Hello all you wonderful pet owners,
I read your posts and CONCUR. I have had dogs all my life. Grew up with dogs that made it to 17 yrs. Had a Sheltie that got to 14, I put her down after a stroke. Now have a Sheltie that is coming up on 17 yrs. Let me relay my experience with dog seizures. The pet store ran out of my usual brand of dog food last year, and I picked up a small bag of another well known premium dog food. Within 1 hr my Sheltie had a seizure. She has ALWAYS been hypersensitive and allergic, but usually it meant vomitting up whatever didn't agree, but seizures are the WORST. I am a researcher and I immediately went online and found a great article about Rosemary and how it was NOT good for many dogs. BINGO this temp food had Rosemary...but then my regular dog food started adding it and BINGO another seizure. It is popping up in all kinds of stuff that DIDN'T have it before. Ok, my adorable little girl is aging. she suffers from stiff joints and arthritis. By the way, have had GREAT success using green lipped mussel and boswellia, if we miss a dosage, she doesn't get around well. Found that remedy on a UK post, works for her. But seizures have become the concern, and more frequent. But I can ALWAYS trace it to something she ingested. Canadian bacon from a McD's egg mcmuffin, seizure withing an hour, awful one-nitrates? not sure but won't let that happen again. Trail mix she got into....seizure within 3 hrs, had rosemary extract. The last 6 mths I have been cooking for her as kibble didn't interest her at all. I had tried every type I could find w/o rosemary nothing seemed to interest her. My dog is an eater, but is kinda picky. I figure if you get to be 16 yrs old, and your breed usually expires around 12 to 14 yrs, then she deserves whatever makes her happy, ha. I do find that she will have seizures that are WORSE during a full moon. I do find that the ice pack remedy cuts them down faster and the daze afterward is averted. I would NEVER use prescription meds on a dog, EVER, research the whole drug industry- it isn't acting in anyone's best interest. I believe in herbs, and even essential oils. My dog is healthy, bright eyed and her coat is so glossy, she is just having issues with seizures lately, and like others I am trying to make sure she still enjoys a quality life. I don't know if it is just old age causing them now, or if she is deficient. She gets filtered water, organic food. I am going to try the magnesium and coconut oil suggestions. I use dulse flakes as a flavoring and she LOVES those. Pets add so much to our lives you just want to make sure they are well cared for. My mom thought dog food was TRASH, she cooked for our dogs and they never had any health issues and had longevity. I think she KNEW something, ha. But my family lived into their nineties, sickness wasn't in our family, they all expired of old age not disease, most died in their sleep peacefully, they didn't believe in Drs unless you broke a bone. They didn't believe in anyone "practicing" medicine on ya. Most of the top notched vets in my area seem clueless, and expensive, so NO thank ya. When my current sheltie was a puppy she chewed a rock and broke a tooth, a baby tooth, and one of those FINE educated vets told me I had to pay for a tooth extraction. Last time I took her to that vet, because she LOST that tooth naturally, I wasn't about to put her under and have him extract something that was coming out soon anyway. I told him he was a quack and a thief. He later was brought up on pet abuse charges, this was supposedly an exceptional vet-BUNK! GREED motivates more unnecessary procedures-I know, I volunteer in hospitals and hear and see awful stuff.
So please be an advocate for your pet, and choose wisely.
Hey Brittany!
I'm sorry to hear about Ronin's seizures. Since they started young - 10 months - it sounds like Ronin is the poster pup for idiopathic [of unknown origin] canine epilepsy:
http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/basics/basics_index.html
These seizures tend to occur at quiet times - at night or during sleep.
Diet certainly is a factor to consider with seizures; feeding doggie "junk food" - pretty much anything commonly available at the supermarket is often full of nitrates and red food dyes and artificial preservatives can indeed result in seizures.
So the best diet for an epi dog? Home cooked IMHO. It doesn't have to be RAW - it just has to be fresh, pure and healthfully prepared.
I am unable to find "New Balance Ltd" dog food; I DO find Natural Balance Ltd dog food and am not impressed. It is also possible at the time of the original post on this particular kibble it WAS an exceptional diet, and has since changed hands; this happens far too often with top dog foods - they obtain a good reputation and then are sold to other companies that then change the formulas to include substandard ingredients. In your shoes I would consider Fromm - Gold Nutritionals - no rosemary, made in Wisconsin. If that doesn't suite search the brands that are easily available to you and use your 'control F' function to search 'rosemary' on each ingredient panel you review - the diets are out there.
In reading up on the topic -its been a few years since I had an epilepsy dog - I found this gem from Ted:
"06/16/2011: Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "You should discontinue the oil is correct. The oil buffers the electrical shortage, but it doesn't exactly solve the cause of the electrical shortage in its brains. It may be metal toxicity or excitotoxins as the other cause of seizures. But the fact he cannot stand may be viral, all oils tend to lower the immune system with exception of coconut oil. I would try a lysine and threonine, 1/4 teaspoon hourly 4 hours and in evening 1/4 teaspoon hourly 3 hours for 3 days."
Its cold and winter and skin dries so easily - so tempting to add oils to the diet yet that is contra indicated. In addition, the mention of excitotoxins - MSG is a big one, BHT and ethoxyquin [both preservatives] are also, however live vaccines have them as well: do consider stopping all vaccinations if you can [rabies is the only one required by law -as your vet for an exemption] and certainly discontinue any spot on or internal parasite treatments and the like. Also consider dosing - per Ted - lysine and threonine, 1/4 teaspoon hourly 4 hours and in evening 1/4 teaspoon hourly 3 hours for 3 days.
Also consider Dr. Ackerman's Epilepsy & Seizure Control Supplement - it looks super affordable [when it was recommended a couple years ago! ] as well as eliminating all non-'green' cleaning products; consider Dr. Bronner's soaps for washing the floors, etc.
Several contributors recommended Taurine, an amino acid that is a long lasting anti-convulsant that has proven to help some seizure dogs. Capsule form is best as tablets contain fillers. The dose is 500mg per 25lb once or twice daily.
Source: http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/taurine.htm
Another nutritional supplement for brain support is Lecithin - 1200 mg/50 pounds has worked for 1 contributor. And yet another poster found ground raw, unsalted sunflower seeds - 1 table spoon per day - to help keep seizures at bay; grind them fresh every day as they lose freshness very quickly.
Homeopathic Cuprum Met 3x was recommended by one contributor; another posted "when I give him Belladonna...it stops [the seiuzure]almost immediately." With homeopathy if its the right remedy it will be effective very quickly and may make a huge difference.
Thinking really outside the box, check this out [my own holistic vet uses this technique as well]:
"12/03/2011: Wendy from Melbourne, Australia: "My 15 year old cat started having seizures about two months ago. As soon as she starts, I grab her and continuously tap FasterEft style on the point above her eyebrow all the time saying "Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go" until the seizure stops. It usually stops within 10 to 15 seconds. (Go to Robert Smith's website fastereft.com for info on tapping. ) I then hold her and cuddle and reassure her and give her Rescue Remedy. I fill a 30 mil dropper bottle with spring water and add four drops of Rescue Remedy and I keep this bottle handy."
This is another possibility to consider:
It is a Hemp Oil Supplement that was very successful for one contributor.
You may find additional remedies on this site:
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/Alternative.html
Good luck, and please keep us updated!
Zinc
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Try zinc tablets for seizures in dogs. I had a cross border collie kelpie who suffered with seizures.
I gave her a zinc tablet once a day and went from having four a week to about two a year and they were very mild.
Dietary Changes
Dear Brittany,
I read a post on Earth Clinic a few weeks ago about tap water being a possible trigger for seizures. Try putting your dog on purified water (not Brita filtered but better) and see if that helps. I keep learning about more and more contaminants in tap water. I now have our animals on spring water that I buy in 5 gallon containers at Home Depot. Oh and another post I recall reading some time ago was seizures caused after Rabies vaccination. Maybe there is a connection. Please let us know how your furry friend is.
Dietary Changes
My dog, Ronin began having seizure at 8mo. old in December 2012. He was started on Phenobarb and until July his seizures were about once a month. In July he began going 4-14 days between seizures, and the frequency continued to increase. He had his first cluster seizure in October, and was loaded with PBr. He continued to have seizures ever 4-7 days. He recently began Keppra, and will be decreasing and discontinuing his PBr in the coming weeks. He went two weeks without a seizure, but had a post/pre ictal behavior episode after a week on Keppra, but no actual seizure. We currently feed him Grain-free Earthborn, and he is completely grain free, however we haven't confirmed it's grain related (he got into some friends grain dog food the day he had his seizure after started Keppra, but we're not sure if it was a coincidence yet). We continue to research, and have seen a few people say Rosemary may be their trigger... which our Earthborn dog food does have (and it seems most grain-free foods have! ). I have seen recent posts for nature's Balance and such... I was wondering what opinions were on dog foods for epi-pups?
Heartworm Meds and Seizures
Our male Corgi, from age 4, started having seizures regularly after accidently given two doses of Heartguard on the same day (am & pm). Found out later that Collies are very sensitive to Heartguard. Our Pemb Welsh Corgi was a white and tan. This mixture came about by inc the Collie breed. My vet never said a word about this. Later we ended up having to put our Corgi on Phen Barb and potassium bromide. After starting him on this nasty combo--his seizures all but stopped, but then he came down with Degenerative Myopathy (we tried everything in the book before PB and PB).
Ok.. I have a ( NORMALLY HEALTHY) boxer who's 8 yrs. Old. He out of the blue had a TERRIBLE seizure, foam looking stuff coming out of his mouth, shaking head, jaws locked, teeth were showing, he got stiff, etc. I have been with him LITERALLY ALL DAY!! He has had them ALL day... My heart is BROKE watching him go through it. I read your HONEY remedy, I gave him some to lick, he LOVES IT, and he got a drink of water, he wasn't drinking until now, and, 10 mins have gone by, so far, so good... I will keep you posted. You can email me anytime... Kmz13 (at) yahoo (dot) com.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REMEDY! Shannon
Homeopathy
I want to start using belladonna supplements for my 10 year old dog who has been having monthly seizures since my other dog passed away on 9/2012. Any suggestions about belladonna or homeopathic remedies that may help? She is having accupuncture once a month, on chinese herbs and taking cholodin as well as neuroplex. Any suggestion on food to feed dogs with seizure? She is on the raw meat diet and I jusy got another dog so she won't be so lonely. Any advice would greatly be appreciated. Lia
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For years my Maltese has suffered from canine seizures. We have tried every suggestion found on the web and on this website, but his seizures returned.
What seemed to work was to put him on Organic Pet Food and cutting him off of all human food.
Then we accidently discovered that Gluten might be the culprit when he was given a tiny piece of pizza crust. 4 hours later, he had a seizure. A first one in about 2 months. So I started to search for "Gluten causes seizures" on the web and found a ton of articles that verified this suspicion. Gluten intolerance sets your brain on fire.
This makes so much sense to me and remembering that he didn't have any seizures (when he used to have 5-10 seizures per month prior) for a few months since I stopped giving him human food.
Hope this helps someone out there. The worst thing you can do is taking your pet to the vet and getting drugs, IMO. Try a gluen free diet for your dog, even yourself, if you have seizures.
I have no money or a car. My Springer is on penobarb. Vets are greedy and only care about making money. No money no service. Vets will let your dog die before they even take a partial payment. I know treatments cost money. But the vet couldn't even wait for his money. So I pray and read websites like this one. I found that penobarb will slowly destroy your dog with side effects. Commercial dog food is expensive, poison and causes weight gain.
You need natural raw or cooked dog food high in vitamins protein and nutrition. Try TAURINE.
I wish I knew more to help your dog and my dog. I still do not have all the answers. Its the worst thing I ever felt to see my dog have a seizure and can do absolutely nothing to help.
Dietary Changes
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The only thing I found to eliminate the seizures all together was diet change. My dog is on pheno, but the seizures continued. I tried so many commercial dog foods - New Balance Ltd seemed the best for seizure reduction, but not complete elimination. She still continued to have a seizure a couple of times a month and I just didn't think her little body could continue to cope. Anyway, I started home cooking her food while continuing with the Pheno, and the seizures have been eliminated completely. I cook turkey, chicken and veal in a crock pot. When it's done I put a combination of meat, green beans, broclli, yogurt or cottage cheese, sometimes a bit of cooked rice, blueberries, bananna, apple, flax seed oil and crushed NuVet vitamins into a food processor. Chop it all up (it actually looks like canned dog food when it's done) and freeze individual serving sizes. It may take a little time, but I don't think it's more expensive and this has changed everything. Allergies are gone, seizures are gone.... And I know exactly what she's eating. There are so many hidden things in commercial dog foods, so much processing. With a special needs pet, I truly believe home cooking is the only way to go. I've heard great things about raw, but can't bring myself to go that route. I'm too afraid of bacteria's and generally speaking, it grosses me out. Just wanted to share this, and oh, fleas are gone and her coat is so beautiful.
I just wanted to let everyone know RED DYE CAUSES SEIZURES IN SOME ANIMALS. eliminate it from the food and treats as well as bones and toys and the seizures will stop unless it is consumed again.
Dietary Changes
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Just a quick update, going on day 5 or 6 here since starting Louise on her new diet - NO SEIZURES! She was having one everyday. I have her on New Balance Ltd. , and Dr. Ackerman's Seizure/Epilepsy Control Supplements. She also has New Balance treats. It appears that removing the rosemary extract and adding the taurine and magnesium (all in the New Balance food) might be the answer. I know it's too soon to really tell, but we're off to a great start. I'll continue to post updates.
Dietary Changes
Hi Everyone, First time poster, long time reader here. I want to thank everyone who posts here for their valuable time and imput - it's helped me with my four dogs for so many different issues.
Today I'm posting about my 4 pound chihuahua, Louise. Years ago she had 2 seizures, a year apart and that was it. This past December, shortly after applying Frontline, she went into cluster seizures - major foaming at the mouth (could have filled a bathtub with all the foam), the shaking, etc. I had her at the vets for 3 days in a row. Everytime the valium started to wear off, she'd go back into the seizures. Finally she came home and all was quiet for a bit, and then it was a seizure here and a seizure there. Not the foaming at the mouth kind anymore, but what my vet called "petite" grand mal seizures. Her tests for Addison's Disease came back negative, even though her potassium levels were off the chart and more recently I've become convinced it's epilepsy.
Recently her seizures have become much more frequent, usually in the middle of the night. My other chihuahua wakes me up when Louise starts a seizure and thanks to the great folks on this website, with the use of Honey and a cold compress on her back, she usually comes out of it pretty quickly. However, I can't be here everytime she goes into a seizure and as everyone here knows, it's just heart-breaking to witness. I tried some BSM and virgin cocnut oil and she had a seizure that night. I know it's not long enough to tell if it helps or not, but with her tiny size I just don't want to put her through a million experiments. I definitely didn't want to put her on the seizure meds from the vets - again, with her tiny size, the damage they could do could far outweigh any benefits. So, anyway, after much research (and that's an understatement), I decided I wanted to keep it simple, clean and easy. I wanted organic food, NO rosemary, I wanted taurine and magnesium, etc. Raw would probably be a better way to go, but I have 4 dogs and not a ton of time/money. Not that Louise isn't worth it, she is, but like any diet (people or pets) I wanted something that I knew I could and would stick with.
So today, I picked up a bag of Potato and Venison New Balance dog food. It has everything I wanted for her and NO rosemary extract (that was tough to find). After reading a ton of positive reviews, I also ordered Dr. Ackerman's epilepsy/seizure control supplements. ! 0.00 on Amazon. I bought a small bag of New Balance dog treats too, again without the rosemary extract. I feel good about having made these changes. The Ackerman supplements won't arrive until next week sometime, but I really feel that the New Balance combined with Ackerman's supplements, we're going to finally see a decrease in her seizures. I'm also trying to give her bottled spring water but it's tough when the other 3 dogs drink it too.
One added note: Louise is 7 years old and because of her small size, I never had her spayed. I regret that now and may still do it as my intuition tells me that these seizures may even be hormonal triggered. She was in heat last Decemeber and she's in heat now - both times when the seizures really kicked in. I'll let you know in a few weeks if we had any success!
