Canine Seizure Remedies

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Overview

There are quite a few causes of seizures in dogs, from poisoning to brain tumors, and it is important to get a proper diagnosis to find out and treat the underlying cause.

To control seizures, anticonvulsant drugs (such as phenobarbital) are often prescribed. But these drugs usually come with side effects. In particular, long-term use of phenobarbital is known to cause liver damage in dogs.

If your dog is being treated for seizures, and you want to use some natural canine seizure remedies to complement the treatment, this page is for you!

Please note, however, that natural remedies cannot be used to replace conventional medications, especially without consultation with a holistic vet. However, if used appropriately, remedies can complement conventional drugs, so that the dog patient can have a reduced dosage of the drugs.

So what are some natural remedies for seizures in dogs? Let's take a look.

Managing Canine Seizures By Diet

There are a lot of anecdotal reports from holistic vets and dog parents that feeding epileptic dogs a natural, high-quality, protein-based, grain-free, home-cooked diet can make a difference.

In particular, dogs suffering from idiopathic epilepsy (seizures with no known cause) may benefit from a diet that is gluten-, dairy-, soy-, and corn-free. (See this page for more information.)

If you are unable to feed your dog a homemade diet, pay attention and read the dog food and dog treat labels carefully to make sure that food items that may be problematic to epileptic dogs are not in the foods or treats.

For example, many dog foods now use natural preservatives such as rosemary and sage extracts - these are known to be able to trigger seizures in some dogs.

You may also want to feed your dog smaller meals 3-4 times a day to keep his blood sugar stable, since low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is one cause of canine seizures, especially in small breed dogs.

Vitamins and Supplements for Dogs with Seizures

In addition to a natural diet, daily doses of vitamins and supplements that are beneficial to the nervous system are good canine seizure remedies that should be fed to an epileptic dog.

Vitamins B1 and B6

Vitamin B1 is essential for helping brain function, and B6 is also important for the nerves. If you have an epileptic dog, it is a good idea to give your dog a B complex supplement daily.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which can help dogs with issues such as epilepsy.

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids (fish oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, or borage oil) can reduce inflammation and degeneration of brain tissue.

Gelatin

According to Canine Epilepsy Guardian Angels (www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com), gelatin has brain-protective and anti-inflammatory properties and can protect a dog aganist seizures and brain damages.

Recommended "dosage" (twice daily):

• 10-25 pounds: 0.5 teaspoon
• 25-50 pounds: 1 teaspoon
• 50-75 pounds: 2 teaspoons
• 75-100+ pound: 1 tablespoon

You can simply sprinkle the powdered gelatin on your dog's food. You can also put the gelatin in your dog's chicken soup or bone broth, or even make "gummy bears" for your dog!

Be sure to use unflavored gelatin only, not Jello or other sugar-added dessert-type gelatins.

Amino acids

The amino acids L-taurine and L-tyrosine can increase the resistance to seizures. The amino acid L-tryptohpan can soothe the brain and is therefore beneficial for dogs with seizures.

Dimethylglycine (DMG)

DMG is a compound that is produced naturally in both humans and animals. It forms an intricate part of animal and human metabolism. It also has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fugal properties. In animals, DMG also has anti-seizure effects.

Herbal Remedies for Canine Seizures

Dogs prone to seizures are usually emotionally sensitive. Tension, stress, sudden stimulation or over-excitement can trigger an episode of seizure in these dogs. Herbs that have calming effects can be used to help dogs prone to seizures.

Here are some useful herbs to help dogs suffering from seizures:

• Skullcap: Skullcap is a nervine and is effective in moderating overactive synaptic activities in those parts of the brain where seizure episodes are triggered.
• Passion flower: Passion flower is an herb that is frequently being used to soothe the nerves and support the nervous system.
• Valerian: Valerian has stress-relieving effects and is often used to reduce overexcitability, tension and anxiety. It soothes the nerves and relaxes the patient.
• Hemp: Research on CBD hemp oil on controlling seizures looks promising. Hemp also has a calming effect on the nervous system. Many dog parents have reported positive results after using hemp oil on their epileptic dogs. Read this page for more information on hemp oil.

Other herbs that have a calming effect and are beneficial to the nervous system include St.-John's Wort, Oat, and Chamomile.

Flower Essences for Canine Seizures

Flower essences work very well on dogs and cats at an emotional level as these remedies were developed to deal with emotional disturbances. They help balance the emotional attitudes of your pet, and can in turn heal the body for physical problems such as seizures.

Check out this flower essence product (Affiliate link):

Bach Rescue Remedy can dramatically calm an anxious, scared, or excited dog. Immediately before or during an epileptic episode, try rubbing a few drops of Bach's Rescue Remedy on the dog's ears. This will sometimes moderate the seizure and calm the dog.

Other Dog Seizure Treatments

In addition to the seizure remedies mentioned in previous sections, here are some more complementary treatments that you may want to look into if your dog suffers from seizures:

• Acupuncture/Acupressure: Many dog parents have reported positive results upon treating their epileptic dogs with acupuncture and/or acupressure.

  Since acupuncture is invasive, be sure to find a trained, certified veterinary acupuncturist if you decide to give this treatment a try.

  On the other hand, acupressure can be given to dogs by their owners during an epileptic attack, which can help stop the fit and bring the dog out of a seizure.

  The acupressure point is immediately below the nostrils - where the nose meets the upper lip (if you have an acupressure chart, the point is GV26). Use your thumb to press and hold that point for about one minute during a seizure.

  You can also give your dog acupressure treatments on a regular basis in order to lessen the frequency and severity of future fits. See this article for more information.

• Melatonin: While researching this topic, I came across several articles that mentioned using melatonin for canine seizures, especially for seizures that happen at night time and early morning (between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.).

  Usually melatonin is produced by the body (at night time), but sometimes for some reasons (e.g. aging), the body does not produce enough melatonin and this can result in certain symptoms, such as restlessness, depression, and so on.

  Some dog parents have reported positive results in the use of melatonin to control canine seizures that happen at night.

  Melatonin can be purchased from many health food stores or online. Recommended dosage is 3 mg for a 35-100 lb dog.

• Ocular Compression (OC): This is another treatment that I came across while researching the topic of canine seizure remedies. I am not sure how effective it is, but just wanted to include this here if you ever want to research more.

  Simply put, this OC technique is just to apply pressure on one or both eyes, while the dog is having a seizure, or just before the fit comes on.

  This pressure stimulates one of the cranial nerves (Vagus Nerve). This causes GABA to be released into the brain. GABA is a "chemical messenger" (an inhibitory neurotransmitter) that decreases brain activities that have gone out of control.

  Some dog parents who have used this OC technique have seen shorter seizure attacks and fewer post-seizure adverse effects (e.g. confusion, disorientation).

  A word of warning: Since pressure has to be put on the dog's eyes, this technique should NOT be used on dogs with eye problems (e.g. glaucoma).

References
C.J. Puotinen, Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats (Keats Publishing, 1999).
M.L. Wulff-Tilford and G.L. Tilford, Herbs for Pets (Bowtie Press, 1999).
D. Hamilton, Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs (North Atlantic Books, 1999).
W.J. Dodds, D.R. Laverdue, Canine Nutrigenomics - The New Science of Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health (Dogwise Publishing, 2015).
Canine Epilepsy Guardian Angels (www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com).