Recently, many dog owners have turned to CBD oil for dogs with seizures. And for a good reason, clinical studies have proven that hemp oil can reduce seizures in dogs. High-quality CBD oil can be an effective treatment for dogs that suffer from seizures. 

But what causes seizures for dogs, and do you need different doses of CBD for different types of attacks? We’ll examine the various causes of dog seizures and how to dose CBD oil to treat dog seizures properly.

What are Seizures in Dogs?

Seizures in dogs are sudden, uncontrollable, and involuntary electrical brain activity, which alters your dog’s consciousness. Depending on where the seizure occurs in the dog’s brain will determine how the dog will manifest signs and symptoms. 

Common signs of a seizure in dogs are:

• Loss of muscle control
• Unconsciousness
• Kicking or pedaling
• Twitching or rigid stiffness
• Abnormal barking or noises
• Chomping and licking
• Foaming at the mouth
• Loss of bowel and bladder control

Generally, a seizure is not a disease but a symptom of something that is not working right in the body or brain. Depending on your dog’s condition, the seizure can be mild or severe. The American Kennel Club reports that about 5% of dogs suffer from seizures regularly.

If your dog experiences a seizure, you should contact your veterinarian immediately to diagnose the cause.

What Causes Seizures in Dogs?

Several factors can causes seizures in dogs. Some of the more common causes are:

• Severe trauma or accident that causes brain injury
• Idiopathic Epilepsy
• Genetic conditions
• Brain infections
• Brain tumors
• Inflammatory disorders
• Low blood sugar
• Liver failure and other metabolic conditions
• Hormonal disorders
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Ingesting toxins

Because such a wide variety of accidental or hereditary issues can cause seizures, it is best to have a veterinarian examine your dog to determine the underlining conditions. Once diagnosed, your vet will be able to prescribe a safe and appropriate treatment option.

Related Link: Organic Dog Food? Our Thoughts

What Are Different Types of Seizures in Dogs?

When your dog experiences a seizure, it can be unsettling and disturbing to the dog’s owner. By understanding the different types of seizures in dogs, you’ll be able to assess how best to help and treat your dog.

Generalized

The most common type of seizure in dogs, a generalized seizure, happens on both sides of the brain and affects the whole body. A generalized seizure can last for a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the severity. 

Your dog may lose consciousness and convulse uncontrollably. This may cause them to lose bladder and bowel control and foam at the mouth, chomp, bark, or whine. Your dog’s breathing may also become very uneven.

Tonic

A tonic seizure occurs when the dog’s body or limps become stiff or tense very suddenly. A tonic seizure will occur in most of the brain, which will affect the whole body, and usually, the dog will drop to the ground. Your dog should remain conscious and may make strange noises. Tonic seizures typically last less than a minute.

Tonic-Clonic

A Tonic-clonic seizure happens in two phases. The first phase will be a tonic seizure, which will cause your dog’s body and limps to become stiff and rigid. During the second phase, the dog will experience a clonic seizure where the dog may lose consciousness, and the dog’s limbs will jerk and convulse rapidly. 

A tonic-clonic seizure can last for a few minutes and may cause your dog to lose bowel and bladder control. If the episode lasts longer than five minutes, you should contact your vet immediately.

Atonic

A milder seizure, atonic seizures may affect all or part of the dog’s body. An atonic seizure causes your dog’s body to become limp suddenly. Your dog’s head or body may drop to the ground. The limpness should only last less than thirty seconds. 

Myoclonic

Often mistaken for tics, myoclonic seizures are sudden, rapid muscle contractions that only last a few seconds. While less severe, myoclonic episodes can be a symptom of a bigger problem. If your dog experiences these types of seizures regularly, you may want to see your vet.

Does your dog suffer from joint pain? You may want to try naturally-formulated CBD dog treats for joint pain and mobility.

Related Link: CBD Dog Joint + Mobility Bundle

Focal seizure

Focal seizures only affect a half or part of the brain. This type of abnormal electrical brain activity can create a wide range of symptoms depending on the part of the brain it occurs. The most common sign is twitching on one side of the body that only lasts a few seconds. If left untreated, focal seizures can lead to generalized seizures.

Partial seizure

Difficult to diagnose, partial seizures affect dog behavior. Depending on how it affects the dog’s brain, the dog’s conduct may be altered by:

• Barking at random objects
• Suddenly stopping an activity
• Looking or staring blankly

The dog’s absent-minded behavior only lasts a few seconds, which is why it may be dismissed as odd behavior. If your dog repeatedly has episodes of the same bizarre behavior, it may be a partial seizure.

Cluster

Cluster seizures are two or more seizures that occur within 24 hours. Often the dog will suffer several episodes within a short timeframe. Your dog may be conscious between seizures, which is the main difference between cluster seizures and status epilepticus.

Status Epilepticus

Status epilepticus occurs when your dog’s seizure lasts more than five minutes, or your dog fails to regain consciousness between seizures. If your dog experiences a status epilepticus seizure, you should contact your vet immediately because this type of attack is very dangerous. 

To prevent status epilepticus, many dog owners supplement their dog’s diet with cannabis oil for dogs with epilepsy. You should talk to your vet to see if CBD oil for dogs may help your dog.

What to Do if Your Dog Has a Seizure

Watching your dog have a seizure can be frightening, disturbing, and heartbreaking. When your dog has an episode, there are several things you can do to help your dog and monitor your dog:

• Do not hold your dog or try to restrain them. Often, owners can be bit because the dog is not in control.
• Instead, clear the area around your dog of anything dangerous to your dog during their seizure, especially objects with sharp corners. If you have other pets, keep them clear of the dog having the seizure.
• Take note of the time and duration of the seizure and write it down. If your dog experiences several seizures, you’ll want to have an accurate record to share with your vet.
• Speak calmly to your dog to comfort them during the seizure. 
• Have a towel ready to clean up if your dog involuntarily loses control of their bladder or bowels. 
• Once the seizure ends, you can cradle your dog using pillows and blankets. They will need to rest.
• Once they are more alert, you can give your dog some water for hydration.

How to Treat a Dog With Seizures

If your dog experiences frequent seizures, or the seizure lasts more than two minutes, you’ll want to take your dog to the vet. The veterinarian can accurately diagnose the type of attack and prescribe a care plan that may include prescription medication. But these medications are only prescribed for severe or reoccurring seizures.

For dogs that experience frequent seizures, there may be an alternative to prescription medication.

CBD Oil for Dogs with Seizures

Many dog owners have turned to CBD oil for dogs with seizures because 89% of dogs saw a reduction in seizure frequency during clinical studies. Although these studies are very promising, CBD oil has not been approved by the FDA. Because of this, dog owners should be cautious about using CBD oil for dogs.

Not all CBD oil for dogs with seizures is of the best quality. You should research the best CBD oil for dog seizures and read reviews. Penelope’s Bloom offers the highest quality, all-natural ingredients CBD oil tincture for dogs that is easy to administer and is third-party lab tested for safety and effectiveness.

CBD Oil Dosage for Dog Seizures

Knowing the right CBD oil dosage for dog seizures is directly related to your dog’s size and weight. To determine how much CBD oil you should give to your dog for seizures, you can use this general metric:

• Less than 30 lbs dog: 1 full dropper of 250 mg CBD oil
• 30-90 lbs dog: 1 full dropper of 500 mg CBD oil
• 90-120 lbs dog: 1 full dropper of 750 mg CBD oil
• 120-180 lbs dog: 1 full dropper of 1000 mg CBD oil

While this is a general guideline, you should talk to your vet about CBD oil and the proper dosage for your dog’s weight and size.

Bottom Line

It is a difficult thing to deal with a dog who suffers from frequent seizures. You want to help your dog and minimize these awful episodes. To best help your dog, make sure to record the duration, symptoms, and effects of every seizure. Then talk to your veterinarian about the best treatment options.

You may find that CBD oil is a natural, holistic approach to helping your dog manage the frequency of seizures. Penelope’s Bloom offers some of the highest quality, eco-conscious CBD oil for dogs tinctures and treats.

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Related Link: Penelope’s Bloom Story