Watching your dog have a seizure is a helpless feeling. What’s even more frustrating is that 30% of dogs that start anticonvulsant medications like Keppra or phenobarbital continue to have seizures. Some of these drugs can have debilitating side effects and can affect your dog’s quality of life. This leaves pet parents, like yourself, looking for alternatives to help bring your dog relief. In this article I am going to review natural approaches that may help reduce your dog’s seizure severity and increase the time in between seizures. It’s possible that some of these may even stop the seizures altogether.
Before we get started, I want to stress two important points. First, anticonvulsant medications play an important role in helping your pup. Seizures cause more seizures, so don’t forgo them altogether. I use them routinely in my practice in conjunction with alternative therapies. On occasion, I can control seizures without them, but this is case dependent. I usually start anticonvulsants with alternative therapies and then titrate down to the lowest effective dose.
Second, there is so much we don’t know about canine epilepsy. This is most likely why there is such a high treatment failure rate. What works for one dog may not work for another. They may even be affected by two different types of epilepsy.
Cannabis/CBD
I use CBD in my practice for many ailments including seizures. A recent study showed that dogs treated with CBD had a significant decrease in seizure frequency (1). In my practice, I use HempRx Forte for dogs with seizures. I start with 0.5 mg/kg on food twice daily. In this dosing chart, start on the higher end of the range. This can be increased up to 2 mg/kg twice daily or as needed. For more information about calculating a CBD dose, check out this article.
I recommend that you keep your dog on the previously prescribed anticonvulsants. Keep a journal of your dog’s seizure frequency and severity. If your dog remains seizure free for several months, discuss with your veterinarian the possibility of decreasing one of your pup’s anticonvulsant medications. I generally start with the most toxic anticonvulsant or the drug causing the most side effects. You can learn more about using CBD for your dog here.
Herbal Therapy
In my experience using Traditional Chinese herbal formulas such as Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin can help reduce seizure frequency and severity. The Gastrodia (Tian Ma) in this formula has been found to lessen seizure severity in mice (2). Other formulas such as Long Dan Xie Gan Tang and Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang can also be helpful. If possible work with a veterinarian in your area that is proficient in Chinese Herbal Therapy. You can visit IVAS or Chi Institute to find a practitioner near you.
Ketogenic Diet
This high fat, low protein and low carbohydrate diet has shown promise to decrease seizure severity and frequency in children (3). There have been a couple of studies investigating the use of a ketogenic diet in dogs with epilepsy with mixed results (4,5). You can read two case studies of dogs that used a ketogenic diet to gain relief here. This diet might provide relief for dogs that don’t respond well to anticonvulsant drugs.
There are a few drawbacks to this diet including the risk of causing pancreatitis in certain dogs and it’s low palatability. If you would like to try this diet for your dog, I recommend hiring a veterinary nutritionist to help you formulate a homemade version. Purina has also designed a diet for dogs with epilepsy. It is not low in carbohydrate and I have not used it in my practice. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment or question below!
With love,
I was looking through your products, always looking to find something for my dog and his seizures. He is a 99 pound dog. He’s been having seizures for the last three years. Started having them after receiving the leftover porosis vaccine within three days he started. Had them for months went from once a month rapidly went down to every two weeks and having cluster seizures every time he had them. Did research gave him belladonna. As the study had stated to do after three months, he had no more seizures. I had slowly taken him off the medicine as it reached the climax at about two months. Following year at the Vet, she convinced me that it was just a coincidence that seizures were not caused by the leptospirosis vaccine and convinced me to give it to him again. Right after he received it again within three days started having seizures. Months they come every seven days other months they come approximately every two weeks almost always he has 3 to 4 seizures within a 24 hour. Period.
He’s currently on a very high dose of hemp oil , tian ma , Cali bromide. Among many other supplements to protect his brain. I am at a loss and don’t know what else to do to help him.
Karla, this is so sad to hear. I’m sorry that you were not heard about your concerns around the leptospirosis vaccine and that your pup is experiencing seizures as a result. This must feel so hard. It soundsn like you are doing so many things right and being a great advocate for his care. If you’d like more support, Dr. Angie can help create a customized care plan with you. You can find time on her calendar by using this link. Hugs. JoJo, Veterinary Nurse
As you know our dog, Sadie, developed idiopathic seizures at age 2. She was started on phenobarbital which helped reduce her seizures to about every 11-13 days. We had rescue Valium which helped stop them. Eventually her liver enzymes became so elevated our vet switched her to Keppra 3 times a day. Her seizures were still about every 2 weeks. We added CBD from you and it helped reduce the severity and frequency (every 3-4 weeks). Gabapentin was added for pain and that helped. She is now on a combination of CBD twice a day, extended release Keppra once a day and Gabapentin 2 times a day and her seizures are every 3 to 4 months!!!!! She is 15 and doing great. Thank you for all you do and all the articles and information you provide!!
Mary! This is AMAZING news! OMGOSH!
Yay! Thank you so much for updating us with this amazing news and definitely keep us posted.
Big hugs,
Claire
This is great information, but I was really hoping you’d be addressing seizures in cats also, as it is prevalent with them as well. My cat Max started having seizures out of the blue about a month ago and I am trying to find out as much as I can about treatments.
Hi Marguerite,
Such a good point. We absolutely NEVER like to leave cats out of the equation when discussing treatments for common ailments and diseases.
Are you signed up for Dr. Angie’s newsletter? She is actually holding a live (free) talk tomorrow to discuss her holistic approach to seizures in both cats and dogs. Will you be able to join? Here is our sign up sheet. If you can’t join, you will still get a replay of the talk! I have a feeling a LOT of cat parents will be present!
Warmly,
Claire