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It's no exaggeration to say CBD has transformed my life. It helped my health, and it helped my dog, Biscuit, who suffered from arthritis, live the rest of her long life as comfortably and actively as possible. Not only has CBD helped me, my pet, and the pets of my family and friends, but CBD has shown a light of hope into the lives of thousands of other pet parents.
CBD has been shown to help animals with many ailments, including anxiety, pain, and seizures. I read a new study practically every day expounding on the myriad benefits of it. In my journey to learning more about the natural wonders of CBD, I've educated my followers along the way, letting them know that CBD has legitimate and proven uses. In turn, my customers send me testimonials that keep me going every day.
I spoke to Darlene on the phone about whether or not CBD oil would help her dog, and I'm glad she gave it a go because, thanks to CBD, Myrna is now living the life she was meant to. Below, you can read Darlene's full testimonial about Myrna and the full background on CBD oil for dogs, including why and how it can work.
CBD For Seizures - Myrna's Story
"My poodle Myrna [pictured above] suddenly started experiencing seizures when she was about 5. Up to that point, she'd been a funny, smart dog that regularly took her leash in her mouth and danced up to me as if saying, 'Hey, I have a fun idea; let's go for a walk!"
"To tell you the fear and anxiety I felt when watching my baby seize for the first time is something I don't even want to describe fully. But it must have been worse for her. The look in her eyes and her anxious panting spoke volumes that she couldn't say. I rushed her to the vet, who took a 'wait and see' approach. Soon after, she experienced more seizures, and the vet prescribed phenobarbital, which seemed to help but also changed Myrna into a sedentary couch potato. I wanted Myrna to be herself and ALSO not to have seizures. That's when I started looking for natural, holistic alternatives and found Relievet CBD Oil.”
"I started cautiously dosing her and weaning her down on phenobarbital with my vet's supervision. Now she's on a low dose of phenobarbital and a good dose of CBD, and she hasn't had any seizures in months! But more importantly, thanks to the natural medicine of CBD, she's herself again. Back to her old tricks, bringing me her leash and toys to tell me it's time to go on a walk or play. I'm glad I chose Relievet to help my baby because they helped me with any questions I had every step of the way. The relief I have over not worrying over Myrna makes me so happy I chose to try the natural approach."
Here are some other pet parents whose dogs' seizures were helped by Relievet CBD:
How Does CBD Oil Help Dogs With Seizures?
When a dog has a seizure, its brain is bursting with electrical activity that interferes with it's normal functions. Various factors, including inflammation and immune response, can cause these episodes. In 2017, researchers clarified that inflammation and immune reactions could cause seizures.
CBD operates with the ECS (endocannabinoid system). The ECS is the primary driver of immune system balance and homeostasis.
Peter Grinspoon, MD, writes that the ECS regulates and controls many of our most critical bodily functions, such as inflammatory and immune responses.
Scientists do not fully understand how CBD works with the ECS receptors, but they believe activating specific receptors (CB1) may help stop seizures. Seizure reduction may happen because CBD helps calm overactive neurons. Additionally, CBD is believed to help protect brain cells against damage caused by a seizure.
According to Dr. Matthew Miller, DVM, for CBD to positively affect seizures, it needs to be taken in conjunction with traditional anti-seizure medications.
Does CBD Oil Stop Seizures: What The Research Says
The study mentioned before focused on 26 dogs with epilepsy. The researchers split the dogs into CBD oil and placebo groups. After 12 weeks of treatment, the CBD group showed a significant reduction in seizure frequency compared to the other group. The lead researcher said overall, CBD oil shows great promise. The researchers found that the higher the level of CBD, the fewer seizures occur, meaning that getting an effective dose of CBD is critical. We'll talk more about CBD dosage for dogs with seizures later.
A US survey of 19 parents, 12 of whom had children with severe epilepsy, explored the use of CBD for treatment-resistant epilepsy. 53% reported an 80% reduction in seizure frequency, and 11% of children were seizure-free during a 3-month trial. Among the 12 patients with severe epilepsy, 42% reported an 80% seizure reduction.
In 2020, The American Epilepsy Society officially confirmed CBD helps reduce epileptic seizures. Their medical trials displayed that CBD was more effective than a placebo.
An article in the Neurobiology of Disease journal concluded the data from research says that the ECS plays an active role in seizure termination.
These studies defend the benefits of CBD oil and its effect on seizures. Several other studies about CBD and other parts of the hemp plant discuss a possible entourage effect for even more significant benefits.
The FDA, which approved Epidiolex in 2018 to treat two types of epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, is further bolstering the case for CBD's influence on seizures.
CBD For Grand Mal Seizures
Grand mal seizures in dogs are alarming because of a loss of consciousness and the uncontrolled movement they may cause. Grand mal is just another word for a prolonged or severe seizure. There is some evidence supporting CBD oil for Grand Mal seizures. The most extensive study included 162 people treated with CBD oil for 12 weeks. Five patients saw motor seizures disappear entirely, and two patients became seizure-free. However, the FDA requires large-scale clinical studies (tens of thousands of test subjects) to deem effective or ineffective medication.
The good news is that more CBD studies are coming, giving us additional information regarding CBD and seizures and refining dosage amounts.
CBD Dosage For Dog Seizures
While working with your vet if your dog suffers from seizures is essential, we suggest 1-2mg kg twice daily with CBD oils absorbed in the mouth or 3-6mg/kg if you use CBD dog treats or oils placed in food. We suggest a higher dose for treats or oils placed on food and swallowed, as CBD is not absorbed as efficiently through digestion. However our treats are made to account for this and can be given more conveniently.
Calculating exactly how much CBD to give your dog is easy if you use a dosage calculator.
Relievet CBD oils and treats provide weight-based doses of CBD for dogs up to 200 lbs, with dosage tables printed on the product. You can also quickly determine which product to choose and how long it will last using the dosage calculators on the CBD oil or treats pages.
Possible Side Effects
Most dogs won't encounter any side effects using Broad Spectrum CBD products. If they do, they will be reversible by simply reducing the dose. These are some possible side effects:
- diarrhea
- drowsiness
- increased liver enzymes
- lowered blood pressure
Where To Buy
When shopping online, you can utilize a dosage calculator to help you find an effective CBD product for your dog's weight. You can also quickly check lab results to ensure the product contains the labeled amount of CBD.
If you are purchasing in a retail store, speak with an expert who can help ensure you get an effective dose of CBD for your dog's weight.
References
- https://veterinaryemergencygroup.com/blog/dog-seizures/
- https://www.greensboro.carolinavet.com/site/greensboro-specialty-veterinary-blog/2020/06/10/what-causes-seizures-in-dogs
- https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-oil-for-seizures
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cannabis-oil-for-seizures
- https://www.frontiersin.org
- https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/cannabis-oil-dogs-everything-you-need-know
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- https://www.aaha.org
- https://cvmbs.source.colostate.edu
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- https://www.dravetfoundation.org/what-is-dravet-syndrome/?gclid=CjwKCAiA78aNBhAlEiwA7B76p1pWr89stGH5mLW4nkfAfrTy6Ol8nCmDwmPcV1Aqoe7f63kt-I0OeBoCSjUQAvD_BwE
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319528
- https://cms.aesnet.org
- https://www.health.harvard.edu
- https://publications.aap.org
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
