CBD Oil for Dog Seizures: Four Ways it Helps Your Furry Friend
Oct 11, 2024
CBD is being used as a holistic treatment wide and far in humans – but what about your furry friend? Can you use CBD oil to help your pet like you currently use to help yourself? The answer is yes. Many are using CBD today to help treat conditions in their pets like:
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Seizures
CBD oil is safe to take for yourself, and the good news is it’s also safe for your dogs, too. So far, there are only a few minor side effects to your furry pals, which are rare and easy to spot. Plus, thanks to our free shipping and 30-day money-back guarantee, your lovely pupper can start to enjoy many of the CBD benefits.
Canine Epilepsy: An Introduction
Dog epilepsy, officially known as idiopathic epilepsy, affects approximately 5% of the canine population. Worse is the fact that around 1/3 of dogs with epilepsy don’t respond to standard epileptic medication. Of those that do, the side effects may be devastating and not worthwhile (like liver damage).
Dogs may also experience seizures due to:
- Electrolyte deficiencies
- Flea and tick medication (as an allergic reaction)
- Herbicides/pesticides
- Head injury
- And more
If your dog is one of them, then it’s only natural that you turn to alternative treatments, like CBD oil. CBD oil for dog seizures has shown a lot of promise, giving those poor pups with epilepsy a chance to experience fewer seizures and a better quality of life.
CBD oil is also very well tolerated by most dogs, with only mild side effects like vomiting or a reduced appetite, an issue (if you notice these symptoms, stop giving your pet CBD).
You can also try CBD oil without any risk thanks to our 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to see if CBD oil for dog seizures works for your pet.
Key Takeaways
- Around 5% of all dogs experience seizures
- 1/3 of epileptic dogs don’t respond to medication
- CBD oil shows promise in reducing seizure frequency
Four Ways CBD Oil Can Help Reduce Dog Seizures
Helps Maintain Homeostasis
All mammals (humans, dogs, and other warm-blooded creatures) have an endocannabinoid system. This network of receptors helps your dog regulate their bodily functions.
- Endocannabinoids are synthesized as your dog’s body needs them to maintain what’s known as homeostasis.
- Homeostasis simply means keeping their system stable and happy. It’s how you want your dog’s body to be.
- When a dog (or even a human) has epilepsy, the body’s homeostasis is interrupted.
CBD oil may help by working as a supplement. This is because CBD oil contains phytocannabinoids that can work as endocannabinoid replacements.
Helps Calm Overactive Neurons
There are two endocannabinoid receptors in your dog’s system. In the brain and nervous system, glands and organs, these are the CB1 receptors. Their little bodies use endocannabinoids to keep those critical systems healthy and working properly. If there’s insufficient or your dog’s ability to use those endocannabinoids is interrupted, then the nerves, brain cells, and organs can go into hyperactive gear.
Supplementing with CBD oil may be able to help restore balance by supplementing your dog’s body with phytocannabinoids. The theory behind CBD oil is that it works to help calm the overactive brain and nervous system.
Helps Boost the Immune System
Epilepsy can occur if your dog’s nervous system has been interrupted or even damaged due to illness. This is where the second endocannabinoid receptors come into play. These receptors, known as CB2, are found in the immune system. They may, therefore, help improve the immune system and, as a result, boost your dog’s nervous system.
Helps Reduce Brain Inflammation
Brain inflammation can cause seizures. CBD is naturally anti-inflammatory. Giving your dog CBD oil may help reduce seizures by reducing inflammation in their little brains (specifically by calming the GPR55 and TRPV1 receptors), so the only things getting their little brains working are treats, games, and a good old sniff.
Key Takeaways
- CBD oil may help reduce canine seizures by supporting their endocannabinoid system
- CBD oils might help calm overactive neurons by working with CB1 receptors
- CBD might help boost your dog’s immune system (which in turn may help reduce seizure-related attacks) by working with CB2 receptors
- CBD may help reduce inflammation by interacting with GPR55 and TRPV1 receptors
How to Give Your Dog CBD
There are many ways to give your dog CBD:
CBD Oil
One of the easiest ways to give your dog CBD is as an oil. CBD oil comes in a tincture, making it easy to provide similar doses. It’s recommended you give your dog a dose twice per day for best effects (this is also the dose frequency used during trials).
To help make it easier for your dog to accept, our specific CBD oil for pets contains MCT coconut oil and flavoring to make it delicious and enjoyable for your dogs. Just place the oil on their food during mealtime, and that’s it.
CBD Chews
We are also working on developing CBD chews so you can provide your dog with exact doses in a treat form.
The Science Behind CBD Oil for Dog Seizures
It isn’t just anecdotal evidence that shows CBD oil can help dogs with their seizures, either, thanks to a study funded by the AKC CHF.
In this study 39 epileptic dogs (from 14 different purebreds) were given either 2.5mg of CBD per KG (dog’s weight) twice per day, or placebo oil alongside their standard medication. Neither the owners nor the vets were not told which of the oils their dog was given.
They were given their oil (CBD or placebo) for three months, then no oils at all for one month, before swapping oils for a further three months.
During this period, 89% of dogs that were given the GBD oil experienced approximately 33% fewer seizures compared to those taking the placebo.
In another study that covered 51 different dogs, a 24.1% decrease in seizure days occurred with dogs who took the CBD, and a 5.8% increase occurred for those who didn’t. Currently, neither study shows a significant decrease (classified as 50% or more reduction in seizures).
CBD oil was also well tolerated by most dogs, and those who weren’t a good fit only saw mild symptoms such as vomiting or decreased appetite. This makes it easy for dog owners to determine whether CBD oil is a good fit for their dogs.
With the positive results from that study, another one is now underway at the Colorado State University with a $107,995 grant. This study, “A Dose Finding Study of Cannabidiol in Dogs with Idiopathic Epilepsy” concludes on March 31, 2025, and has been sponsored by many canine societies around the USA.
The goal of this second study is to determine what dose of oral CBD is most effective and able to help reduce the average number of seizures per month by 50% or more. The study will also investigate further into the safety and tolerability of CBD for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.
The researchers behind the study believe that CBD oil can reduce monthly seizures by 50% in at least half of the canine population living with idiopathic epilepsy.
Key Takeaways
- Studies show a positive correlation between CBD oil and decreasing monthly seizure averages
- Studies show positive results in over a dozen different dog breeds
- There has yet to be a “significant” decrease of over 50% or more reduction in symptoms with CBD oil, though studies continue
- CBD oil’s effectiveness is being further investigated at Colorado State University with a $100,000+ grant