- Following a diagnosis of epilepsy and depending on the underlying cause, your veterinarian may recommend medications to control seizures and help prevent further episodes, Barrack says. Western medications used to treat seizure disorder include diazepam, phenobarbital, and/or potassium bromide, among others. Phenobarbital administration in the long term can be detrimental to the liver, so dogs who receive it will need to have their liver values assessed with routine blood work.
- Two studies in people showed a 75% reduction in seizure activity after dry needle acupuncture ALONE (2). Another study in dogs found a 50% reduction in seizure severity after implantation of gold beads at acupoints (3). Numerous studies have and are currently being done on Chinese herbal formulas and seizures with very effective results (4,5,6,7). When starting alternative treatment for an epileptic pet, acupuncture treatments are recommended once monthly for 3 to 6 treatments, and then if patient is controlled, every 6 to 12 months as a maintenance preventative.
- If your dog has been diagnosed with epilepsy or has had seizures, it is an upsetting time. This article is designed to bring simplicity and clarity to the treatment of epilepsy, and discuss natural drug-free alternatives for epilepsy in dogs.
