Life happens when you least expect it. We have 5 small dogs ranging from 5 to 15 pounds. All healthy and thriving. One evening one of the older dogs, Tinkles, who is about 13, was acting strange. He was bumping into the wall and having difficulty walking. I realized he was having a seizure! I immediately called out to my husband as I grabbed the dog to hold him. We knew to grab the Frankincense essential oil https://doterra.me/n89cT7db. I did three things with the Frankincense.

1) allowed the dog to smell the Frankincense.

2) 1 drop on the top of his head.

3) Frankincense on my figure and swipe it on the inside of his bottom lip.

We are a natural remedies household and Frankincense saved the day. I couldn’t believe that after five minutes we had a happy bouncing dog again! A few weeks later Tinkles experienced another seizure. We decided to add Frankincense to his daily diet. We ruled out his food being a problem since there had not been any changes. We added Frankincense to his diet for 3 months and to date he hasn’t had any seizures.

My brand of choice is dōTERRA essential oils for purity. Tested to be pure without harmful additives https://aromaticplant.org/. Fortunately, I immediately knew what to do. Why Frankincense? Frankincense is known for its Neurological healing properties. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6556313/ . Was this seizure Neurological? It’s hard to say. Now that you know our story, let’s look at what or why seizures may occur.

There are many conditions that can cause seizures. Veterinarians often will classify seizures as either intracranial (cause is within the brain) or extracranial (cause is outside the brain). Common diseases that could cause seizures include:

• Idiopathic epilepsy, or seizures with no identifiable cause. Idiopathic epilepsy is one of the most common causes of seizure in dogs and cats. Originally thought to be most common in young animals, we now know it can affect older animals as well.  With treatment, many pets with idiopathic epilepsy live long, healthy and happy lives.
• Structural epilepsy is caused by an identified problem, such as a brain tumor, brain infection or trauma. It is important to rule out all causes of structural seizures before making a diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy.
• Hypoglycemia can cause seizures if blood glucose dips to very low levels
• Liver disease can occasionally cause seizures.
• Other neurologic diseases, orthopedic problems and heart disease can cause collapse episodes that may appear to be a seizure but are not.

What are the stages of seizure?

A seizure has two or three phases

• Prodrome – a long-term (hours to days) change in behavior that precedes a seizure but is rarely identified in animals
• Ictus – the seizure activity itself
• Postictal phase – the period where the brain restores normal function

How are seizures treated?

• Treatment of any underlying problems often resolves seizure disorders. For treatment of idiopathic epilepsy, many treatment options exist, including medication and diet changes. Other factors to consider when choosing the best treatment strategy include cost, severity of seizure activity, frequency of seizure activity, and the emotional challenges of caring for an epileptic pet. 
• If your pet is diagnosed with a seizure disorder, it’s best to work with your family’s veterinarian to decide what diagnostic tests and treatment options are best for you and your pet. If you need to leave your pet at home for any length of time, recording devices, from baby monitors to cameras linked to your phone, are valuable tools to help track your pet’s seizure activity. This data also helps your veterinarian gauge if your pet is responding to treatment.
• If you want a more natural approach, work with Veterinarians who are familiar with essential oils or other natural options. Or simply ask. https://www.doterra.com/US/en/veterinarian-advisory-board. When using essential oils, use caution, and small amounts with a carrier oil. Suggested use is the same as a child. Essential oils can have harmful additives. Know where your essential oils are coming from. Trust the source that is providing the essential oil. Never use essential oils in the eye, down the ear. Always consult a Veterinarian first if you are not familier with essential oil use. There are do’s and don’ts. Use caution with hot essential oils like Cassia, Cinnamon, Clove, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme. Avoid Tea Tree and Wintergreen with dogs. For cats avoid Basil, Bergamot, Birch, Cinnamon, Clove, Dill, Fennel, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Tee Tree, Orange, Oregano, Peppermint, Thyme, Rosemary Spearmint, Tangerine, Wintergreen. If for any reason you do use these oils on you pet, please don’t panic. Especially if you're using dōTERRA. Consult you Veterinarian. There are also Medical & Health precautions as well.

*This has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These protocols are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.