Hello, CEO Olivia here. We have fingers & paws crossed because in 8 days I will be 2 months seizure free. This will be the longest I’ve gone since the house fire in April of 2016. My huMom thinks that giving me Melatonin around the full moon might be a contributing factor. That & the fact that things have been reasonably calm at home.

Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, which is located in the brain of mammals. It stabilizes our circadian rhythm, which is our awake/sleep cycle. When released into the body, it’s saying, “time to close down for the night”.

It has been used for years to calm reactive dogs during thunderstorms or if fireworks are going to be near by. It seems to help those dogs with audio anxieties (fear of loud noises) especially.

There has been research suggesting that dogs with epilepsy might not produce enough melatonin naturally which may contribute to seizure activity. It was this assumption that got my huMom interested in trying it for me.

When I have a grand mal seizure, it’s almost always at night or very early morning. The full moon appears to be a trigger for me as often the epi-monster attacks around that time. Over the past few months, for three days before the full moon until three days after, I am given 3mg of melatonin with my dinner.

I show few side effects from the melatonin, During the day I may be a bit wobbly but I’m also much calmer & at night huMom says my sleep is deeper.

Melatonin is common enough that you can find it at any drug store. It comes in various dosages, I take 3mg. It can also be purchased in liquid form & there are even dog treats. I would suggest starting with a low dosage at first, side effects may include peeing more, or the dreaded diarrhea if the dosage is too high. Please consult your vet if this is new to your good dog.

I’m curious if any of my fellow epi-warriors take melatonin too. If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

CEO Olivia ❤

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