diets & Seizures
DOES DIET MATTER?
This part of science is still evolving. There are sporadic reports of food allergies triggering seizures in people- this has not been reported in dogs. Very rarely one of our pet parents will tell us their dog’s seizures will seem better on a different food. However, there isn’t a specific ingredient to avoid, nor a type of food that seems to result in more seizures.
There is, however, a diet that has been shown to reduce seizures in dogs. Ketogenic diets have been used in epilepsy treatment in people since the 1920s. Until relatively recently though it was difficult to replicate that success in dogs. A food made by Purina called NeuroCare that works on this ketogenic diet theory. In a landmark study, 71% of dogs placed on this diet had a reduction in the number of seizures they experienced, and 14% of dogs stopped having seizures entirely. So unless your pet has food sensitivities, this diet is worth a try.
Practically, there are some things that may prevent this being a good fit for your pet. For this diet to be effective, it must be 90% or greater of your pet’s calories. This means your pet cannot really have any treats or people food other than what is used to give them medication. The diet is available only by prescription, making it more difficult to get and more costly than other diets. Finally, we have found that some dogs simply don’t like it, and refuse to eat it. Picky eaters may not be a good fit.
We are happy to chat with you at your appointment to see if this diet is a good fit for your pet.
What about Grain Free Diets?
Grain free diets became popular for pets in the early 2000s, about the same time as the paleo diet became popular for humans. Since that time they have been touted to be the cure for anything that ail’s your dog. However, these claims have yet to be confirmed by science.
It’s understandable that people would think that a grain-free diet might help their pet’s seizures. Grains are a source of carbohydrates, which are limited in ketogenic diets for people. However, it’s not quite that simple in dogs. In fact, the first time that a ketogenic diet was tried in epileptic dogs it simply did not work. Just removing carbohydrates was not enough to induce ketosis and help prevent those dogs from seizuring. It was until a very specific blend of fats, called medium chain triglycerides, were used that dog’s achieved ketosis and showed benefits in their seizures. The over the shelf grain free diets available to pet owners are simply not forumlated in a way to achieve ketosis, and therefore they are unlikely to be helpful in controlling a dog’s seizures.
Unfortunately, we have found a link between some grain free diets and a serious and often fatal heart condition called Dialated Cardiomyopathy or DCM. This link likely has to do with the amount of legumes (peas, lentils) in these diets, and an important nutrient called taurine. A research paper in 2022 showed that dogs on grain free diets had evidence of damage to their heart even when they did not yet have DCM. You can learn more about the ongoing investigation in to this link at the FDA’s website. Because of this association, we do not recommend grain free diets or diets heavy in legumes for our patients.
What about Raw Food?
Raw food diets became popular in pets in the early 2000s. Pet owners on these diet often express a desire to feed their pet something more natural and organic than processed pet food. While this is an understandable desire, feeding meat products raw is a serious health hazard to not just your pet, but also the people in your household. There have been numerous studies showing that raw food diets are often contaminated with dangerous bacteria and pets themselves as well as the environments they live in become contaminated as well. Unfortunately raw food pet diets have been known to cause illness in people who are exposed to pet’s on these diet. For instance, Salmonella contaminated raw dried dog treats have been responsible for more than 150 cases of illness in people. Some of these diets have also shown to be nutritionally incomplete, which can lead to serious diseases in your pet. Finally, in our practice we have seen an increasing number of patient with a brain parasite found in raw meat, and we are concerned that commercially available raw diets may be the source.
Given all of these factors, we do not recommend raw food diets. If pet parents wish to feed a less processed diet to their pets, we recommend a diet called Just Food for Dogs, which is a fresh food, cooked diet that has been formulated with veterinarians to keep pets healthy. If pet owners have a raw food diet that they feel there pet does well on, we recommend cooking the diet before feeding it to your pet to help prevent health hazards.
Contact Us:
Mon \ Fri: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Sat: by appointment only
Phone: (415)967-3303
Email: frontdesk@remedyvets.com
