Epilepsy and Dog Food

by Jodie Poole
(Uk)

Hi,

My dog has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy.
He is a 17 month old Cocker Spaniel.
He has been put on Phenabarbatone and recently Keppra as Phenabarbatone didn't seem to be working.

However he had a fit yesterday so we are a little loose end, I was wondering if we could change his diet to help him at all. I have been reading Grain Free foods are a good option and can help with the control of seizures.
Home cooked food is also a good idea, but working full time I will find this very difficult.
He has treats and titbits at the moment that are usually meat sticks ect.

I am looking for any advise on ways we can help reduce his seizures through his diet.
If you have any advise it would be greatly received.

Also as we live in the UK is there any good food brands you can recommend?

Thanks

Jodie Poole

My Comment:

Hi

I am not that familiar with the drug called Keppra.

I use Phenobarbital most of the time treating epilepsy. This drug is know for side effects on the liver so getting alternatives is positive.

Keppra does not have any side effects on the liver. I shouldn't therefore be necessary to give any "liver dog food". This is my normal advice but mostly because of the phenobarbital adverse reactions on the liver.

As you are writing nothing about the cause of the epilepsy I suspect that the cause is unknown.

EP can be caused by many different reasons. In general in younger animals I would always think of portohepatic shunts. But they would also very often cause other symptoms as well.

So it might well be that the cause is unknown.

Diet would always be directed to a know cause or against side effects caused by the medicine.

As long this is unknown I can't really tell you what to give. If grain free diets is better really have to be tested and you have to see what you think is best. The prov grain free diets might be better is to my knowledge based on personal experiences. In some patients there might certainly be this link - but you have to try.

And grain free diets is often (not always) of better quality so it is certainly no bad thing to use.

I don't know exactly what brands of grain free dog foods is available in UK but Orijen from Canada is possible to buy in many countries. I have found the UK homepage so try to see if this is a brand you like to.

Orijen UK

All the best

Per Schonbeck