Dogs with epilepsy...help

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

To those of you who have or have experience of epilepsy in dogs, which foods do you use and have you seen any improvement in seizure frequency?

[D0oinMeCleanin]

BARF is thought to help reduce seizures. Avoid Bakers, there is some anecdotal evidence that the colourings in it can actually cause canine epilepsy.

I would be looking for the highest quality, natural, grain free diet that I could afford.

BARF, Nature Diet, Orijen etc.

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

Oh no he has bakers, the meaty chunks one?

Keep trying to speak to the vet about foods but she just doesn't seem interested!

Off to google above foods BARF makes me feel a bit queasy

[Lonecatwithkitten]

As Dooin says there is anecdotal evidence about colourings causing seizures and in children the neuros remove all artificial colourings and flavourings from the diet.
I my experience (and boy have I had a lot of epileptics on Bakers) changing to any food that does not contain these bad boys can significantly reduce the number of seizures. Of the Commercial diets Orijen, Nature diet and Arden Grange all seem to have been good choices.
I always tell my clients with new epileptics that the first 6 months is a rollercoaster ride till me get the right combination of drugs etc, but to belt up as the ride is worth it in the end.

[SauvignonBlanche]

Oh fuck, I've just bought 2 big bags of Bakers as it was on special offer. I didn't know it was all funny colours!
He's on the second bag no with no ill effects.

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

Just had another chat with the vet. Both of chestyDogs meds (pheno + libromide are in range) he had 6 fits over weekend

Also not keen on bakers but recommended Chappie as has few additives, do mah try that before moving onto nature diet etc if Cheaper food fails.

Fingers crossed it reduces frequency.

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

PS thanks for advice, any is very welcome

[SauvignonBlanche]

Sorry to hear that OP, it must be distressing.

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

It's the uncertainty that's the worse IYSWIM?
He tends to have clusters of seizures.

[SauvignonBlanche]

We've had our rescue dog for a couple of months now, he hasn't had a seizure yet. If he has one one, I'll feel bad.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Another alternative that is cheaper is Dr John's Pet Supermarket have it currently for £13.75 for a 15kg bag which actually makes it cheaper than Bakers tat.

[OwlLady]

do you know this amazes my because my daughter (who has severe sn) developed epilepsy, not through diet, but was prescribed epilim liquid was which was BRIGHT RED and littered with E numbers and the dr refused to believe it had affected her behaviour I forced them to change to a different medium of it but they all acted like i was barking

sorry this is rathe off topic but we have always used chappie and had healthy dogs

[SauvignonBlanche]

Forgive me, I'm a new dog owner, I didn't know.
DD says she likes it because of the 'pretty colours'!

[SauvignonBlanche]

That's crazy, isn't it? The sugar free epilim is clear.

[JemimaPuddle]

I already fed a food with no added colours etc - Harringtons, you can now get it in Tesco, asda & wilkinsons.
They do tend to have fits in clusters but once you have the medication at the right level it really helps.
Also watch for any patterns in case there is an external trigger. There wasn't in my dogs case but my vet told me of a client where it turned out the next door neighbours alarm was triggering a fit at the same time each day.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Do you keep a seizure diary recording what you did that day? What you were doing when the seizure happened and how long it lasted?
Dog's like people do have triggers. I have one patient who only seizures when his owners taking camping (smart dog IMO). I have another that it is related to a certain series of events involving the cats.
Another question did they do a loading dose of libromide. We often find that regardless of what the titre says you have to do loading dose tapered over several weeks to lower the fit threshold.
Only when all of this is exhausted do I reach for the Gaba/Keppra.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Sauvignon it's worth mentioning to your DD that dog's are colour blind so can't see the pretty colours!

[OwlLady]

sugar free epilim is clear??

so why is it red in the other form i was told it was to make it taste nice

[SauvignonBlanche]

Lonecat, thanks for that, I'll let DD know.
I've just seen that DH has bought another bag so he's got 2 more to eat, I'm worried now, I can't afford to chuck it away so will dilute it with something else.
OwlLady, they must use some sort of red syrup to sweeten it. I was really shocked when I first came across the sugar free version and found it to be so different.

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

We do record a diary but can't see any obvious patterns apart from had one 2 days after the Christmas decorations went up, thus year and last year!

It's so difficult as its a group practice and see a different vet when we go in fitting. All seem to have different ideas. Eg increase libromide and pheno or to add keppra.

Vet was horrible this time, I started crying and she totally blanked it?
No comment or question as to what was upsetting me

Don't think she likes me as from a healthcare back ground and ask lots of questions

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

Ps he's been on phen 3 years and libromide 2 years.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

So you need to ditch the Bakers. It will take 12 weeks for it all work it's way out the system. Do you go after each fit? I would suggest that unless a single fit lasts more than 15 mins you go on a monthly basis to see the same vet so that a picture can be built. Meds should not really be changed more than once a fortnight as this how long it takes the meds to equilibrate.
Christmas decs do your lights flash? Flashing lights even on TV can be a trigger.

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

No we don't go in after each one.
In all the time he's been epileptic he has only had one fit per episode twice IYSWIM?

So far are short and self resolving after around 45 seconds but grand mal and he clusters so usually if we get up to 5 in a 24 hour period the vet likes him in to cannulate incase

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

And last year lights flashed so this year are just set as on and the tree changes slowly.

[1MitchellMum]

I haven't read all the posts, but just wanted to say that my first dog was epileptic (diagnosed in 2002 - lived until 2004!) Phenobarb helped her, and I managed to reduce it to the lowest possible dose to stop her fitting. Whilst I didn't feed Bakers I learnt since that it is very bad food - designed to appeal to owners rather than be a healthy food for the dogs. I would give that away and start again ... Chappie is a good basic food. Mine current two are on raw, but after one was sick at the weekend I've put them onto Chappie. I totally understand if raw makes you queasy (Prize Choice packs of meat are perhaps a good choice to start off on if you're unsure). Good luck, it is a scary thing seeing a dog fit.