Canine epilepsy is also known as a seizure disorder and is found in all breeds of dogs. It’s a sudden change in behavior and muscle control, and is characterized by recurrent fits. Since canine epilepsy is often a hereditary condition and is getting more common, it’s a cause of concern. Diet plays a crucial role in the management of canine epilepsy as correcting nutritional deficiencies can help control seizures in epileptic animals and might even eliminate them.
Nutrition Related Causes of Epilepsy Include:
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Amino acid deficiencies
- Mineral deficiencies
- Processed pet food products
Dietary Dos and Don’ts
Diet can play a vital role in the management of canine epilepsy. It’s preferable to feed a homemade diet to your pet as nutritional deficiencies are a major cause of most diseases. Commercial dog food is often full of stabilizers, preservatives, chemicals, sodium nitrate and other substances that can cause allergies, seizures, hypertension and diabetes in dogs. If it’s not possible for you to provide your pet with homemade food, you should ensure that the kibble you feed him is high in quality and contains all the required nutrients.
You may also supplement commercial pet food with lean meat and vegetables. Some people recommend a raw diet for dogs and there are several good quality commercial raw diets that are acceptable. However, if you want to give your pet your own raw food diet, you should ensure that the meat is very fresh and not from the supermarket as the meat from supermarket is supposed to be consumed after it’s cooked and may contain harmful bacteria.
You should avoid feeding your dog grains and grain products as dogs are often allergic to grain products and this allergy can trigger an epileptic attack. Many commercial dog foods also contain wheat, corn and soy that act as allergens and cause seizures. Some dogs are intolerant to corn in their food and benefit from a diet without corn. Milk proteins are also known to cause allergies in dogs. Moreover, since dogs don’t digest dairy products it’s best to avoid feeding such products to your pet. Vegetables such as carrots, cauliflowers, green beans and broccoli, on the other hand, should be included in your pet’s diet.
Taurine
A deficiency of amino acids can increase your pet’s chances of getting seizures. Taurine is a non-essential amino acid that regulates the dog’s metabolism, calms the nervous system and helps in the proper digestion and utilization of calcium, sodium and magnesium by the body. Pet owners should ensure that their pet gets the required amounts of taurine in their diet by feeding meat to their dogs.
You should ascertain that your pet has a wholesome diet and that the food includes all the nutrients essential for optimum health. It’s always advisable to give homemade food to your pet but if you must give commercial pet food, you should supplement it with the required vitamins and minerals to protect your pet from epileptic attacks. You should also read the labels of commercial pet food products carefully and only feed your dog top quality commercial pet food.