Can Food plan Assist With My Canine’s Seizures? – Medical Diet Service at Cummings Faculty

Understanding your canine’s seizures

Having a canine with a seizure dysfunction will be very overwhelming. Earlier than contemplating remedy, it is very important work along with your veterinarian to uncover any underlying cause for the seizures in your canine.  Seizures inform us that there’s a downside within the mind, however not the trigger. Widespread causes are metabolic (for instance, low blood sugar, liver illness, or toxicity) or major mind issues reminiscent of tumors or beginning defects. When no trigger will be discovered, that is known as ‘idiopathic epilepsy.’ Nevertheless, this will solely be determined in spite of everything doable causes have been dominated out.

When to think about food plan

For canine with seizures, any food plan change needs to be fastidiously thought-about and can possible be completely different for every canine based mostly on their underlying situations. In case your canine has idiopathic epilepsy, there could also be some dietary modifications to think about however let’s have a look at the proof and professionals and cons behind some completely different methods you could hear about.

Ketogenic Diets

Ketogenic diets are usually described as excessive fats, low to average protein, and low to no carbohydrates. This may be difficult to outline, although, as a result of there isn’t a official definition of ‘excessive’ or ‘low’ in relation to the quantity of fats, protein, and carbohydrates past the Affiliation of American Feed Management Officers (AAFCO) tips for minimal ranges of fats and protein required in cat and canine diets. This sort of food plan is supposed to create ‘ketosis’ within the physique, which occurs when the physique doesn’t have sufficient carbohydrates to burn for power so it burns fats and makes issues known as ketones to make use of for gas. There have been a number of research ketogenic diets in youngsters with epilepsy which have proven some enchancment in seizure management. This doesn’t essentially translate to canine, nonetheless, as a result of canine deal with ketones in another way. In people, there are additionally potential unintended effects of ketogenic diets to think about that may embrace nutrient deficiencies, digestive points, nausea, headache, and fatigue. A few of these unintended effects may also be seen in canine. Issues I see most frequently stem from an intolerance to greater fats diets, which might result in vomiting, diarrhea, pancreatitis, and weight achieve if additionally greater calorie. With out proof of profit, and doable detrimental unintended effects, I don’t advocate ketogenic diets for canine with idiopathic epilepsy as a primary line of protection.

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT)

Whereas it’s troublesome to realize true ketosis in canine as a consequence of their metabolism, vitamins reminiscent of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) within the food plan might profit the mind by offering an power supply that the mind can preferentially make the most of as an alternative of different fat. Research have began potential advantages of pet meals enriched in MCTs, with some canine having lowered seizure frequency and different canine having no change. Simply having ‘MCT oil’ or ‘coconut oil’ on the label is probably not sufficient, although, because the diets studied had a excessive quantity of energy come from MCTs and we don’t know if lower than that may nonetheless present a profit. Extra analysis is required to raised perceive if and when MCTs can be utilized to assist with seizure administration, however diets with MCTs could possibly be a consideration to debate along with your veterinarian to see if they’re proper to your canine.

Cautious food plan transition

Of particular be aware, in case your canine receives the seizure treatment potassium bromide, it is rather vital to not make fast modifications to your canine’s food plan or treats as modifications within the chloride ranges of various meals can change how the treatment works within the physique. For wholesome canine, we advocate no less than per week to transition to any new meals. For canine on potassium bromide, the period of time wanted for transition will rely on the severity and frequency of their seizure situation and the way vital of a change in chloride content material there can be between the brand new and previous food plan. At all times discuss to your veterinarian earlier than any food plan change.

In abstract, for canine with idiopathic epilepsy, I usually don’t advocate ketogenic diets as a consequence of lack of proof for profit and potential unintended effects, however contemplate good high quality diets enriched in MCTs a doable adjunct remedy along with medical administration for some canine. As all the time, please be sure to talk about food plan along with your veterinarian earlier than making any modifications!

References:

Vendramini THA, Amaral AR, Rentas MF, Nogueira JPDS, Pedrinelli V, de Oliveira VV, Zafalon RVA, Brunetto MA. Ketogenic diets: A scientific assessment of present scientific proof and doable applicability in canine and cats. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2023 Dec 13.

Nakatsuka Okay, Zanghi B, Hasegawa D. Efficacy analysis of a commercially accessible MCT enriched therapeutic food plan on canine with idiopathic epilepsy handled with zonisamide: a potential, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover dietary preliminary examine. BMC Vet Res. 2023 Sep 6;19(1):145.

Schmidt T, Meller S, Meyerhoff N, Twele F, Zanghi B, Volk HA. A six-month potential, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover, dietary trial design to analyze the potential of psychobiotics on seizure semiology and comorbidities in canine epilepsy: examine protocol. BMC Vet Res. 2023 Mar 3;19(1):57.

Han FY, Conboy-Schmidt L, Rybachuk G, Volk HA, Zanghi B, Pan Y, Borges Okay. Dietary medium chain triglycerides for administration of epilepsy: New information from human, canine, and rodent research. Epilepsia. 2021 Aug;62(8):1790-1806.

Deborah E. Linder, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Diet)

Dr. Deborah Linder, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, is the top of the Tufts Weight problems Clinic for Animals and has had articles seem in Consuming Properly, the Boston Globe, AARP, SHAPE, and XM Sirius Radio Physician Channel. She has spoken at nationwide and worldwide conferences and a Capitol Hill briefing, and is an skilled in pet weight problems, vitamin communication, and within the human-animal bond.