diets & Seizures in dogs

Does Diet Affect Seizures in dogs?

Nutrition and seizures in dogs is an area where the science is still evolving. There are sporadic reports of food allergies triggering seizures in people, but this hasn’t been reported in dogs. Very rarely, a pet parent will notice their dog’s seizures seem improved on a different food. However, there’s no specific ingredient to avoid, and no particular type of food has been shown to cause more seizures.

A diet That May reduce seizures in dogs

There is, however, a diet shown to reduce seizures in dogs. Ketogenic diets have been used in epilepsy treatment in people since the 1920s, but until relatively recently, it was difficult to replicate that success in dogs.

Purina NeuroCare

Purina NeuroCare is a prescription diet based on 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. Unless your dog has food sensitivities, this diet is worth considering.

When Purina NeuroCare may not be the right fit

There are also practical reasons this diet may not be right for every dog. For the diet to be effective, it must make up 90% or more of your dog’s calories. That means treats and people food stay very limited, other than what you use to give medication.

Purina NeuroCare is available only by prescription, which makes it more difficult to obtain and more costly than other diets. Some dogs also refuse to eat it, so picky eaters often struggle with this option.

Your pet’s veterinary team can help you decide whether this diet is the right fit based on your dog’s needs.

What about Grain-Free Diets?

Grain-free diets became popular for pets in the early 2000s, around the same time the paleo diet rose in popularity for humans. Since then, grain-free diets have sometimes been promoted as a cure for nearly anything that ails a dog. However, these claims have not yet been confirmed by science.

Do Grain-Free Diets Help Dogs With Seizures?

It makes sense that some people wonder if a grain-free diet could help a dog with seizures. Grains are a source of carbohydrates, and carbohydrates are limited in ketogenic diets for humans.

However, it’s not that simple in dogs. The first time a ketogenic diet was tried in epileptic dogs, it didn’t work. Simply removing carbohydrates wasn’t enough to induce ketosis and reduce seizures.

It wasn’t until a very specific blend of fats, called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), was used that dogs achieved ketosis and showed benefits in seizures. Over-the-counter grain-free diets available to pet parents aren’t formulated to achieve ketosis. Because of that, they’re unlikely to help with seizure control in dogs.

Grain-Free Diets & Heart Disease Risk

Unfortunately, researchers have found a link between some grain-free diets and a serious, often fatal heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This link likely relates to the amount of legumes (peas, lentils) in these diets and an important nutrient called taurine.

A 2022 research paper showed that dogs on grain-free diets had evidence of heart damage even when they didn’t yet have DCM. You can learn more about the ongoing investigation via the FDA’s website.

Because of this association, Remedy doesn’t recommend grain-free diets or diets heavy in legumes for neurology patients.

What about Raw Food?

Raw food diets became popular for pets in the early 2000s. Pet parents who choose raw diets often want to feed something that feels more natural and organic than processed pet food.

That desire is understandable. At the same time, feeding meat products raw can be a serious health hazard, not only for your dog but also for the people in your household.

Raw Diets & Bacterial Exposure

Numerous studies have shown that raw food diets are often contaminated with dangerous bacteria. Pets eating raw diets, as well as the environments they live in, can become contaminated, too. Unfortunately, raw pet diets have been known to cause illness in people who are exposed to pets on these diets.

For example, Salmonella-contaminated raw dried dog treats have been responsible for more than 150 cases of illness in people.

Nutritional Gaps & Other Serious Risks

Some raw diets have also been shown to be nutritionally incomplete, which can lead to serious diseases in your pet. Unfortunately, there have also been several deaths in cats linked to avian flu exposure via raw food.

In Remedy’s practice, the Neurology team has seen an increasing number of patients with a brain parasite found in raw meat, and we’re concerned that commercially available raw diets may be the source.

Remedy’s Recommendation on Raw Dog Food diets

Given these factors, Remedy does not recommend raw food diets.

If you want a less processed option, Remedy recommends a fresh cooked diet like those sold by Just Food for Dogs, The Farmer’s Dog, and Fresh Pet.

puppy with dog bowl

Diet & Seizures FAQs

  • Science is still evolving, but very rarely, pet parents notice seizures seem improved on a different food. That said, there’s no specific ingredient to avoid, and no particular type of food has been shown to cause more seizures.

  • Yes. Purina NeuroCare is a prescription diet based on ketogenic diet theory. In a landmark study, 71% of dogs on this diet had a reduction in seizures, and 14% stopped having seizures entirely.

  • For the diet to be effective, it must make up 90% or more of your dog’s calories. Treats and people food stay very limited, other than what is used to give medication.

  • Some dogs refuse to eat it, so picky eaters often struggle with this option. It’s also prescription-only, which makes it more difficult to obtain and more costly than other diets. For those reasons, before switching to Purina NeuroCare, talk through the pros and cons with your pet’s veterinary team.

  • Over-the-counter grain-free diets aren’t formulated to achieve ketosis, so they’re unlikely to help with seizure control in dogs. Simply removing carbohydrates wasn’t enough to induce ketosis when ketogenic diets were first tried in dogs with epilepsy.

  • It wasn’t until a very specific blend of fats, called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), was used that dogs achieved ketosis and showed benefits in seizure control. In other words, simply removing carbohydrates wasn’t enough.

  • There’s a link between some grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This link likely relates to legumes (peas, lentils) and taurine. Because of this association, Remedy doesn’t recommend grain-free diets or diets heavy in legumes for neurology patients.

  • Feeding meat products raw is a serious health hazard for dogs as well as for you and others in your household. Studies show raw diets are often contaminated with dangerous bacteria, and some are nutritionally incomplete. Raw pet diets have also been known

  • Remedy recommends a fresh-cooked diet like those sold by Just Food for Dogs, The Farmer’s Dog, and Fresh Pet.