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It is my opinion that traditional dog food sold in most stores leads to a great number of ailments in dogs. I even think it might be a reason why my dog has seizures. Cory, my dog had seizures and they gradually lowered in occurrences once I ceased feeding him kibble and canned dog food; then, five years ago, they stopped completely and I never once put him on any anti- epileptic medications, that is why I have come to this conclusion. Were you even aware that there are other foods that can also cause seizures in canines and harm your dog’s overall health? A few of these foods were shocking to me!

Chocolate. The majority of dog owner’s know that chocolate is known to cause seizures and in some cases, even death, in dogs. I’ll never forget the day that Cory found Jayson’s stash of Halloween chocolate. He had consumed quite a bit of it when Jayson discovered him, with Cory’s head deep inside the bowl of chocolate bars and his tail wagging with exuberant glee. Jayson called poison control and was advised to pour Hydrogen Peroxide liquid down Cory’s throat, which made Cory vomit. Lucky for us, I had a bottle of the stuff in the first aid cupboard! Jayson took Cory outside for this messy task. Fortunately, Jayson found out about the incident quickly enough to ensure that no harm was done. If you think your dog has gotten into some chocolate, and you do not know how much time has passed, you should contact a vet right away. Otherwise, if you see your dog eating it, you can use the Hydrogen Peroxide solution. What some people don’t know is that dark chocolate is even more dangerous to dogs than milk chocolate.

Foods that Have Onions or Onion Powder for Ingredients. These can make a dog develop anemia due to the content in onions, sulfoxides and disulfides, which cause damage to the red blood cells.

Raw Fish is off limits. Especially here in the Pacific Northwest, salmon and other fish often carry a fluke which in turn carries a bacteria which can cause seizures and death if consumed raw. If you make sure the fish is fully cooked, this bacteria is eliminated, but you still need to take care to remove every single bone from the fish prior to giving it to your dog. I am no scientist and don’t have the specific formula, but I have heard it said that if you freeze the fish at a certain temperature, the extreme cold will kill off the fluke and destroy the bacteria, thus eliminating the problem, you’ll have to do the research for length of time and the required temperature before you try this.

Nutmeg. Not that it ever occurred to me to sprinkle nutmeg on Cory’s chow, but apparently it can cause tremors, seizures and death. Be sure not to give your god pieces of a treat that might have nutmeg as an ingredient, and this one is easy to follow.

Mushrooms. Some mushrooms contain toxins that can cause problems for a dog, especially wild ones. I knew this and was alert to keeping Cory away from mushrooms on our walks. You should teach your dog the words “leave it” while he is still a puppy.

Cat food. Poor Cory, he loves to lick the plate clean after our kitty’s done eating, and now that I found out about this one, he won’t be able to anymore. Basically, cat food contains too much fat and protein for a dog’s digestive needs. You might still let your dog eat the crumbs left over from your cat, but you should not replace your dog’s food with cat food.

Seeds of Apples. Apple seeds and other pits from fruit contain the poison cyanide, which can cause seizures.

Grapes and Raisins. About the time that I discovered this information, I was reading a training book for dogs that actually advocated using raisins as training treats, even though they can cause kidney failure in dogs. Needless to say, the author was defensive when I contacted her with this knowledge and my concerns, stating that she had always used raisins as training treats for her dogs. All I can say is be aware of the risks and do more research before giving grapes or raisins to your dog.

Egg Whites alone are also dangerous. feeding your dog the entire egg is not a problem, the issue comes with the splitting of the whites and the yolk, the whites of an egg contain a protein named avidin, and it actually depletes your dog’s body of the essential B vitamins. The good news is that the yolk contains the antidote to this protein, and so serving the egg in its entirety is nothing to concern yourself over.

Sandra DeMers is the author of Cory’s Story, the story of how one dog conquered canine epilepsy that will absolutely AMAZE you. Visit her website for a wealth of knowledge and resources for seizures in dogs.

Does your best friend suffer from canine epilepsy? This article lists five strategies to make your dog’s seizures less serious.

1. Have a bottle of Rescue Remedy with you, wherever the two of you may go. This amazing liquid is an herbal remedy that was originally designed to help calm agitated animals – only a small amount is needed and is placed directly on the tongue. It’s sold in small bottles for about $7. You should purchase a few bottles, and have them in various locations in your home, your vehicle, and your bag for when you travel to other places. Personally, this product has make our dog’s seizures less serious and not as long.

2. Reduce the amount of simulation your dog receives. One of the main causes of seizures can be too much outside light or noise stimulation. This is similar to humans, where strobe lights are a known trigger for an epileptic seizure, so try to minimize bright lights and noise.

Moreover, you should have other people refrain from bringing their dogs near yours. Dogs that have seizures are often seen as the weaker members of a pack, and dogs are innately designed to attack the weaker dogs, since they threaten the safety of the others. If the seizure occurs while you are inside, quickly turn off all the lights, and tell anyone who is in the house to remain completely silent.

3. Don’t let your dog hurt himself. When having a seizure, your dog’s body will be shaking excessively, and he might be in a situation where he could hit his head. This could lead to a serious head injury that increases the seizure time, so make sure you protect the head from any sudden jerks or spasms. If your dog has a seizure near a staircase, be sure he doesn’t fall down them. While he’s having the seizure, be sure to check his tongue periodically to make sure that his airway hasn’t been blocked.

4. Press on his eyes. OC is simply an application of pressure on one or both eye balls. This pressure stimulates the Vagus Nerve which experts claim produces GABA as well as glycine into the chemistry of the brain. GABA, or gamma aminobutyric acid, regulates the balance of chemicals in the brain and serves as an inhibitor that turns off any out of control signals to the brain, such as seizures.

5. After the seizure has ended, be sure to provide your dog with lots of attention. Epileptic seizures are scary for anyone, but imagine how your dog must feel, since he can’t even describe it to you. He needs to be reassured that he is still loved, still a member of the family, and that everything is going to be just fine. Give him a few treats, play with him, or take him on a walk. Do whatever you are able to direct your dog’s attention away from the seizure. This will help you and your dog both to move past the situation.

It is my hope that the suggestions listed here will assist you and your dog in dealing with seizures. Wishing you the very best!

Sandra DeMers is the author of Cory’s Story, the story of how one dog conquered canine epilepsy that will absolutely AMAZE you. Visit her website for a wealth of knowledge and resources, including treatment for canine epilepsy.

If your dog begins to have seizures, it’s crucial that you get him to a veterinarian immediately for an evaluation. If your dog is diagnosed with epilepsy, the following article will outline some ways that these seizures can be controlled. One of the first things you need to understand though is that epilepsy may not be the cause of your dog’s seizures. Certain environmental toxins, as well as an injuries to the brain or brain tumors can all cause seizures. So if your dog’s seizures are not caused by epilepsy, any epilepsy treatments will be ineffective.

This article will help you to understand the different treatment options available once you have a definitive diagnosis of epilepsy from your veterinarian. In many cases of epilepsy, no treatment will be necessary unless the seizures happen at a minimum of once a month. The purpose of any treatment for epilepsy is to reduce the intensity and frequency of any seizures. But you should be aware that in many cases, seizures will continue to occur no matter what treatment you choose.

Anti-Epileptic Drugs, or “AED’s” are usually the first choice of treatment options, with Phenobarbitol and Potassium bromide being the two most commonly prescribed drugs, sometimes independently and sometimes together, if administering just one of them does not produce sufficient seizure control. Diazepam (a/k/a Valium) is used for treatment if the seizures go into what is called “status epilepticus” or “cluster seizures” which is where the seizure goes on for more than about 5 minutes, or one seizure quickly follows another. In my research for this article I was surprised to find that Primidone is still on the list of potential treatment options; however, because of the high concentration of liver enzymes that have been reported and other side effects such as lethargy and excessive hunger and thirst, I was always told that this drug should never be considered, and I knew it by the nickname of “Primadon’t” among my fellow owners of epileptic dogs. There have been studies done in the past 5 to 10 years that have shown that Neurontin (a/k/a gabapentin) can also be useful, and anyone considering using AED’s should do further research about these studies. The caution about using AED’s is that they can cause liver enzymes to become elevated, and dogs on these drugs need to have regular chemistry panels done to be sure that their livers are not being damaged.

There are alternative treatments you can try such as acupuncture and gold bead implants, this is where gold beads are placed inside the acupuncture areas. Acupuncture is something worth a try, however the use of gold bead implants is something better avoided unless a last resort.

When trying to help your dog through epilepsy you need to closely watch its diet, you can also try homeopathy and vitamin treatments. Diet can have a big impact upon a dogs epilepsy, most dog foods are crammed full of chemicals, additives, preservatives and flavoring. It is widely known that dogs can suffer from seizures due to preservatives, for this reason you should try to remove them from your dogs diet completely. In my case the change of my dogs diet from manufactured dog food to fresh, raw food with fresh green vegetables did more good than the use of Anti-Epileptic Drugs. You should certainly seek the advice of a holistic vet in order to help your dog have the best possible diet and homeopathic treatments. If your water supply has fluoride added then you should invest in a filter for your dogs water.

Ice Cream and Rescue Remedy Bachs Flower Essence, which is also known as Rescue Remedy, can help to lessen the intensity of seizures provided you can administer it as soon as the seizure starts. Rescue Remedy is available in most health food stores. Since the act of seizing uses up a massive amount of energy in your dog, giving your dog a tablespoon of Breyers All Natural vanilla ice cream can help to elevate your dog’s blood sugar levels after a seizure. Giving your dog ice cream after a seizure may help to soften the blow that seizures take, since a dog will learn quickly that he will get a treat after experiencing a seizure.

Sandra DeMers is the author of “Cory’s Story,” the story of a yellow Labrador retriever suffering from dog seizures that will absolutely AMAZE you. Cory is alive, happy and healthy at the age of 13 and hasn’t had a seizure in over 5 years. Visit www.corysstory.com to learn Sandra’s secret to good canine health–you’ll be surprised when you learn the truth.

In England they often call them “fits” – what happens when the brain loses control of the body. In America, they are more commonly called seizures. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief summary as to some of the many causes of dog seizures.

EPILEPSY. Epilepsy is a main cause of seizures in dogs, but it is not the only reason and not all seizures mean a dog has epilepsy. The definition of epilepsy was discovered by some people who were on a walk in the woods and happened upon a wolf that was throwing fits, looking as if he were doing some odd dance on a path in the woods. They reported this unusual sighting to the forest rangers and the term “idiopathic epilepsy” was coined. Well, that’s not exactly true, but the scientific reason is a bit more boring and doesn’t make any more sense. In short, the term “idiopathic epilepsy” is a catch-all for when the experts just don’t know what is causing a dog to have seizures.

TOXINS. Unfortunately for dogs, there are all kinds of toxins in their environment, many of which can cause seizures. Some of these toxins include poisons that are used for insect or rodent control, flea or slug powders – even the chemicals that are typically used on collars for dogs to get rid of ticks or other pests. Antifreeze, insecticides and paint products are also known toxins which can not only induce seizures, but can kill the unwitting animal that ingests them. If a dog is exposed to such toxins, early and fast treatment is important because in many cases the dog can be saved and make a recovery if the poisoning is caught early.

BRAIN TUMORS. Obviously, one of the easiest things to rule out, as a cause of dog seizures, is whether there is an abnormal growth in the dog’s brain. A tumor can put pressure on the brain which can lead to seizures and other symptoms that the brain is not working properly. Fortunately, there are diagnostic tests (MRI or CAT scans) that can determine if that is the problem; however, only a very small percentage of dog seizures are caused by tumors or head injuries. In the case of either a brain tumor or other type of head injury, if a dog is suffering from a seizure that was caused by one of these conditions, anti-epileptic medications will not help.

TICK INDUCED DISEASES. A tick, a bloodsucking arachnid, can cause Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in dogs, both of which can cause seizures. The chance of infection or disease is reduced greatly if the tick is discovered and effectively removed within the first 24 hours that it has come into contact with the dog. There are antibiotics that can kill Lyme Disease, and most dogs respond quite well in general to antibiotics.

DISTEMPER. This condition is generally marked by symptoms such as a fever, diarrhea and dehydration, all of which can lead to seizures in dogs, and is seen most commonly in puppies once they reach the age of 3 months and lose the antibodies they received from their mother. Distemper is a serious disease, but it can usually be avoided by getting a dog the proper vaccinations, but if a dog does get the disease then it can be a very serious and life threatening situation.

Sandra DeMers is the author of “Cory’s Story,” the story of a yellow Labrador retriever suffering from dog seizures that will absolutely AMAZE you. Cory is alive, happy and healthy at the age of 13 and hasn’t had a seizure in over 5 years. Visit www.corysstory.com to learn Sandra’s secret to good canine health–you’ll be surprised when you learn the truth.