One day I went into PetSmart and was talking to the salesperson about animals,when it led into my shepard and her problem. She told me that her boxer had them to and that there is an additive in dog food called BHT or BHD that is found to bring on seizures. In amazement and anger I decieded to buy a dog food without this additive in to see if it was true and if it would help. I bought a very expensive bag of food that cost $39.99 a bag, not caring as long as it was true. Long story short, it's true! After that I started searching around for a reasonable priced bag of food because we have a 102lb. not fat just big, Golden Retriever too, and they eat alot!
I found a great bag of food at Tractor Supply called Diamond brand food. Just look on the back of your food bag if you see the three letters BHD or BHT, I really can't remember the exact three letters but it starts with a B. If it's in there I would change. Even some of the brands you think would be O.K. are not. Please try this it has been great with her not having seizuers any more. Good Luck I hope it helps.
Replied By Veronica (San Antonio, Texas) on 06/08/2008
Specifically, BHA, short for Butylated Hydroxyanisole, and BHT, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, are both artificial preservatives added to oils to slow down deterioration. BHA and BHT (as well as ethoxyquin) are used in numerous pet food brands, including both "premium-grade" brands like Science Diet (even their prescription diet product line) and lower-grade brands like Alpo and Pedigree, to replace vitamin E, which is removed during oil processing. Studies have shown that BHA and BHT promote liver disease and other medical problems.Replied By Anja (Nashville, TN) on 06/25/2008
My beagle started seizures in summer of 2007. He was a stray, so I do not know his background. We had a titer done for rabies and he tested negative, so he got ONE rabies shot and that's all he will have. No other booster shots, so that could not have been the trigger for his seizures. Seizures started two years after we brought him home. I cook my own dogfood (brown rice, greens, chicken). Sometimes they get raw, so I don't think food is the trigger. We had an expensive medical blood test done and no underlying medical issue to trigger seizures. His seizures were not severe enough to put him on Phenobarbitol and I would not have wanted it anyway. He had a seizure about once a month. His first two seizures were severe enough. He would fall over the day after. I searched alternative remedies and found Native Remedies Co on the internet. I give him EaseSure. He had two mild seizures after I started him on that and in September his seizures stopped. He had NO seizures for 9 months and he had a mild one again last week. Only a few seconds and shook it righ off. Went to play right after! Ingredients in EaseSure is Passionflower, Skullcap, Hyoscyamus (30C), Belladonna (30C), Cuprum metallicum. He gets 8 drops in the morning and evening. I am happy using the product. Also, when he goes into seizure I give him Rescue Remedy. I also have him on enzymes, vitamins and minerals.Replied By Heather (Decatur, IN) on 02/07/2009
I have a three year old Beagle/Jack Russel mix. We got her when she was 9 months old. When she was about 2 years old, she started having seizures. The first time it happened, I didn't know what it was. She was playing with our boxer puppy and they were running, she fell over and landed on top of a duffle bag. When she didn't get up, I went over and noticed that she was shaking. I picked up up and she was stiff and shaking, eyes glazed over and her teeth were clenched. I thought she was scared from the fall. So I was holding her and talking to her and noticed that she was not responding to me at all. Well, then she tried to walk and kept falling down, still shaking. I thought she hurt her leg or something and was going into shock, so I called the vet. He suggested that she was having a seizure. He told me to wait about 10-20 minutes and call him back if she was not any better. Well, she finally was able to walk again...but continued to slobber for about an hour or so afterwards. Since then she seems to have one about once a month sometimes more often, that I know of. She goes in her cage at night and sometimes her blankets smell like urine and we have to wash them. So, I think she's been having some at night or early in the morning before we get up.I have been feeding her Diamond Dog food for over a year now. I switched to that brand when we got our puppy boxer because it was comparable to Science Diet, but cheaper in price. So, she gets the Adult formula. Reading through these postings, I see some of you have said it helps because of the absence of BHT or whatever is in a lot of dog foods, but for my dog the food additive must not be the problem. Still trying to figure out what is causing her seizures. I'm going to try the coconut oil and see if that helps her.
It is heart breaking to see her go through it and sometimes they last for so long or she will have clusters with little breaks in between.... maybe a minute or less where it looks like she is coming back around and then starts to shake really bad again. All I can do is pet her and tell its okay and she is almost done. I hate watching her go through this.
Replied By Julie (Coventry, England) on 08/08/2010
Taurine an amino acid has proven to help some dogs. Capsule form is best as tablets contain fillers. The dose is 500mg per 25lb once or twice daily. Taurine is a long lasting anti-convulsant and I believe is considered very safe. Magnesium Taurinate supplies both Taurine and Magnesium but I'm not sure of quantity.
Another, very important factor is vaccine damage. Vaccines can cause encephalytis (sorry if not spelt correctly) swelling of the brain, this can lead to seizures. If it were my dog I would give no more vaccines, flea or tick treatments. They can all affect the brain.
Hope this helps.
Replied By Lin (E. Wenatchee, Wa, Usa) on 01/14/2011
Science diet (hills is also a science diet product)is one of the worse dog foods there is for an epileptic, or any dog. Read the ingredients. Bio-products, corn, preservatives, soy etc. which no dog should have.
check the ingred. on van patten's dry food, and buffalo blue for a comparison.
