My sister's chocolate Labrador, Keane, has epilepsy and is having multiple fits every couple of months. He is currently on four tablets of Phenobarbitone twice a day, and this has been increased each time he has had seizures. He is constantly hungry and ironically is now not so keen on long walks which is leading to weight gain. It is heartbreaking to see such a wonderful and good natured dog go through this and I wondered if any Dogs Today readers could offer any advice?
Sarah Taylor, Cheshire, by email
We are very sorry to hear of the problems caused by Keane's epilepsy, and would suggest the Phyllis Croft Foundation for Canine Epilepsy as an excellent resource for owners of epileptic dogs, as the foundation is able to offer valuable advice and support.
We at Burns Pet Nutrition have had a measure of success with epileptic dogs. The holistic understanding of epilepsy is that it is caused or at least aggravated by an excessive energy intake i.e. too much food especially foods with high levels of fat, protein and easily absorbed carbohydrates. If there is any merit in that argument then he is going in the wrong direction as evidenced by the fact that he is putting on weight.
ReplyDeleteBurns Pet Nutrition has a range of low fat, low protein foods based on whole grains (brown rice, oats, maize) which are worth a try. Our nutrition team can advise on feeding amounts - you cannot do this on your own.
John Burns BVMS MRCVS
Burns Pet Nutrition