Is cheese bad for dogs with epilepsy?
The fungus used to make these cheeses produces a substance called roquefortine C, which dogs can be sensitive to. This substance can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, high temperatures and even seizures. The risk of these symptoms is higher if your dog eats a large amount of cheese.
What Foods Can Cause Seizures In Dogs?
The following foods contain a lot of glutamate.
Wheat, barley and oats have the highest glutamate content. Corn and rice have lower glutamate content, but should be kept to a minimum. Grains are a very common ingredient in commercial dry foods and treats … and sometimes they are listed as cereals.
Casein, the protein in cows’ milk is 20% glutamate by composition. Common dairy products for dogs are cheese chews and treats. Many people give dairy products like kefir and yogurt to dogs for their probiotic benefits. But don’t give them to your dog if he has seizures.
Soy, pinto beans, black beans, lentils. These legumes contain high amounts of glutamate. Soy is a filler in many commercial dry foods and treats.
Peanuts are very rich in glutamate. Many people use peanut butter as a dog treat or to stuff Kongs, etc. Peanuts not nuts – they are a legume, and you should avoid giving them to your dog.
What Can Trigger A Seizure In Dogs?
Pay attention to environmental factors that trigger your dogs’ seizures. Once you make the connection, you can reduce his exposure to these triggers.
Triggers can be things like products you use around the house, foods, medications and stress. The full moon can even be a factor!
Avoid using chemical products in your home and yard.
Caution: Avoid pharmaceutical flea and tick or heartworm preventives. These drugs work by paralyzing the parasites nervous systems … which means they can also affect your dog’s nervous system.
Correct nutrition plays an important role in managing idiopathic epilepsy in dogs.
If your dog has idiopathic epilepsy, it’s vital to feed him an all-natural, fresh raw diet. Whenever possible, use free-range, organic ingredients. Your dog’s diet should consist of …
So, food can help with epilepsy. But can dog food cause seizures?
It’s not just that a fresh, whole food raw diet is better for your dog’s overall health. There’s a substance in many foods … that can aggravate your dog’s tendency to have seizures.
That substance is glutamate. It’s an amino acid that’s in many foods. It’s also a neurotransmitter that’s naturally produced in the body. Glutamate is important for brain development and memory. But high levels of glutamate are associated with diseases like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.
Recent studies indicate that seizures draw glutamate out of the brain tissue cells, damaging the cells.
This means that reducing and avoiding foods rich in glutamate may improve seizures and reduce their frequency. This can be especially helpful in idiopathic epilepsy – when there’s no underlying medical problem.
So, which foods should you avoid to help manage your dog’s seizures?