What Olivia Taught Us About Canine Epilepsy, Food & Supplements

Good day furiends, Dot & Jerry Underfoot, Olivia’s feline fursiblings, pawfessional observers, & deeply invested commentators on all things that matter. Olivia was our Mighty Canine Epilepsy Warrior, & she taught us that epilepsy care is not something you fix with vibes, wishful thinking, or whatever food is on sale that week. It takes consistency, a good vet’s guidance, patience, & a furmily willing to do the hard work.

Idiopathic epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder in dogs, affecting up to about 0.75% of the general dog population. Most dogs are treated with anti seizure drugs, & for many of them, that treatment is lifelong. But some dogs are extra stubborn about the whole “seizure control” thing. Up to 30% of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy are considered drug-resistant (aka Refractory Epilepsy), which means the seizures keep showing up even after the right medications have been tried. Pawsitively rude, frankly.

That’s where nutrition starts acting like a supporting character in a very serious drama. Food can affect how epilepsy medications work in the body. Changes in chloride intake can change bromide levels, & protein or fat intake can affect how phenobarbital is processed. So yes, diet matters. A lot. And no, this is not the time for random food experiments just because a human saw something on the internet at 11:47 p.m. Consistency matters, & any diet change should be slow & supervised by your good vet &/ health pawvider.

HuMom understood the assignment. Olivia ate a fresh food diet & took taurine, coconut oil, & CBD every day as part of her care plan. We admire that level of dogvotion. Nutritional support may not replace medication, but it can be part of the bigger team, & sometimes the bigger team is what helps a dog keep going through the hard stuff.

Researchers have studied a few nutritional approaches. MCT-based diets are the most pawmising so far, with studies showing they may help reduce seizure frequency in some dogs. Ketogenic diets & omega-3 supplements (we use hemp hearts) have also been looked at, but the ‘scientific evidence’ is still out on this. CBD has gotten a lot of attention too, & while it may help some dogs & it was a game changer for Olivia, it still should be dogscussed with your vet &/ health care pawvider. It should also be noted that CBD needs to be given 2 hours before or after anti seizure medication is given.

Olivia’s almost three seizure-free years were not some cute accident. They were the result of love, vigilance, a huMom & furmily that kept showing up day after day. That matters. She lived with a serious condition, but she was supported with intention, & that gave her the best possible chance at a good life. And a good life she led. Every moment was a gift & Olivia enjoyed life to the fullest.

So from one set of whiskers to another furmily trying to do right by their Canine Epilepsy Warrior: keep things consistent, work with your vet &/ health care pawvider, & think of nutrition as support, not a replacement for treatment. Remember, every seizure free day is a pawtastic day so celebrate it. We cats understand the impawtance of marking the good days, pawferably in a sunbeam.

We will forever miss you, Olivia. Always mighty. Always loved. Always the girl who made everybody care a little more carefully & with great love & dogvotion.

Before we go off for our afternoon cat nap we would like to share a few links to post that Olivia made:

MCT Oil Explained

Taurine & canine epilepsy

In the following weeks we will paw on anti seizure medication, how inflammation is an Epilepsy Warriors enemy, CBD, Cannabinoids, Endocannabinoids & Canines & so much more impawtant information for furmilies living with Canine Epilepsy. Remember, when someone in the furmily lives with epilepsy, everyone lives with epilepsy. You are not alone, we are a wagnificent community that shares, cares & supports you & your Canine Epilepsy Warrior.