Can seizures be healed by Diet?

Ok, this is a bit of a big question but honestly there is a big, huge impact on brain health in your choice of foods to put in your dog or cats bowl.

The gut-brain axis is real and we shall look at how this can helps us understand and heal seizures.

Please do not stop any medications abruptly and always go to the vet in an emergency - healing with food means we slowly build up resilience and immunity to provide our pets with the tools to fight diseases and not develop them again, but food can not replace medicine in an emergency. 

What is a seizure?

A seizure is essentially a burst of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain.
This can happen for many reasons - toxins, inflammation, liver dysfunction, genetics, stress, nutritional deficiencies, medication side effects, or unknown triggers.

Often the triggers lie in the diet - the gut is home to trillions of bacteria that help produce neurotransmitters, regulate inflammation and influence the nervous system.
When the gut becomes inflamed or imbalanced due to processed food, toxins or stress, it can increase inflammatory chemicals and overstimulating compounds in the body.
In sensitive dogs, this may lower the brain’s seizure threshold, making seizures more likely or more frequent.

If you are missing Minerals in the diet for example your pet is missing the messengers to communicate from gut to brain, if you are missing fish then most likely the DHA to protect brain cells isn’t available, if there is strain on pancreas and or thyroid due to carbs or processed foods then the pituitary gland in the brain will suffer. 

Warning: Many conventional flea, tick and worming products act directly on the nervous systems of parasites, which means they may also affect sensitive dogs neurologically.

One nutrient receiving increasing attention in both holistic and neurological research is glutamate.

Glutamate is a naturally occurring amino acid and neurotransmitter essential for normal brain function. However, excessive glutamate activity is associated with neuronal overstimulation and seizure activity. Recent research suggests seizures themselves can increase glutamate release in the brain, potentially creating a vicious cycle. 

So let’s look at foods in detail now: 

Foods to avoid if your pet is prone to seizures:

• Wheat, corn, oats and heavily processed grains
• Soy, lentils, beans, chickpeas and peanuts
• Seed oils and processed fats
• Artificial preservatives, flavour enhancers and MSG-like additives
• Dairy\
• Ultra-processed foods
• Synthetic supplements

This does not mean these foods “cause epilepsy” in healthy dogs. But in neurologically sensitive dogs, reducing inflammatory dietary load may help lower seizure frequency or severity.

Now for the good part...
Foods to support your pet in fighting seizures:

Eggs (Chicken, Duck, Quail - whatever you can get)

• DHA for brain cell function
• Choline for neurotransmitter health
• High-quality bioavailable protein

• B vitamins essential for the nervous system

Fish & Shellfish (Marine Omega 3)

The Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA,  are absolutely essential for a healthy system.

• Reduce neuroinflammation
• Support healthy neuronal signalling
• Improve cell membrane integrity
• Protect against oxidative stress

Fish oils are often rancid and or processed with bleaching agents, better feed real fish or shellfish!

Shellfish are often overlooked but especially to fight seizures shellfish is a Game Changer! 

The shells contain additionally to the beneficial nutrients from the shellfish itself:

• Chitin - protects cells, antibacterial 
• Chitosan - binds fat, regulates blood sugar, manages cholesterol
• Astaxanthin - rare and powerful antioxidant
• Trace minerals like zinc, selenium and copper - essential for communication between gut and brain
• Natural glucosamine compounds - to repair mucus linings and fight inflammation

More good foods are: Soil based probiotics, Nutritional yeast, Bee pollen, Seaweeds like kelp or spirulina, leafy greens, berries, bone or fish broth are also very useful additions. 

Fresh, species-appropriate nutrition, real ingredients and reduced toxic load create a calmer internal environment for the nervous system.

And more often than not, seemingly small additions  like bee pollen, shellfish powder, seaweed, broth or probiotics can become true game changers over time.

Give it a shot and be surprised!

Here are a few products from our menu that might be perfect:
Happy Gut Plus
Shellfish Sprinkle 
Duck Bone Powder
Green Magic