Preventing Seizures Natural Dog Remedies Can Out-Do Drugs by Dr. Shawn Messonnier
P
eople often seek out a holistic veterinarian due to concerns about conventional medications. One new client recently inquired about her 3-year-old female poodle diagnosed with epilepsy last year. The traditional veterinarian’s prescription for phenobarbital was helping to control the seizures, but the owner questioned the long-term consequences of feeding
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her pet the drug for the rest of its life. Surely, she thought, there must be a natural alternative. There are many causes for canine seizures, with epilepsy being the most common. Epilepsy is the term used when the cause is unknown, so testing is needed to ensure other factors are not present. These might include toxicities, especially in younger dogs and
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puppies (may include vaccines); brain tumors, more common in older dogs and certain breeds such as boxers and Boston terriers; infections, as in meningitis, or immune disorders such as the neurologic disease granulomatous meningoencephalitis, or GME; parasites, including aberrant heartworms; and regional diseases such as tickborne illnesses like Lyme or ehrlichiosis. Common testing includes a physical examination, food hypersensitivity and blood tests, tick serology, urine, fecal and cerebrospinal fluid analyses and a brain scan, which is usually a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Not all tests are needed on all pets because the veterinarian will rule out issues during the process. If other causes are ruled out and the problem is labeled as epilepsy, phenobarbital can be helpful, although side effects can occur as a result, including liver disease. In every case, the animal should be examined at least two to four times a year for possible complications from the drug, starting with a blood profile and urinalysis. It’s always best to supplement such treatment with natural remedies to help protect the liver, including milk thistle and choline. Alternatively, natural therapies don’t usually lead to side effects or require the same intense regimen of regular evaluation. Patients have experienced good results with phosphatidylcholine, which works to stabilize brain cell membranes, and so reduce and prevent seizures, while also providing detoxification support for the liver. Phosphatidylcholine supplements are also used to prevent and treat another common neurological problem in pets—cognitive disorder (akin to Alzheimer’s in humans). Dimethylglycine supplementation aids in treating seizures, as well. It both supports the nervous system and