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AH HA, <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I had seen this before but could not find it until now, a little research and I found it again. Don't know of any foods not listed (kibble) and I don't remember anyone else posting it.
Hope it helps.

I just put the site in my favorites for future reference. I was also glad to see that the brand I plan to feed is rated very highly (5-6 stars). While I do plan to feed primarily raw, I'm glad to see the kibble I plan to use in conjuction is so highly rated. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com

Like your husband feeding raw is not for me or my wife and as I've stated before, I did try it. So far so good with the Natural Balance, its been a while now and other than some very minor occurances she is doing great. I actually think the small occurances we have had is more to do with the 1/4 can of food I'm mixing so we are working dilligently to determine which of those might be contributing. Her problem is so minor now that we could probably go on like this but the detective work continues anyway. thanks

Glenn, thanks for the link to the dog food analysis site. I think we will add that link to our own Joliet Schutzhund site. Reading that overview reminded me of another question I would like to ask.

We've had are Beagle for around 5 years, and when he found us, the vet estimated him at about 4 - 5 years old (teeth check) which puts him around 10. Shortly after he found us, we realized he had a seizure disorder. The vet put him on phenobarbitol. He discussed the risks of long term use, but of course the benefit has been a complete seizure free dog.

After we started raw feeding, hubby and I decided to gradually cut the pheno back to half of the previous doseage. That has been successful - he is still seizure free.

Does anyone know if there is any connection between diet and seizures? We're wondering if we should try weaning him off of the pheno all together. I do understand that this needs to be done gradually.

I will certainly also discuss this with my vet, but I really value the opinions here - especially anyone who has had experience with this type of disorder and also feeds raw.

Many thanks!

Beth

Beth,
I don't have any thoughts in regard to diet/seizures connection but I really need to let you know my son's experience.
Him and his wife had two dogs and the dogs got along perfectly. One dog, and american staff has had a seizure problem and he too is on phoenobarbital and has been for years. Unfortunately he was not 100% seizure free although they were few and far between.
The last time he had a seizure the other dog attacked him unmercifully and immediately when the seizure started. This was the third time my son had experienced an attack under these circumstances. The damage was pretty severe and my daughter in law got bit trying to separate them.
If you experiment with eliminating the medication make sure that the dog is never left unattended with any other dogs.
I normally am asking for help on this forum as most of the folks are much more knowlegeable than me. On this subject I have first hand contact and an attack by another dog is probably going to happen if your dog has a seizure. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

They wound up having to put the dog to sleep. He had been injured like this twice before, the last time was bad, and keeping the dogs separated 100% of the time was not possible for them. They also have my 1 1/2 year old grandaughter and the unpredictability of the situation just created too much of a danger for her. It was a very sad day.

Be careful, if it were me I wouldn't even entertain the thought of taking the dog off the meds if he is completly free of the seizures and you have other dogs. Just my feelings and thoughts.

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...........Does anyone know if there is any connection between diet and seizures? We're wondering if we should try weaning him off of the pheno all together. I do understand that this needs to be done gradually. ...........

I think there is no question. About ten years ago, the mainstream seizure articles and sites started to incorporate what until then was little-circulated information about the diet connection. Now if you google "Dogs, seizures," you'll hit a ton of diet info.

You'll want to read some yourself, but the gist is that fillers, chemicals, preservatives, grain-heavy foods, colorings and flavorings, and other delights of some commercial foods have been implicated as both triggers and even basic causes of seizure disorders..... along with vaccinations, liver disease, vitamin deficiencies, tumors, and more.

You're right about not weaning off phenobarb without professional supervision.

All JMO.

Glenn, thank you SO MUCH for sharing this perspective. While we want our dogs to be as healthy as possible, and not kill them with the food we feed them, quality of life is most important. We do have other dogs, and the risk of that happening is very real here. I think we will leave any further reductions to the medication alone (of course his blood levels are checked twice a year).

I am so sorry that your son and his family had to experience that. I really appreciate your sharing this.

Beth

Beth, yes, there is a seizure/diet connection, but the main thing is the chemicals/preservatives in the food, and not so much the food itself. Chemicals are much tougher on an epileptic. I made the mistake of putting K9Advantix on my epileptic and he went from seizure-free for 2 mos to a seizure a day. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Commercial foods have tons of things that are more toxic to a dog with a seizure disorder. Also, seizures have literally thousands of causes; could be that something in the food was indirectly triggering a response. Seizures are stress-connected, and any stress on the body can lower the threshold and result in seizures. The tough thing about pheno barb is that unless you get them off it veeerrry slowly, you can see a pretty bad recurrence of seizures. This is precisely the reason I never medicated my epileptic. Sounds like you're on the right track, though...keep at it slowly and see if you just can't get him off it entirely for the sake of his liver.

Connie, thanks for the search tip. I'm still not a good Googler. I think we were posting at about the same time.

Jenni, thank you for your insights as well.

Lots to ponder and research...

Beth

Figures, Connie types faster, too! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Wouldn't have bothered with my last post if I'd seen hers...shoulda known she'd respond, though. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Beth, you may not get a whole lot of support from your vet; I sure didn't. I just tried to avoid the topic of food and vaccines until I could find a vet who was open-minded. I've been told countless times that if I'd put him on Science Diet, get regular vaccines, and put him on Phenobarb, that he'd be good as new <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. No, thanks.

Back in my dog show days when Science Diet first came out I gave it a try.....it was without a doubt the worst mess I have ever fed my dogs. Within a month they looked horrible! I simply cannot believe that it is sold in damn near every vet clinic you go in...actually had an arguement with one vet about it. She was just insistant that I feed it to a sick puppy and I refused.... even got a little huffy, I walked out with my pup under my arm. We made it fine with my homemade concoction of boiled chicken and rice til he could get back to raw.