Natural Diet Survey continued:

Breed	Yellow Lab . LilBud was born to a Cocker Spaniel (hard to believe, eh?) with a littler of 10. The owners kept the dogs under a trailer in the middle of cold Illinois because they were building a house. By the time he was rescued LilBud was near death from a hookworm infestation.
Age when seizures started ?	The seizures started at 6 months. Usually in the middle of the night when he was startled awake, by 2 years old they had developed into clusters that could start at any time. 2 vets have done blood/thyro workups since with no cause identified. However, stress (visitors or kennel), vaccinations, and any type of store-bought (i.e. BHA/BHT) food & treats are triggers.
Age now?	71/2 years
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	Around Spring 2001 his seizures had progressed to approximately 1 per month and seemed to be accelerating. Without valium, he would cluster. While I understand that this is NOT the daily & weekly challenge with which some list-members live, I also was postponing the added risk of meds. Thanks mostly to the Epil-K9 list, we were finally ready to try raw.
What do you feed?	Started with a complex food-processor mix of veggies: sweet potatoes, parsley, flax oil, apples, etc. Nowadays he gets mostly whatever raw & cooked veggies we have in the house: broccoli, green beans, pumpkin, raw chicken thighs / backs /wings, sometimes organ meat, tuna, mackerel, pork necks... whatever I can pick up in the grocery store. Or venison when it's brought but I'm too much of a wimp to feed the really wild game without first cooking it (no bones!)
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	We saw an immediate improvement. Within 6 months he was down to 1 "real" seizure a year but does go through periods of ataxia & fly-biting--usually during summertime or under stress. We'll administer valium to ward off seizures when that behavior is persistent. But the progression of the disease literally reversed with the raw diet
Is there a history of allergies?
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?

Comments	In addition to the cessation of his seizures, he: sheds considerably less does not lick his feet does not pass the gas (eeeUU!) has lost some of the weight that was so hard to control My husband and family are now raw converts!! At 7.5 years old, his seizures are under control. LilBud is pictured here with his best little buddy, Tucker, begging for mackerel & pumpkin as I was dishing it up. While healthy, Tucker thoroughly enjoys whatever raw food he can get his teeth on! Tucker is a 14 month old feisty Yorkshire Terrier.

Dale's Maggie

Breed	Golden Retriever
Age when seizures started ?	2 1/4 years old
Age now?	4 1/4 years old
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	July, 2002
What do you feed?	Ground chicken w/bone/ground beef with assorted veggies AM, whole RMB's PM
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Lessened
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Medications	Before Diet:120/90/120 MG PB (TID dosing) Weight 92 lbs
Medications	After:90mg PB BID, 0.8 ml 300mg/ml KBR BID, .5mg Thyrotab BID Weight: 78lbs
Comments	Maggie was adopted in July, 2002. Her history when she came was clusters every 4-6 weeks. With the addition of thyroid meds, the elimination of Kibble N Bits, her pattern of clusters has spread out to 8 months and counting. She has come a long way in the 1-1/2 years she has been on raw.

Jan's Meg

Breed	American Cocker Spaniel
Age when seizures started ?	3 Years & 1 month
Age now?	6 Years and 10 months
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	May 16, 2003
What do you feed?	Chicken, turkey, veal, lamb, pork RMB; liver/kidney, beef heart, beef, lamb, venison, bison, turkey muscle meat, jack mackerel, sardines, green tripe, no salt salmon, veggie glop & 1 meal/week of Home Made 4 Life pre-made Rabbit/Lamb or Beef stew. Salmon Oil, Vit E, taurine, milk thistle, digestive enzymes and No Grains
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Seizure free time initially lengthened to 8 months then had 2 seizures after ear surgery in September, then a recent span of 85 seizure free days (due to Canadian shortage of soloxine we had to change thyroid meds which are metabolized differently than soloxine and I think this contributed to shorter seizure free time
Is there a history of allergies?	Gluten and seasonal allergies
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	Symptoms such as scratching face and eyes and chewing feet have decreased dramatically. There is still some 'eye gunk' after being outside - especially on a smoggy kind of day.
Medications	Before Diet: 60 mg PB BID; .75 ml KBr @ 250 ml BID; .15 mg Soloxine BID; 2 mg Diazepam SID.
Medications	After Diet: 60 mg PB BID; .5 ml KBr a.m. & .55 ml KBr p.m. @ 250 ml; .15 mg Soloxine BID
Comments	Meg loves her meals and her recreational bones. She is slim and very firm. Her coat gleams like black satin and her teeth are brilliant white. Meg has energy plus and when she gets wet she never has that horrible 'wet dog smell' . Although it takes a little bit of work to get organized in the beginning, it is certainly rewarding when you see the benefit to the dog. Although I am no expert I am finding it quite easy to put together a variety of foods for Meg's meals.

Laura's Meg

Breed	Border Collie
Age when seizures started ?	First seizure at 5 years, 11 months. Only 3 additional seizures over the next 23 months, when she began clustering.
Age now?	8 years, 7 months
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	I had been feeding part kibble / part homemade for a number of years, but completely eliminated kibble in May 2002.
What do you feed?	A raw diet including chicken necks, beef and beef heart, turkey hearts, venison, eggs etc. No grains. Small amounts of veggies. Once in a great while I will use a commercial product such as Nature's Variety freeze dried.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	No, they have actually increased over the last 9 months despite medication, however the first 10 months without kibble, she was medication and seizure free.
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Comments	Although a home prepared/ raw diet hasn't been the answer for us, I think its likely that she would be worse without it. I know that I'm much more at ease when I know exactly what she's eating.

Ed's Petey

Breed	Border Collie Mix
Age when seizures started ?	Approximately 8 years, 8 months (we got him as a stray, when he was probably 3 or 4 months old).
Age now?	11 years.
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	About January, 2002.
What do you feed?	1. A ground-up mixture of veggies (excluding nightshades and onions), raw meat (chicken, beef, tuna, or pork), egg shells, a4nd supplements (including kelp and alfalfa powders, flax oil and/or fish oils, and Missing Link brand multi-supplement with Glucosamine and Chondroitin). 2. A blend of fruits (excluding citrus), yogurt, cottage cheese, honey, sometimes maple syrup or blackstrap molasses, Missing Link supplement, and sometimes almonds. 3. Raw, meaty bones, primarily chicken necks. 4. Recreational chewing bones, such as beef knuckles. 5. Baked treats, with chicken or beef liver, garlic, a nd corn muffin mix. 6. Raw beef tripe. Of course, I mix and match these, based on how often I can make their food and what's available. If I run out of BARF, I may feed canned food and high-quality kibble, such as Solid Gold.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Petey's seizures have diminished in frequency over time
Is there a history of allergies?	Yes, he appears to have allergy-related itchiness on his skin and in his ears.
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	They are about the same.
Medications	Before Diet:
Medications	After:
Comments	Petey is doing very well; his seizures seem infrequent compared to the majority of dogs about which I have heard and read. I honestly don't know how much, if any, of his decrease in seizure activity is attributable to his change to a raw diet; we have also had to increase his meds over time to reach his current level of lessened seizure activity. However, I am convinced that both of my dogs are dramatically healthier as a result of switching to raw food. Petey has lost 20-25 pounds and looks and acts much healthier and more energetic since I changed his diet from kibble. His coat, teeth and gums look excellent. I have no agenda to push, but I believe that raw feeding is the best thing I have ever done for my dogs.

Janice's Pepper

Breed	Possible Border Collie Mix
Age when seizures started ?	Unknown, was having seizures when she came here 06/2000
Age now?	9-10 years old
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	April 20, 2001
What do you feed?	Various whole raw meaty bones including chicken leg quarters, turkey necks, pork necks, beef necks, chicken & turkey backs, beef, pork, or lamb ribs. Also ground or boneless cuts of beef [usually heart], pork, turkey, lamb, & goat. Canned mackerel, salmon, & sardines. Eggs raw with the shell . Small mounts of veggies once or twice a week. A few ounces of liver/kidney each week. Yogurt & kefir. No grains or starches beyond the occasional dog treat. I supplement her diet with salmon body oil, vit E, vit C, & a B-complete
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Yes! Pepper was having seizures about every 4-6 weeks before the diet change. In 32 months since the diet change she's had only 3 seizures. She once went 18 months between seizures and as of 12/2003 is 10 months seizure-free. At one point she was taking 65mg [1 grain] Phenobarbital twice a day. I was able to slowly lower her meds to the point where she is no longer on any medication.
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Medications	Before Diet: Pepper's seizures came about every 4-6 woks from July 2000 thru March 2001. During that period her PB dose was increased from .5 gr BID to 1 gr BID with no change to her seizure history. In Mar/Apr 2001 she had seizures at 3 wks, then 15 days. I started her on a raw diet that day.
Medications	After Diet:S Since starting a raw diet April 20, 2001 her seizures have been 5 wks, 80 days, then 18 months 10 days. I began to slowly lower her PB when she was about a yr seizure-free. Pepper has been off PB since Aug 2003 & is 11 months seizure-free. Note: on Janueary 25th Pepper suffered from bad cluster seizures and was put back on 32mgs of Phenobarbital.
Comments	In addition to fewer seizures, Pepper's teeth are cleaner & her breath is fresh. She no longer passes gas. She didn't have a problem with her coat before, but her coat seems to be thicker & shinier with no flaky skin. She has little body odor even though she's only bathed every 2-3 months. She's had very few fleas since the diet change & I haven't used flea products on her in over 2 years. [We live in Florida] Pepper seems more satisfied with her raw meals and doesn't act like she is starving like she did while eating kibble. Because I'm able to purchase meats by the case, it is less expensive for me to feed a raw meaty bones diet than a super premium.

Sandie's Radar

Breed	Beagle
Age when seizures started ?	2.5 years
Age now?	7 years
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	We changed from Kibble to home cooked in June of 2000. He was on home cooked until July of 2001 when we switched back to kibble
What do you feed?	The home cooked diet consisted of cooked chicken, potato and vegetables with an egg twice a week and supplements such as bone meal.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	There was no change in Radar's seizure pattern during the year that he was on the home cooked diet.
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Medications	Before Diet: 30 mg of Phenobarbital three times a day and 250 mg of Potassium Bromide once a day
Medications	After:His medications stayed the same while he was on the diet however they have since changed to 15 mg of Phenobarbital twice a day and 400 mg of Potassium Bromide once a day.
Comments	There was no change in Radar's medications while he was on the home cooked diet. He stayed on the same dose of bromide and his serum levels never changed which was a surprise to me. I expected to have to reduce bromide but that was not the case.

Annette's Raleigh

Breed	Australian Shepherd
Age when seizures started ?	4 years old
Age now?	7 years old
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	over 1 year ago
What do you feed?	Morning meal of steamed fish/yogurt/raw egg yolk evening meal raw meat/raw veggies (usually ground chicken necks and occasional chopped beef or ground lamb). Veggies are crushed and a mix of usually zucchini/kale/parsley/carrot/apples. Supplements of vitaminB/C/E/Taurine/kelp/alfalfa/ /salmon oil/olive oil/occasional A/D and occasional ground egg shells/knuckle bones. Snacks are seeds/nuts/avocado/fruit and home made dog biscuits.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	They did lessen for a while but although it has not made a consistent difference in the seizures it has made a difference to his general health.
Is there a history of allergies?	Yes last year very bad ear problems and some skin problems
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	Yes, they seem to be gone.
Comments	I feel this diet gives Raleigh the best chance for overall health whether the seizures lessen or not. He has clean teeth and breath and looks healthy.

Lisa's Riley

Breed	Golden Retriever
Age when seizures started ?	1-1/2
Age now?	2 1/2
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	August 2003
What do you feed?	What do you feed? Raw chicken wings, legs, necks, turkey necks, raw hamburger, green beans, canned peaches and pears in light syrup.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	They have lessened
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Comments	Riley's seizures aren't completely under control yet, but he's certainly much better than he used to be. For a pup that was seizing anywhere from once a week, to clustering up to 23 seizures in 24 hours, I'd consider where we are now a huge success (knock on wood!) Since December 1, Riley has had only two seizures, which is awesome for him. At the moment, we're attributing it to stress. A big thing I noticed: His seizures came back when i started buying the cheaper chicken. Bad mommy didn't check the salt content on the label and his Kbr stopped working so well.

Becky's Sable AKA Sablebable, Bully

Breed	Pitt Bull( found abandoned and abused at 4 weeks, no history)
Age when seizures started ?	18 months
Age now?	3 1/2
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	September 2003
What do you feed?	60% to 70% meat, 30% to 40% veggies & fruit, 10% Oatmeal (once in a while). I prepare ground beef, chicken and organ meat (what is on sale) on very low heat. Remove before completely done and drain off excess fat and chop up. About 15lbs of meat a week. Then I chop up veggies of the week. I try to go with low calorie to keep down the weight like celery, kale, collard greens, and (cooked) carrots. I am saving up for a good juicer so I do not have to chop and cook. I bag individual servings and freeze. For the feeding I defrost in the microwave for 6 minutes then as banana's, apples, pumpkin, yogurt, and a daily raw egg with shell. She loves yogurt. Repeat in the PM. If she seems exceptionally hungry and has had a busy day of exercise (swimming), I will give her a cup of oatmeal.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Yes, they have lessened tremendously. At one time you could set your clock by Sable's seizures. Every 2 weeks at 1 am. She had very hard cluster seizures and went status 3 times. Of course this was before the diet and she was on commercial kibble. Now she is down to every 4 to 5 weeks and no more than 2 seizures.
Is there a history of allergies?	None that I am aware of but I have remove all grain from her diet except for some occasional oatmeal and I have not noticed anything from that.
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Comments	I was stubborn and because I knew of many dogs that had healthy lives on commercial kibble and unfortunately Sable paid the price because it took me a year to switch to a cooked diet. I am convinced that the diet has done more for her than anything. The PB only seemed to help break the clusters but did not slow down the frequency. I added Kbr 2 weeks after weaning her soley on to the diet so I am sure it is also helping but from the day she weaned she went 7 1/2 weeks without a seizure. I was quite amazed. Now I am happy to spend the time it takes to make the food because I think of all the hours of sleep I missed and the peace of mind that I am doing something to fight this monster, the big "S".

Dale's Samantha

Breed	Breed Golden Retriever
Age when seizures started ?	2years
Age now?	6years
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	May, 2002
What do you feed?	Ground chicken w/bone/ground beef with assorted veggies AM, whole RBMs PM
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Seem to have stopped (two years!)
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Medications	Before Diet: 2.3ml 300mg/ml KBR BID Weight 102lbs
Medications	After: No AED's Weight : 77 lbs !!
Comments	After she started having seizures we gradually improved the quality of her kibble and her seizures did gradually spread out. Sam was diagnosed with secondary megaesophagus (most likely due to KBr) in January 2002, almost 6 months prior to starting a raw diet. I began home cooking for her during that time due to megae. Once it was under control, raw seemed the next natural transition. After about 6 months on raw we had reduced her KBr drastically enough with still no seizure activity that I decided to eliminate it. We still have had no seizures since eliminating KBr!

Jeff's Sava

Breed	Rottweiler
Age when seizures started ?	2 yrs
Age now?	4yrs 10 mo
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	month after the very first seizure.
What do you feed?	At present BARF. For Sava we feed a meal consisting of chicken necks, backs or wings (what ever is available) cut into bite size pieces at about 60% and a mix of uncooked collard greens or spinach, beets, yams, carrots, yellow and green squash at about 30% and mix in about 10% raw canned pumpkin and some canned Mackerel. These veggies are mixed together in a processor and served at the consistency of coleslaw. The pumpkin and fish are added at mealtime. Sava is a large dog (136+ lbs.) so he eats about 3.5 lbs of this mix 2 times a day and Sable (the Pom) gets about 4-5 oz. 2 times a day. For snacks I feed carrots and bananas and apples, sometimes melon if it is in season and not too expensive. On the weekend I give Sava a large RMB which will last most of the weekend. Sable gets pork neck bones.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Not necessarily.
Is there a history of allergies?	Not any that we are aware of.
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Comments	Although Sava has not gotten any better (seizure wise) he certainly has not gotten any worse. His weight is very much under control which helps keep his meds at the lowest levels possible. Due to the raw diet, I believe Sava is as healthy as any dog his age. He has beautiful white teeth, nice smelling breath and a luxurious, shiny coat. He hasn't taken a bath in over 2 years and has no "doggie"smell and his ears need little or no maintenance. He loves his food and I never have had one problem with getting him to eat. The only downside may be his gas. He can sound like an old college roommate and smell just as bad but, that is little consequence to the benefits I have seen from feeding the raw diet. I even feed my 14 yr old Pomeranian BARF and she has become like a new dog. More energy than she has had in 5 years. I just feel better knowing that I am doing everything I can to keep my guys as healthy as they can possibly be even if this wasn't the "magic pill" for Sava. I honestly try to promote BARF whenever I am in doggie circles.

Tracy's Sandor

Breed	Akbash Dog
Age when seizures started ?	19 months
Age now?	3 years, 10 months
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	21 months
What do you feed?	We feed a big variety. (Very opportunistic - based on availability and price). Mainly chicken and beef, but also lamb, rabbit, deer and fish. Large raw meaty beef and lamb bones (recreational). Organ meats mostly from beef and chicken (liver, giblets, heart, tongue and tripe). Also regularly include organic whole milk yogurt or kefir. Vegetables and fruit in season and frozen (in winter). Infrequently oatmeal and eggs with shells. Supplement with alfalfa, kelp, fish oils, vit B complex, digestive enzymes and milk thistle.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	No seizures since July 30, 2002 (previously seizures were bad clusters and status
Is there a history of allergies?	N/A
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Comments	In addition to switching to a raw diet we stopped using heartworm/flea preventatives, January 2002 (believed to be linked to or even possibly the cause of seizures for Sand or, even by the vet we had at the time).

Lauri's Tazer

Breed	Cocker Spaniel
Age when seizures started ?	5 yrs old
Age now?	6 years
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	When he was about 2 yrs old
What do you feed?	Raw diet - mostly chicken and home raised/butchered rabbit, no vegetables, raw green tripe occasionally,
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	His first (and so far only) seizure came after he went almost 3 weeks without getting any beef heart. Beef heart is high in natural taurine which has been shown to help with epilepsy. Right after his seizure we got some beef heart and now make sure he never goes for more than 2-3 days without some and he hasn't seized again.
Is there a history of allergies?	BIG time! During the summers he would fear going outside if it was the least bit windy. The wind on his body caused him to scratch like crazy.
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	All crazy-scratching was gone within the first few months on the raw diet. We moved to a 3 acre farm and were worried that the increase in grass and such would cause him problems - but it never did. He has only had the typical ear trouble seen in most Cockers once - and that was after he got into a bag of kibble for our foster dogs and ate a large amount.
Comments	I switched my dogs to raw due to my German Shepherd Tessa's immune system disorder. She had been on heavy doses of Prednisilone and the vets all warned me that the drugs would eventually kill her. I researched and found out about raw diets and switched all the dogs. Tazer came along after my Shepherds had been on raw for a year or so switching Tessa's diet gave us an additional 6 years with her - without the steroids.

Linda's Timmy

Breed	West Highland White Terrier
Age when seizures started ?	Almost 3 years old
Age now?	Almost 9 years old
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	1998
What do you feed?	Lonsdale raw diet
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Seizures stopped over 2 years ago
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Comments	Timmy is sensitive to chemical preservatives and anti-oxidants (induce seizures).

Melissa's Tina

Breed	Aussie Shep mix
Age when seizures started ?	adopted Tina when she was roughly 3.5yrs old (she was taken form someone who abused her) so I don't know exactly when they started but she's had them ever since I got her.
Age now?	8yrs
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	1yr ago
What do you feed?	Morning Gruel - she gets about 1 to 1.5 cups of a mixture of the following that I prepare in advance and freeze Greens Carrots Zucchini/Courgette Yams Runner Beans or green beans (whichever are on sale) Spinach Eggs (including shell) Meat (either chicken, chicken+tripe, beef, or tripe) PM Either a repeat of breakfast in a slightly larger quantity or raw chicken including bones
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Her seizures only stopped since the addition of Kbr. Prior to that the raw diet only really seemed to provide other benefits like: glossier coat, shinier eyes, less poop (actually this worried me at first but it just means her body is absorbing more of the nutrients in her food now so hence less poop)
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Comments	While the raw diet didn't seem to have an impact on the seizures in my epi both of my dogs seem to be benefiting from the raw diet. They seem to eat less (well the non-epi does, the epi is always hungry), have healthier coats and eyes and generally seem to have more energy. The biggest improvement from the raw diet was actually in my non-epi. He was another rescue dog who was nearly starved to death when I got him (37lbs vs. his healthy 68lbs now!) and he barely had any fur, etc. The first summer they were on the raw diet and Jack shed off his fur the coat that came in for the fall/winter was absolutely luxurious. Tina's coat was improved as well but Jack's was dramatically improved.

Carrie's Tonka

Breed	Australian Sheppard/Rott mix
Age when seizures started ?	About 3 1/2 years old
Age now?	About 5 years
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	This is the second time I tried the diet. The first time I had great results but I had introduced KBR at the same time. He went two and a half months without a seizure. I didn't realize the positive results came from the diet. Long story, but I was concerned that I wasn't giving Tonka the proper nutrition and took him off the diet and put him back on premium kibble. His seizures started back up and over the next five months he went from one every two weeks to two every five days. I had increased the KBR and added PB and still no affect. He could barely climb onto the couch or the bed on Sunday mornings; we had to help him on and off and some days he didn't even want to try. At this point I began planning for what I thought was the inevitable and how to transition my non epi to life without his best friend. Luckily, I happened upon on movie on the Ketogenic diet for humans and I started thinking it was time to try the diet again as a last ditch effort. He has been seizure free for 6 months. He is off PB and I have reduced his KBR by half. The picture I sent is from our trip to the Oregon Coast. This was a sort of victory trip. Tonka should have been dead, instead he spent a week running on the beach and basking in the sunset and he will see many more.
What do you feed?	Meat: I feed them 3% of their body weight in boiled meat total for the day. I feed them whatever I can get cheap, ground beef, boneless skinless chicken thighs, pork, organ meat, etc. Vegetables: To the meat I add three heaping, I do mean heaping, tablespoons of vegetable mix (blended in a food processor). They are so heaping I would call them more like six tablespoons. The mix includes spinach or other dark leafy green veggie like parsley or kale, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, various squash, potatoes and just about any other veggie I find. Supplements: I also include vit. E 400 IU a day, Glucosamine, Taurine, Fish Oil for its Omega 3 fatty acids and Selenium. For Calcium and Phosphorus I add 1/2 tsp of ground eggshells per pound of meat.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	Absolutely yes! He has been seizure free for six months and counting, I would like to reach a point where I stop counting.
Is there a history of allergies?	No
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	N/A
Comments	I think the fact that I tried Tonka on the diet, off the diet, with drug and without drugs is a testimony to home cooked (or raw diets). I know it doesn't work for all dogs, but I can say without reservation, it worked for Tonka. I think the important thing is to not freak out about getting it just right. Dogs have lived for centuries on scraps.

Jeanette's Tyke

Breed	Border Collie
Age when seizures started ?	1 1/2 years old
Age now?	Tyke will be 7 years old on 1/28/04
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	When he was 6 months old we made him a home prepared diet of cooked rice and veggies and Raw meat.
What do you feed?	What we feed now: Raw chicken and turkey necks, lamb, and Beef. Heart, lung and kidney twice a week, raw crushed veggies twice a week.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	The seizures lessened.
Is there a history of allergies?	Yes, after being on the raw diet the allergies stopped. Where as on the home cooked diet of raw meat and cooked rice and veggies , the allergies did not stop.
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	Yes, the raw diet took care of his allergies and calmed him down.
Comments	Before we started on raw meat, he was a very busy Border Collie. After the raw diet meat was introduced to his diet, he calmed down . Before raw meat, he was acting like a kid on a sugar high. He still has lots of energy, but it is controlled and he only uses it when he needs it.

Ann's Zig

Breed	Staffordshire Bullterrier.
Age when seizures started ?	2 Years 1 Month.
Age now?	7 Years 5 Months.
When did you change from kibble to present diet?	2 years ago.
What do you feed?	Dr Dodd 's Liver cleansing diet Sweet potato's, New Potato's, Celery, Zucchini, Green beans, Summer Squash,garlic ( all lightly cooked),cod without skin, children's Multivitamin once a day, Probiotics, Enzymes, and a Cod liver oil capsule every other day, every two weeks I give Zig a piece of raw lambs Liver for his Iron intake, most importantly a quarter of a teaspoon of Calcium Phos every day, there is some Calcium in the multivitamin but not enough.
Have the seizures stopped or lessened?	No
Is there a history of allergies?	Yes to fat of any kind, his Liver cannot tolerate fats.
If so has there been a decrease in symptoms?	Yes with this diet he is much healthier, coat, eyes gleaming now.
Comments	I realize now that whatever medicines we give to Zig his seizures will not abate, they still come at the same frequency no matter what meds he is on, so better to have Zig happy, not suffering from ataxia or laying about sleeping for most of the day, his life now is happy, healthy and he runs about playing all the time, he is on just one med, 1000mgs of KBr, that was increased 3 days ago from 750 mg.

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