7 May 2020
Dietary supplement found to reduce seizure frequency in dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy.
David Woodmansey
Job Title
Image © chalabala / Fotolia
Research by the RVC shows that small changes to the diets of dogs with hard-to-treat epilepsy has the potential to reduce the number of seizures and improve the quality of life for affected dogs and their owners.
Current treatments focus on managing the condition and reducing how often seizures occur. However, despite treatment with appropriate anti-seizure medication, approximately one-third of dogs continue to experience frequent seizures.
This has significant impacts on their behaviour and cognitive functions and can also make dogs prone to anxiety.
A team of RVC researchers, led by Holger Volk and Benjamin Andreas Berk, alongside canine behaviour and welfare scientist Rowena Packer, tested the effects of an oil supplement on seizure frequency in dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Previous research by the RVC had shown that the oil, which contains a specific type of fat known as medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, could have beneficial effects when included within a dry kibble diet.
During this study, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the oil was added as a supplement to a dog’s existing diet to determine if the same benefits could be achieved.
The oil was tested in a rigorous clinical trial, during which 28 dogs received the MCT oil for three months and a placebo oil for three months. Both owners and investigators were blind to which oil dogs were receiving during each phase.
Overall, dogs had significantly fewer seizures during the MCT phase, compared to the placebo phase, and an improved owner-reported quality of life.
The authors say new therapies are urgently needed to improve the quality of life of affected dogs and their owners and the results of this study offer a promising addition to other methods commonly used to treat canine epilepsy.
The work was funded by The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation.
