Epileptic seizures triggered by eating in dogs

Seizures triggered by eating (STE) behavior are very rare in humans and have not been documented previously in dogs.

To document the occurrence of STE in dogs and describe their clinical features.

Ten client-owned dogs with STE diagnosed at 5 European referral centers.

A call for suspected cases of STE was made online. This call was followed by a retrospective review of medical records, combined with a questionnaire to be completed by both the owner and the board-certified neurologist who made the diagnosis. Cases were included if >50% of the seizures that occurred were related to eating and if a minimum diagnostic evaluation for seizures had been performed.

Four cases only had STE and 6 cases had both STE and spontaneous seizures. Four of the dogs were retrievers. The most common seizure type was focal epileptic seizures evolving to become generalized. Nine dogs were diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. One dog had a presumptive diagnosis of glioma involving the margins of the parietal, temporal, and frontal cortex (the perisylvian region), an area known to have a key role in eating-associated epilepsy in people. Treatment strategies included a combination of pharmacological management and eating habit changes.

We have identified a form of reflex epilepsy in dogs, with STE behavior. Further studies are warranted to improve the characterization and management of STE.