Some believe that commercial dog food is at the heart of many different illness in canines, and I think it may have contributed to my dog's seizures and may have even caused them. The reason I came to that conclusion is that Cory?s seizures gradually were reduced once we stopped feeding him kibble and canned dog food, until they stopped completely over 5 years ago, without ever putting him on anti-epileptic drugs. Were you even aware that there are other foods that can also cause seizures in canines and harm your dog's overall health? Some of these caught me by surprise!

• Chocolate Foods.

Almost everyone knows that chocolate can cause seizures and even death in a dog. I'll never forget the day that Cory found Jayson's stash of Halloween chocolate. He had consumed quite a bit of it when Jayson discovered him, with Cory?s head deep inside the bowl of chocolate bars and his tail wagging with exuberant glee. My son contacted the poison control center and was told to get Cory to drink some Hydrogen Peroxide. This caused Cory to throw up. I am very glad that I keep Hydrogen Peroxide in my first aid cabinet. Of course, Jayson led Cory outside for this part, as it was sure to be messy. We were very lucky that Jayson found out about it soon enough so that no harm was done. If ever you suspect your dog to have gotten into and eaten chocolate, don't hesitate to call your vet immediately. If you do indeed, catch your dog in the act of eating chocolate, you should use the Hydrogen Peroxide treatment. Dark chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate.

• Any product containing Onion Powder or an Onion itself.

These contain sulfoxides and disulfides which can cause damage to the red blood cells, resulting in the dog becoming anemic.

• Raw Fish.

Particularly in Oregon and Washington, a lot of fish are contaminated with a fluke that is contaminated with a bacteria that is known to trigger seizures and possibly even death when eaten without it being cooked thoroughly. Once you have cooked the fish first, the danger is eliminated, even though you need to be careful and make sure you remove all the bones before allowing your dog any of it. I am no scientist and don't have the specific formula, but I have heard it said that if you freeze the fish at a certain temperature, the extreme cold will kill off the fluke and destroy the bacteria, thus eliminating the problem, you'll have to do the research for length of time and the required temperature before you try this.

• Foods Containing Nutmeg

It never really crossed my mind to put nutmeg on Cory's food, not even at the holidays, but it has been shown to cause tremors, seizures, and yes, even death. Be sure not to give your god pieces of a treat that might have nutmeg as an ingredient, and this one is easy to follow.

• Foods Containing Mushrooms

Certain mushrooms have poisons that might lead to issues for dogs. This is particularly true for wild mushrooms. I already was aware of this danger, so I was able to keep Cory from eating any as we took our walks. ?Leave it? is a great command to teach your dog early.

• Food Made for Cats

Poor Cory, he loves to lick the plate clean after our kitty's done eating, and now that I found out about this one, he won't be able to anymore. Basically, cat food contains too much fat and protein for a dog's digestive needs. Well, maybe licking the plate is still an option, but remember that cat food is not interchangeable with dog food.

• Seeds of Apples

Fruit pits and apple seeds all have cyanide in then, and that leads to seizures.

• Grapes and Raisins.

There is conflicting information regarding raisins and grapes because when I discovered that these foods can lead to kidney failure in dogs, I was actually using a dog training manual that said to feed dogs raisins as treats. I called the person who wrote the training manual to discuss this and she dismissed my issues because she said she has fed her dogs raisins for as long as she has been training them. My only advice is to do the research and be aware of the risks before giving your dogs raisins or grapes.

• Egg Whites alone are also dangerous.

feeding your dog the entire egg is not a problem, the issue comes with the splitting of the whites and the yolk, the whites of an egg contain a protein named avidin, and it actually depletes your dog's body of the essential B vitamins. The yoke seems to have an element that counteracts the avidin protein in the whites, so if an egg is eaten whole, the depletion of vitamin B is no longer an issue.