Testimonials

The Ultimate Testimony

Hello Dogtor J,

Two and a half years ago, my daughter was praying about her 5 year old son, Garrett, asking God, "What is wrong with my son?". He would kick, scream, hit, throw himself on the floor, have "tantrums". He would only wear black and grey. Family members with children asked her not to bring him over because he was so mean. Another said he should be tested for ADHD.(These symptoms started around two years of age. The doctors all said he was just going through a phase - all kids do.) For a long time she thought it had to be just a discipline problem.

After the first prayer, the word "wheat" popped into her head. She checked it out on the Internet and decided she didn't want to deal with that. So she prayed again, and got the same answer. Three times she prayed asking the same thing, and three times she got the same answer "wheat". So she decided to try it. Four days later her little boy sat on the floor for 2 hours making a coloring book for his little sister.

Before, at bath time, he would scream to have to undress, scream about getting his hair washed, scream about getting out. It was always a huge battle. After being gluten free for 4 days, the bath time went like this. He got into the tub after undressing himself, let his Dad wash his hair - no yelling (by anyone)- he got himself out of the tub, dried himself off, dressed, put the toys away, emptied the tub, cleaned up the bathroom and went peacefully to bed. WHAT A CHANGE. She got her sweet, intelligent little boy back.

She told me the symptoms of celiac disease on the phone and this story about Garrett. I said it sounded like me and decided to try going gluten-free too. Four days later , I was feeling great. (I had been depressed, over weight, tired, couldn't think. I'd sit in bed half the day, force myself to get up and get dressed, and then battle to get anything accomplished after I did get up. Total fuzz brain. And I had chronic anemia)

One of the main Websites my daughter found was yours. "The Answer" helped us so much. The first year we went gluten-free. The second year we gave up dairy. I have type-II diabetes and weighed 264 pounds. My A1C hadn't been below 7.2 in 12 years. The very month after I gave up the milk, my A1C was 6.4 and has been in the 6. range for the past year and a half. Oh, and I've lost 80 lbs. (I haven't given up sugar or fats like I tried on other diets, nor have I cut down on quantity. If I'm hungry, I eat.) My daughter lost 85 lbs. in the same time frame doing the same thing. It amazes us that even a tiny amount of milk will cause terrible food cravings. We have since also cut out soy and corn.

I don't eat any grains at all (no buckwheat either) because they all cause the foggy brain, tiredness, depression, diarrhea. Soy also causes my heart to beat irregularly (skipped beats and then extra hard ones). I used to have sinus headaches all the time, and often had colds, bronchitis, pneumonia. I was sick all the time. A sinus headache now means I ate the wrong thing. And I've only had two colds in the past 2 1/2 years (which only lasted up to 4 days.)

People feel sorry for us because we can't eat everything but if I had known this stuff in my 20's I'd have gladly given it up to feel so good. (I'd tried every diet I could find.) For the past few years I felt so rotten , I didn't think I'd live for more than ten years. I felt like an old lady (I was only 53), and had to climb stairs one at a time (right foot up, right foot up etc. and down the same way - except right foot down, right foot down...smile..) Now I can run up and down the stairs. I feel like I'm in my early 40's again. I got rid of the antidepressants right away (after no gluten). Who needs them when you feel so good.

After giving up some of these foods, we have become sensitive to what our bodies are telling us about other foods. Giving foods up has become so easy especially when plain healthy food tastes so good now. My doctor was concerned about me giving up milk but my bone density test came back saying I have the bone density of a 30 year old. (Thank you green veggies and fruits.)

At this time, my daughter's whole family is gluten-free, milk-free, soy-free, corn-free, and a couple are egg-free. (That includes one husband and 3 children.) My oldest sons family is milk-free and my son is also gluten-free. My youngest son is trying his oldest son on no gluten and the baby (1 year) can't handle milk. Their daughter was tested for celiac (biopsy) but the test was negative. I think she shouldn't have gluten because she is so hyper and itches all over. It takes a long time for people to be willing to try these diet changes.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your obedience to God. I don't want to think where we'd be if your Website wasn't out there. I have copied "The Answer" off many times and given it to people who don't have computers. I have passed out your Website many times when people want to know what happened to me. I suspected you were a brother in Christ by what I read. That made it easier for me to give the information out to people. Two weeks ago, I gave this Website to a friend with insomnia. I also remembered that at one time she had suffered from severe anemia. She went gluten-free and after 9 days, she had had two complete nights of sound sleep which she hadn't had in 2 years.

I believe God wants His people well. Thank you so much for you obedience to Him.

Lynn

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I learned a lot of valuable information from reading on your website.

My son has had idiopathic seizures since age 4 and I have grown frustrated with the lack of detective work done by the neurologists, everything is simply what pills do you want?

When it became obvious that food was involved, I did some research ( including your site ) and learned about the stuff we are eating as a society. It is garbage - but with huge margins!

SO, I changed Trae's diet and the grand mals he was having went away within 48 hours.

He still had some small seizures( brief arm jerks ), but he was much more alert and it was obvious that his problem is related to his diet.

Are there any doctors that can help us test for sensitivity to food additives? We had blood tests done for food allergies, but they came back allergic only to garlic. So we are at a loss. We are very encouraged because we are taking control of our own treatment, but the usual medical community is not interested in pursuing dietary changes.

So, if you can help, what type of doctor can do dietary detective work and what would be some of the tests that we could ask for ?

Thanks for your positive message, and God bless.

S. S.

Tarpon Springs, FL

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From a colleague 12-23-02

Dr. Baker (my pen name at the time): Thank you for the article. Subsequent to your information I placed a dog that has been having cluster seizures every 12 hours even though being treated by the College of Veterinary Medicine here at the University of Florida in Gainesville with phenobarb, dilantin, KBr, and valium on the duck/potato diet you recommended. I talked with the owner today and the dog has not had any further seizures since starting the diet which has now been four (4) days.. Understand the client is still giving all the other meds but since he was considering euthanasia he is thrilled that there has been a cessation of the seizures. This is a really good test case since this dog has been seizuring for the past several years and has gotten progressively worse. I am very excited about what you have documented as I have certainly had my share of seizuring dogs over the years and although most have infrequent episodes there are those like this dog that just get worse regardless of treatment. I will keep you advised as I plan to incorporate this protocol in my seizure patients.

Dr. S.

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Hi Dr. J,

I received your paper through the friend of a friend and had already been dairy free for 7 weeks when I read it. Since I read your paper, I have quit eating wheat, too and have had tremendous results. I found your paper to be absolutely fascinating, although in need of some editing! It doesn’t necessarily matter to me what your background is, all I know is I feel GREAT! My uncle is a well-known chiropractor in Austin and he’s the one who discovered my dairy allergy – after 7 years of severe dandruff (that only Aveda scalp remedy used every other day could contain) and other mild skin problems, kicking dairy has nearly eliminated those problems – I would say a 95% improvement. After reading your paper, I cut out wheat – my constant heartburn, and chronic pain in my lower back have improved by nearly the same as above. In addition, I have had improvements in my cervical area and even my MOOD is improved (not to mention my little stomach is little again)! I think you are on the right track and I have been sharing your paper and info with as many people as will listen.

Sincerely, A***** in Austin

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On February 18, 2003, I reported on my situation with nocturnal seizures. This all seemingly showed up at the time of menopause. Yet I wonder if it had been hiding in the corner most of my life!

As a baby my mother fed me cow's milk and said I was a mess with colic. I asked her what they did to try to help. Just fed you more milk and you would cry, and I would cry she said. Then as a six year old or so, I recall going to my grandmother's house for those Sunday dinners we all loved. She always had mashed potatoes, I am from Indiana so have to add that e on potato)--and I would stuff myself with noodles. On the way home in the late afternoon, the sun would be so bright in my eyes and I would get those "half headaches." I presume they were migraine.

As a teen, I loved those milkshakes and breaded tenderloins. More headaches and let's stop along the cornfield and vomit episodes I recall all too well.

As a young adult, I remember waking in my sleep, sitting straight up, and saying-Hey, hey, hey! My husband and three sons recall that deal to this day. Also during that time I continued to have horrible migraines. I wonder if this could have been a seizure disorder even then, or should I say a food allergy disorder. I only wish I would have known then what I am learning now.

Then five years ago came the gran mals in the middle of the night. Of course there were scans, meds, and -- the dreaded depression of dealing with the whole affair. The seizures continued. They were on a monthly cycle, between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. and many times after I had eaten ice cream.

Enters--Dogtor J. On January 12 of 2003, I changed my diet some would say weirdly. For breakfast I ate a banana, apple, and raw cashews...
For lunch I ate Romaine lettuce, sliced pickled beets, kidney beans, onion and a poppy seed dressing. Sometimes I add some boiled egg slices.
In the evening I ate a small amount of fish, etc., potato, and a veggie.
If I was still hungry and wanted a snack--I would eat raw cashews, fresh fruit, or raw veggie.

Guess what?????????????????? I have not had a gran mal since I took your suggestion and am following the above diet. I have lost 10 pounds also. No headaches, no depression, and you will notice no dairy or grain products.

We raise German Shepherds and I tell everyone I guess I am a "real dog." Your diet works for me it seems at this point just like for puppies. The last episode I had was December 20, 2002!

I still take a low dosage of Keppra and take my Melaleuca vitamins each day.

This morning you would have been so proud! At the Easter breakfast at church, everyone is snarfing down all the sweet rolls, muffins, and milk! There I am munching on my raw cashews and bottled water. At noon I ate some beef, fresh asparagus, and ate salad that I had prepared in my way as usual. I really am not even tempted by the junk food now and it makes me so upset to see where our society is headed with their junk mania.

What more can I say but-----THANKS!!!! ~L**** in Indiana

Follow up from L. in Indiana

Thanks once again for your help in helping me with my seizure battle. I continue to follow your eating guidelines and continue to do very well. I have not had any dairy products for over two years. Once in awhile I have eaten a grain product, but that is very, very rare. I have been checked for bone density and it actually has improved without the dairy products. That was a real shocker to the doctor but not to me.

I am still taking a very small amount of Keppra. Little by little I am trying to reduce that also. It has been interesting to note that I feel more dizzy as my health improves. I am sure it is the medication causing the dizziness. It seems my body is trying to say....get that stuff out of here! I have not had a seizure since 2003 when you showed up in my life!

Thanks again. ~L**** from Indiana

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Hello Dogtor J-

I am a big fan that thanks you for enlightening us on the GARD aspect of epilepsy and saving our 6 year old German Shepherd from being put down by the vet for non responsive cluster epilepsy.We noticed the time frame after she ate and that was the clincher.We went out and got Dick Van patten's food and she has been her normal self for the first time in years.We are still giving her the phenobarbital-100 mg once daily and I wanted your opinion on that.I also wanted to ask you for help getting rid of my incurable GI symptoms.I have been on the no wheat, dairy, corn, soy, sugar diet for about two weeks. I was amazed at how much better I felt stomach acid wise immediately until the last two days when I have had a sour stomach again after eating some pineapple.I have been on Prilosec and then added some Mylanta today.Then I read your Helo pylori comments. Ouch! Can you tell me how to deal with this without meds and what to expect healing wise and what to eat to be safe?I would appreciate the help in dealing with this wretched stomach response.I eat only chicken and beef,vegetables,and fruit.All fresh.Nothing else but water and Iced Tea. Again,thank you for saving our girl,Zoe.Hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,
B.

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Hi Dr.J

I just wanted to give you an update towhen I contacted you 2 yrs ago about my Rhodesian Ridgeback and his seizures.

After finding your site, reading and reading and researching. I summized his seizures were caused by the dog food kibble he was eating. At that point I made the decision to STOP feeding any processed dog food and from then forward began feeding a raw diet only. BINGO......his seizures stopped immediataly!! It's been 2 yrs now and he's been seizure free. He was having grande mal seizures once a month for about 6 months before switching to raw.

S.

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Dr. J

Your work with epilepsy has helped my daughter . She has been on numerous meds and also has a VSN implanted in her but her seizures continued. I was given your name from Silvia Skansen the breeder of giants; I bought one of her dogs, anyways from my reading I learned of you and your research. My daughter is 23 and developed epilepsy at 19 yrs old. She has been taking turine for about 6 months and has been free of all meds since April 05 she has only had 1 grandmaual seizer and a few tremors. We have shared your web site and info with many people The question I needed to ask you is that my daughter and her husband are trying to conceive a baby and is it ok to continue with the turine?? And do you have any other suggestions?

Any help you can give would be appreciated. Thanks again for the research and help you have given to my family

C.

Incredible info !!!

I recently started drinking soy instead of low fat milk, thinking it would be beneficial.

After talking with David and reading the results of your research, I understood why I was having some stomach problems, fatigue, headaches and dificulty sleeping. I am no longer using the soy drink and feeling much better.

Thank you , thank you, thank you...

B.

Dear Dr. Baker (again, my pen name, which is actually my middle name),

Your article was just recently referred to me. It is superb and certainly in line with what I have discovered with my "pack" of Irish Setters. I am attaching a brief (3 pages) article I wrote for our state Irish Setter Club. I believe that your theories, nay actual results, are well supported in what has occurred in specifically two of my dogs. The one was near death after fighting IBD, Colonities and PeriAnal Fistulas for over 3 years. He is now a picture of health at 9 1/2. The epilseptic dog has been seizure free since switching to raw diet last March, immediately after his first seizure cluster. Thank you for your efforts.

Sincerely,

T.

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From a well-known veterinary nutritionist

To J.S. Baker, D.V.M.

Thank you indeed for making contact. I know you now as J. S. Baker, D.V.M. or "Dogtor", but I am assuming the J stands for something?

You and I have been in the profession approximately the same length of time, however I did not start my vet studies until I was about 27 having first studied agricultural science followed by secondary school teaching for four years. Like you, I graduated well from University and like you, once I was struck by the diet/health nexus, it became my passion.

To say I am impressed with your work is a gross understatement. I have, over the last six to eight months, read several awareness raising books on the role that dietary gluten plays in disease production. However, your synthesis of the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal, neurological and other degenerative diseases has allowed shadowy ideas to develop into concrete [and exciting] forms. Thank you indeed for sharing your knowledge and insight.

I have not had a chance to read even a quarter of your web site, however, what I have read tells me that your work is of landmark importance. And even that statement trivializes what you have to say.

I look forward to reading the full 40 page text [my wife promises to print it out for me tomorrow.]

Eventually the profession WILL look seriously at the fundamental role nutrition plays in health states. Your work hastens that day.

Trusting we can stay in contact

Sincerely

I.B.

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Dogtor J,

I think you'll find this interesting.

My mini doxie has been on the lamb & rice diet for going on a couple of weeks now. I haven't yet tapered down her phenobarb.

Yesterday morning I dropped a (frozen-type) Belgian waffle. Unfortunately, she grabbed & ate most of it.

She had a seizure last night at 1:00 am! She's never had a seizure on her full dose of phenobarb. (NOTE: this is the typical 5-6 hour interval that occurs between eating and seizure in pets NOT on AEDs. Once on drugs, this interval gets distorted)

In my mind this gives credence to your diet plan.

V.in Atlanta

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A very comprehensive letter

Hi John-

Thanks agagin for everything.I will do as you say and get off the caffeine. Anything is better than not being able to lay down to sleep when you are exhausted.I was up until 4:30 am with my stomach.

Z.'s history with epilepsy started at about 5 years of age.She is seven.8 at Christmas.She had a multiple vaccine from a mobile vet and within 24 hours had her first grand mal seizure.I am a firm believer that no animal needs to be vaccinated for anything yearly.It was a cluster and was very serious and life threatening and we took her to the emergency after hours clinic in the middle of the night.They gave her the Phenobarb but to no avail so ended up giving her a shot of anesthesia that totally put her out like she was dead.

We started her on 100 mg once a day of phenobarb and it worked fairly well(according to the vet) with only a few seizures a month reoccurring.After a year they became more frequent and also became cluster type events everytime not just a brief seizure.Usually at least a 24 hour nightmare and then a week of recovery.

The phenobarb even at the higher doses during seizures was becoming more ineffectual as time went on.Same with the valium for the clusters.Thus the non-responsive therapy diagnoses.

She was on Nutro Lamb and Rice since we have had her so we never considered diet. But we also gave both our dogs cheese, cashews, bread, doggie snacks etc.etc.That has stopped as well as they are both on duck and potato food from Dick Van Patten and doing great.

As the seizures worsened we noticed the connection to feeding time and her seizures and when she finally had the last one that nearly had her put down I found your site while frantically looking for another ANSWER and I found exactly that.THE ANSWER from you,Dogtor J.

During her two years of seizures she had not been the same dog like her personality had vanished.Now on the new allergen free GARD diet she is seizure-free and back to her old self immediately doing things she hasn't done since she was afflicted with this whole ordeal.

I can't tell you how much my wife and I appreciate what you have done for us and our dogs.They are our children and we love them like we love ourselves.I am hoping to avoid my paternal history of arthereoschlerosis with the new diet and and lifestyle.I also have a very stubborn metabolism in that I have been very strict with calories and exercise but not budging in 3 months from the sameweight.Any suggestions or insight on that?I usually would lose immediately with an hour of exercise daily (elliptical,calisthenics).I also take inderal as a prophylactic for a heart arrythmia(I have been on it 40 mg since I was 17). Any ideas would be great or if you need anymore info let me know.

Thanks once again and keep up the good work!

B.,L.,Z and A.

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From an MD, director of a research institute

Dear Dogtor J:

I want to thank you for this information and would like to know more of the diet you recommend…I have known for a long time that Primary epilepsy was more tied to food allergies and have as a matter of course over the years encouraged parents and patients to read the book by Dr. William Philpotts on the subject of Brain Allergies.

It sounds like you have managed to narrow the field of potential problematic foods, because of your special population of patients. I would really like to know more.

Sincere regards,

Dr. D. A.

Director of Research

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From an internationally known breeder and show judge

Dear Doctor Baker,
Thank you for your help with Kye owned by the Racine's. I have bred schnauzers for 50+ years and only owned 2 that seizured and both were on commercial dog food. I did not understand the food connection until I read your superb article. I believe you are on the right tract. In fact, I'm sure it won't be long and you will be honored as turning around the health of the dog population. For your interest I've attached (in a separate e-mail) what we recommend each one of our puppy buyers feed and those that follow it have superbly health dogs. If you think there are some places where we could upgrade it please do let me know.

Thanks for speaking up and I will send everyone to you that has this problem. I will follow your research and results as well. I'm so happy you let us breeders know. You have no idea how many vets live in the stone-age with shots and pills while the dogs are starving from malnutrition and the commercial dog manufactures are getting rich! Good luck!

Sincerely,
S. H.

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Hi John,

I thought I'd email you and let you know how Meg is getting along. We changed her diet straight after I received your email in Feb, and have been making all her food ourselves as it's very difficult to find the right food here in Northern Ireland. Meg was on a very very high dose of medication at that stage and her legs had become very weak. She was staggering around and falling a lot.

Now, she has been fit free since Feb, and her medication has been reduced right down to only one tablet of each, which is amazing for us to see. She is completely back to her normal self, the weakness and falling has stopped and she is playful again rather than drugged up on medication. Every day she is fit free is a blessing to us. I am convinced that the diet is the reason for this dramatic change in her and cannot thank you enough for your help and advice.

I hope she continues to be so well,
Thanks once again,

N.

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Hello Dr. J.

I also recovered from the symptoms of chronic fatigue after suffering for over 17 years. I became bedridden 3 years ago and after going to countless physicians, I was no better off. My gluten free, dairy free, soy free, sugar free, MSG, unprocessed food diet (and more) has allowed me to regain my health. As a chemist, I believed that there was a link between gluten and MSG since glutamic acid is common in both substances. I searched on the Internet for a link between gluten and MSG and I was forwarded to your website. What a relief to find someone on the same wavelength and who had experienced a very similar recovery. Thank you for your well written articles on your website and your explanations. My physicians at one point had labeled me as psychotic, depressed, anorexic and with somatoform disorder. I kept telling them I was getting ill whenever I ate, but they paid little attention and threatened to have me hospitalized with an eating disorder.

I just wanted to express my appreciation for your website.

Regards,

L.

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Dear Dogtor J:

I recently came across your very informative web site in desperation over my dog who suffers from seizures. As a result of reading your theories on seizures and diet, I have started my dog on the IVD Duck/Potato diet. It's been five days and no seizures. However, prior to implementing the above diet, I had to bring my dog (Maui, an Australian Shepherd), to the animal hospital as he was suffering from cluster seizures that appeared to be getting progressively worse. As such, Maui (12 mos old) is now on 250mg of Phenobarbital and 1000mg of potassium bromide. Therefore, I do not know as
yet whether the addition of the potassium bromide or the diet is taking effect. Maui was heretofore on the pheno prior to the latest seizure episodes.

By way of background, Maui started experiencing seizures around 8 months old. I started him out at 14 wks old on Purina Puppy Chow. It wasn't long until I then switched him over to Nutro Large Breed Puppy food. At around 8 to 9 months, I then switched him over to Innova Puppy food- Lamb/Rice(canned and dry). Throughout this period I had given Maui tons of freeze-dried liver treats and tons of IAMS Puppy Biscuits. I have also been administering his Phenobarbital by way of a chunk of peanut butter twice a day.

As an aside, Maui had always had very big problem with gas. Since I switched himover to IVD, it is amazing; no gas at all!

I suspect, given your thorough analysis on diets and seizures, that I have been overdosing him on ingredients that do not promote good neuro activity. Is there anything that strikes you given the above history? Given the relatively high dose of pheno and bromide, Maui now seems somewhat lethargicand dazed. I am hopeful that the change of diet will halt Maui's seizureepisodes and would like to lower, and eventually eliminate, Maui's need forthe drugs prescribed. Can you give me your recommendation(s) on this? Yourthoughts?

I really appreciate the spirit of your web site and feel very grateful that I came across it! Thanks for taking the time to respond to this!

Respectfully,
R. G.

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Not a response Email (yet), but do you feel her pain???

Hello Dogtor J,

I was happy to see your site for the first time today....I should have read it years ago. I have been suffering from M.S. for 10 years now, and have studied the pathogenesis. Even though I was aware of many of the ill-effects of milk, and have abstained from it since 2years I was not so aware of the danger in details. I have been tested for gluten-intolerance by a regular lab, but that tested negative. Do you believe this? No I don't. I have all the symptoms of celiac disease, and have major weight loss problems. When I tell that I don't drink milk an d take care of food-allergies, they say it is because I am anorexic! Why is this practice going on, don't they read their scientific papers? It is dogma I think. It is hard for me to convince them that I like to just eat anything, but they think I don't. What to do? My M.S. is making life a disaster, with more and more pain,
stiffness, palpitation. I have suicidal thoughts, life is not worth living
in this way. WHat about hypothyreoidie? Could that be a factor too. An auto-immune caused hypo. COUld be? Thanks for answering me, I am writing a book on M.S. and natural healing.

C.

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John,

It's been nearly 4 weeks now and no seizures! So far, so good. While he
has gone this long before, we are cautiously optimistic. It seems the IVD
diet (potato and duck) may be working! It may be too early to tell since he
still seems groggy and lethargic from all the drugs he is on (pheno and
potassium bromide). Would you recommend that we start to ween him off the
drugs? If so, how do we go about this without risking another violent
series of seizures? PLEASE ADVISE! Thank you so much for your support and
concern. It's been a life saver!

Regards,
R.

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Dear Dogtor J,

I am happy to report to you that it has now been one month since Jesse's
last seizure. I am so thrilled! He is still at the upped dose of pheno
which keeps him pretty sleepy most of the time. Will I be able to cut back
on meds with this also?

I can tell he is feeling better even though he is doped up. What a break
through, I have been telling everyone I know about your site. I hope to
write an article to the poodle magazine about this as we get futher in his
recovery!

Thank you so very much!

L. and J.

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A brief follow up on "Teddy"

23 Days No Seizures!

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Dear Dogtor J,

My husband has written to you several times regarding our English Setter Jed. I want to let you know that Jed is now in his 10th seizure free week after being on a duck and potato diet for the past several months. This is the longest reprieve Jed has had since his seizures began almost 4 years ago. He has more energy since he began his new diet and we have noticed a phenomena that is new for Jed. He has started wagging his tail!

I have two questions for you. The first has to do with flea medications. We noticed last summer that Jed's seizures became more frequent after administering the "spot on the spine" type medications. Have you heard others speak of reactions like this?

The second question is out of the realm of your requested parameters however the topic is so important to me I am hoping that you will be able to direct to some appropriate places for information. My husband J. has Type 2 diabetes and resulting neuropathy in his feet and legs. He is being treated by a physician with the usual routines. His blood sugar is under control but there seems to be little hope for the neuropathy. If you know of any "new" information regarding these topics (or where to find such) I (we) will be very grateful.

Thanks.
B.

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Speaking of peripheral neuropathy....

Dear DogtorJ,

You don't know us, but you gave us back our life!

In the summer of 2004 an Internet friend gave us the link of your website and I started reading & reading & reading.

At that time my husband was in very poor condition due to Fibromyalgia and Neuropathy.

I had CFS and Neuropathy.

Over the years we had seen many MDs and my husband had even been on antibiotics (up to 4 different ones daily) for 2 years. Although we had done everything that could be done our condition remained very poor.

At that time we were suffering from fatigue, muscle and joint pains, headaches, concentration problems...

Although my husband really loved bread he accepted my proposal to try your protocol for 1 week.

After only 3 or 4 days we started to feel much better and my husband said "This is what we need".

We are more than 20 months later now and we have the impression that we still improve little by little.

In all those months neither of us has had doubts - not even for a second!

Although MDs told us that nothing could be done for our Neuropathy and that it would only get worse & worse our pains have disappeared and my husband can again walk normal distances - before it was 100 yards maximum.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I would like to pass on your information to in-laws in Spain.

Do you have some material in Spanish? Or could you give me links with valuable information?

Every blessing & well wish,

Y.(Europe)

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I spoke with you on the BrainTalk Communities "gluten-free" site. You are
not on the boards as much as many of the rest of us and so you may not get
the message I left for you there before it scrolls downward into
oblivion,so here goes:

Just wanted to say thanks a bunch for the information you gave awhile back
about gluten, glutamate and seizures. I had seen a great reduction in
number and intensity of seizures after cutting out gluten, but was still
having 1-5 "spells" every two weeks like clockwork, at ovulation and
mid-cycle.

Well, after reading your info about glutamates in common foods, I realized
I had been consuming a very high amount on a daily basis since I eat nuts
and seeds constantly. I had not known they were high in glutamate. Well,
for the last month, I have been eating macadamia nuts on and around
"risky" days and guess what? That's right--no spells!!

Thanks SO much!

K.

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Hi DogtorJ,

Just wanted to tell you a little story I heard today......ran into an old friend. Her sister had cancer and after surgery and a session of Kemo she had enough of the medical profession. She gave up milk, wheat, soy and everything on your list and guess what???? She now feels better than ever and the cancer has been gone for a couple of years.

Thought I'd tell you....YOU SCORED ANOTHER ONE!!!!!!!

Yours Truly,

C.

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How they stumble onto the site

Dear Dr.,

We have been searching for 2 years to relieve the symptoms my 15 year-old
daughter has. She was diagnosed with OCD and social anxiety disorder...
maybe depression. What has been plaguing us the most lately has been her
bouts of anger. It's almost as if she changes personalities or something.
Almost like TS. I have been searching the Net desperately for these two
years, as the doctors only answer has been Prozac and behavioral therapy -
neither of which seemed to do much good for her. I started to see the
changes in her behavior as being in a sort of pattern which lead me to
start suspecting food as a source of her "issues". Another story I had
read in a book "The Crazy Makers" spoke of a girl who was perfectly fine
until she entered the public school system and then the food there caused
her to have severe neurological problems - social phobia and paranoia. It
turned out that her biggest issue was apparently MSG or "free glutamate".
It was searching related to glutamate which actually lead me to your site
and that very excellent paper "The Answer". That's some fine work!! I
think you have hit on many important issues there! I actually sent
something from your site to Debbie at the MSGmyth.com site where she posted
it on one of their discussion boards...

I am getting very desperate at this point, so I'm hopeful that you can give
me a couple of answers.

How reliable are the blood tests for Celiac disease?

I know from much research that many lab tests trusted completely by doctors
are often in error or simply not accurate or reliable. Take the tests for
Lyme disease for instance.

My other question is just if you know of any reliable information on
psychological problems connected to Celiac? And specifically OCD.

I recently discovered that the current research on drugs to help people
with non-responding OCD - (in other words the SSRI's don't work - which
amounts to roughly half of those with OCD), is now targeting the use of
anticonvulsant drugs which act as glutamate antagonists!! So, here I sit
suspecting that MSG may be at the heart of my daughter's chemical imbalance
and the research is looking at blocking the effects of glutamate to help
OCD victims! Now, add that to what I read in your paper, and it also
explains why we haven't had much help from the supplements she takes that
should be helping to some degree. But, whether its in your food or as a
supplement, if your intestine isn't absorbing it, you lose.

Please get back to me quickly if possible! I just want to know if we
should even bother trying to get the doctor to run a test for Celiac, or if
we should just go on a gluten free diet immediately. She is under so much
stress now...

By the way... I'm almost certain that my wife's health problems point to
Celiac as well. She's a real skeptic, but she is getting very tired
(literally) of being a 43 year-old who feels like she's 60. She basically
has every symptom on the list for celiac!

Thanks tons and keep up the great work!
- B.

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What I like to call a "trifecta".

Hi, J.

Well, your site convinced my friend to change his diet
(seizures) and he's better.

I'm eating lots of raw food and now adding hemp seed
has me pain free: including the big challenge when the
rains come in Northern CA

Changed all the cats and dogs to BARF and
they look great and all 7 feral cats let me touch them

The old dog has gotten his mind back and cough
and tremor are better.

God Bless and will look for your book
D.

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Title of Email- "Wow just...wow!"

Hi! I don't expect a response. I just want to thank you, ever so much, for taking the time and energy to share your thoughts and observations and research. I am going to reread "the Answer" and give my friends a link to your most fascinating site. You have made me think and given me hope. Thanks again!!!

0. .0
>V<
(><)~~S.~ in New Brunswick (Canada)
w^w
"cats are cool but rats rule"

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Catamenial Sz plus the S.A.D. effect (serotonin)

I miss beer and pizza (sigh). But just a little bit of flour sneaking into my food is still 3 days worth of headaches.

Yeah, they are catamenial. The mid-cycle ones are the ones that disappeared altogether--I think it's been 5-6 months now--and I am thrilled about that. I have to do more research on hormone levels and figure out why the start cycle ones are more persistent.

As far as do my sz get worse in the fall, it is interesting you should ask. Historically, I wouldn't have more than 6-8 seizures in a month, but in 2002 and 2003, I had one day during each year that I had 13 or more in one day. Just that one day out of each year was that bad. And both times, it was in NOVEMBER. So you are correct that clearly something is going on in the fall months--more viruses going around (I've also noticed that having a cold or flu sometimes brings on seizures for me), stronger winds blowing pollution--and we can't overlook the increased consumption of alcohol and "bad" foods like cheese, stuffing, rolls and the like around the holidays.

Today is December 1st. THIS year, I made it through November without my usual big ugly seizure cluster. YEA!!! Now that's something to be thankful for!

I take omega 3s and extra b-12 and folic acid every single morning. Extra b-6 and zinc every other evening. Extra C every day. And my multis. Probably that is responsible for a lot of my improvement as well.

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Proven retrospectively. I love it.

Dear Doc,

I just wanted to tell you that you deserve the Nobel Prize for Medicine! I love your site and I'm blown away with all the information it contains, especially "The Answer". God obviously put you on this planet for a purpose and just to let you know that you have made such a difference in so many lives. I have printed out "The Answer" and given it to so many people as well as passing on your web site. It's the best site on the Internet! And just out of interest, I have never given my pet cat any milk, ever, and have only fed her natural foods. And guess what, at 17 years of age she looks fabulous, still climbs trees and loves to play catch! Her coat is shiny and thick and now I know why. The only problems she has are abcesses (sp?) from scratches from other cats she fights with! Still scrapping at 17! Not bad eh! I compare her with other cats of a similar age and there is no comparison. As soon as I read "The Answer" I knew your research was spot on, I only had to look at the cat for proof. Keep up the good work. The word is spreading, believe me! Thank you again and a thousand blessings. And I know you are busy, so no need to reply! Use your time to help others!

F. W.

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Fibromyalgia... my old friend.

Wow Dr. John!

What a lovely reply! I will treasure your words of wisdom. I have just spent my day off looking through the complete contents of your site - what a work! I have just met a friend I haven't seen for 5 years and she has developed fibromyalgia. I have printed out over 60 pages of information from your site for her, including of course "The Answer" and thanks to you, I KNOW she will get better. Believe me, the word of the good "Dogtor" is spreading like wildfire. So thank you! And a Happy Christmas to you and your family.

W.

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Yes, the GARD fits hand-in-glove with other diets.

Dear Dogtor,

I found your site very interesting! I totally agree with you on your theory of how "poisonous" both wheat and dairy are. I have been following a lifestyle endorsed by Dr. Peter D'Adamo called "Eat Right 4 Your Type" . He has a book by that name. His theory is that there are 4 different blood types that react differently to the "lectins" in different foods. Bad lectins tend to agglutinate to opposing blood cells and cause all sorts of havok. He states that some foods are "medicine"(beneficial) to some blood types, some are "neutral"(act as food) and some are "poison"(avoids). Amazing that wheat and dairy are an avoid for most blood types. I have had some wonderful health results by eliminating dairy; no more joint pain, acne, sinus trouble. Check out this site www.dadamo.com. I bet you find it quite interesting!

N.

(dairy free, and "mom" to 3 German Wirehaired Pointers)

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Seizures to bird seed....what's the link?

Wow! I didn't start having seizures until I started drinking soy milk. But I did have excruciating migraines from dairy products. That much I knew. And food allergies out the wazoo. I thought it was from chronic candida. That's how I learned about avoiding certain foods. Your website really puts it all together in a cohesive way. I sent it to my friend with fibromyalgia.

I also sent it to Greg Harrison. He's an avian veterinarian who sells organic birdfood worldwide. I wrote a short point of purchase book for him explaining how the bird food industry has created itself and what part of peoples' perceptions need changing. In short, saying what you do, that health problems correct themselves on the right diet. I'll mail you a copy if you like.

This is Greg's web address .... Harrisonsbirdfoods.com. Here's recent email he sent my way because of this link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7480632

He was looking for suggestions from me. I'm sending it to you because you might want to get to know one another.

"...On an other subject. If you look in bird talk or any pet shop trade magazine the big bucks is being spent on the newest junk food. Do you think it would work to get PETA involved in promoting proper diet? I wrote this yesterday for a project:

The National Research Council (NRC) has not established standards for nutritional products fed to birds. So claims of nutritional completeness can not legally be made. A medical text book on all other species assume the standards of nutrition needed to establish normal are set. Not for birds. The arm of enforcement of pet food standards in the USA falls on the Association of Feed Control Officials (AFCO). These are state employees. Usually chemists that enforce the NRC standards and label requirements established by each state that requires a label for a pet food be registered with that state. For pet birds most states do not care nor do the have any NRC standards to enforce."

Signed,
A kindred spirit.

B. M.

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More catamenial seizures. Darn those estrogens.

Hi John,

Holy cow! Yes! I just read your introductory letter to the GARD section and can’t wait to get back to it. My seizures definitely were connected to my menstrual cycle. I thought it was the yeast keeping the progesterone from kicking in (read the next email). It took me many years to realize it was the soy milk that I’d just started drinking that really did a number on me. It always started with the insomnia, food cravings, sinus problems and constipation and ended with excessive vomiting, diarrhea, and migraines. I lost at least one or two days each month (for years). I was too sick to move. The seizures were intermittent occurring just before a particularly bad period was about to start. I knew it had to do with diet because of the candida. I just didn’t know how it fit together or what exactly I was reacting to (besides sugar).

Eventually I dreaded eating anything just because I felt so bad everytime I did. It was nothing to go all day without eating. Malnutrition was definitely a problem. So I started studying Chinese medicine. That's how I found out epilepsy was related to allergies. (Much later that's how I found your site.)

Cleaning my intestinal tract could really jump start the healing process when I was in the throes of a monthly health crisis.

Drinking a product called "Emer'gen-C" could alleviate migraines almost immediately. http://www.alacer.com/cgi-bin/dbsear...eturntitle.htm

I learned about managing insulin levels by eating more often. And now GARD. I’m a believer even before I start. My education has been hard won.

I live in Southern Illinois in farm country near Carbondale. I never thought about the seasonal nature of seizures although I'm well aware of the seasonal increase in the amount of pesticides in our water supply. Since some act as estrogen mimics, I thought that was the connection. I'll pay more attention. January to April has been a bugger for me symptom-wise.

B.

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Soy...the "third plague". Heed the early warnings!!!

Hello it's me again, I have started to follow your recommendations for a month now. I got rid of soy in my diet. As for milk, I can't stand either almond or rice milk so is there an online vendor for goat's milk. You know that since I rid soy from my diet I have way more energy in the mornings, is it the lack of soy? before I used to feel extremely tired in the morning getting up for work at 6:30 am, and as such I'm always a few minutes late. Nowadays I'm getting up early, feeling more energetic in the mornings and as such getting to work on time.

Sincerely
M.

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From all walks of life and levels of education

Dear Dr. Baker

Thank you for your website with the wonderful information. I am very familiar with the celiac conditions. My mother was lactose intolerant and had celiac sprew disease. I am a Neurobiologist and a therapist and write a column for the Golden Retriever News . I am always on the prowl for new information such as the reports on your website. Epilepsy is unfortunately common in our breed and hopefully we can learn much from your reports.

Sincerely
S. F., Ph.D.,

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Type 2 diabetes- The plague that should not even exist.

Hi.
I just wanted you to hear a success story. Three weeks ago I found your
home page and all you said made sense. I immediately changed my entire diet
to conform to what you reccommend. It isn't easy at the start but gets
better with time. I can tell you honestly that since that day my blood
sugar ( I am type 2 diabetic) has been dead normal. I have never been able
to achieve this before no matter how much med they gave me. I hope to start
reducing the meds soon. Thank you for jumpstarting my life!

G.

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The dogs are teaching us something...even MD's wives.

I got your post off of the Joy breeding list and had wanted to contact you to say how pleased I was with the posts and questions answered for me off that list. I sent your website and posts to a friend in Australia and she, in reading your website, found symptoms that she had been experiencing for years. She wrote to say how helpful you had been for her own health. She is married to a doctor too. She has one of my clumbers. Wanted to let you know how relieved she was to find the information on your website.

As far as I am concerned you can send unsolicited posts to me anytime.

Thank you so much for sharing.
M.

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Dear Dr. J,

My husband stumbled upon your website a number of months ago when our dog, Tundra, was going through a severe, four-day stretch of cluster seizures. We were crushed with the thought of having to put him down-- the explanations on your site that our own vets had not been able to provide seemed like a godsend.

Some background: Tundra's a beautiful, 2 1/2-year-old collie/husky mix who we adopted from a shelter about a year ago. On the fifth day we had him he had a cluster of seizures and was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. The seizures varied in timing from weekly to every 2-3 weeks. At the recommendation of one of the most renowned neurologists in the DC-metro area, we continued to pump him up on expensive drugs with terrible side effects: phenobarbital, potassium bromide, keppra, gabapentin, and zonegran. A few months ago we were on max doses of all five drugs, in addition to weekly acupuncture treatments and an herbal equivalent of pheno (in hopes that hollistic remedies would work so we could wean off drugs). Tundra also underwent an MRI and spinal tap, but neither revealed any information. This was a terrible time for us-- financially and emotionally-- and Tundra's quality of life was far from ideal.

Tundra's situation before he got to the shelter was unclear-- apparently he and 100 or so other animals were confiscated from an animal breeder/collecter in West Virginia. We imagine he spent his puppyhood neglected and caged, but not necessarily abused. The idea that he may have suffered from a virus like dystemper makes sense to us-- something he was able to recover from without treatment, but may have left him "a few neurons short."

Back in February, we started IVD's potato duck formala and were thrilled to go the longest we've ever gone without any seizures. To his own detriment, though, Tundra is incredibly intelligent and has a strong urge to forage, so we had a couple incidents after starting the diet where he got into food that could have caused seizures. In one instance, my parents were in town and unknowingly left an entire loaf of bread on the kitchen counter that Tundra seized and devoured. He was bloated but no seizuers occured in the weeks afterwards.

Recently on May 13, I took him to a friend's house and before I even got in the door he b-lined over to a bowl of cat food and started chowing down. We grabbed the bowl quickly but it's hard to tell how much he ate, and I have no idea what was in the food. Seven days later on the 21st he had a 3-day stretch of the most severe seizures we've seen yet-- often in clumps of 8-10 grand mals right in a row with seconds of rest in between at best. At their peak these clumps occured in 2 to 3-hour intervals. He finally came off of them and is nearly back to normal now, besides some minor head twitches and the usual clumsiness. Currently, we are on a low dosage of pheno and bromide.

It would make sense that the cat food caused this-- but if so, why not the loaf of bread from over a month ago? We want to believe your theories are correct, but this doesn't add up. Is the IVD diet not strict enough for Tundra? Would starting him on the BARF diet do any good to prevent seizures like this in the future?

Thanks for your help and insight. Obviously we've lost a lot of faith in the other vets we've been working with, since their suggestions seemed to hurt Tundra (and us) more than help him-- so we appreciate whatever quick advice you can offer.

Very best,
A.

(I explained to her that epilepsy is a "syndrome" with multiple things coming together to produce a seizure. If this were not true, then epileptics would seize continuously. Although most feel that there is no rhyme or reason to their ups and downs...the remitting/relapsing patterns seen in epilepsy...I contend that there are. There are MAJOR seasonal influences, including serotonin drops in winter (short days) and severe air quality issues in summer (especially July 3-August 11...the "dog days".) So, as with simple food allergies, there are times when a mistake can be made and there be no major consequence from that mistake while there are other times...e.g. when the inhalant allergens are raging...that a small dose of food allergen would generate hives or much worse. It's all about individual thresholds and the overall state of affairs when a mistake is made.)

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Seizing Lab

Dogtorj,

About 1 year ago this month, my Labrador retriever had his 3rd seizure in 3 months. Prior to these seizures we had seen him drop and watched, in horror, as his back legs just shook. Our vet said it was a "muscle spasm". It wasn't until he completely fell and had a full-blown seizure did we realize our dog was an epileptic.

After the 3rd time; I had enough; I was worried, scared and upset. I jumped on-line and through the grace of God I found your web site. I saw that you recommended IVD Potato & Duck. I spoke with my vet about the relationship between diet and the disease. He didn't believe they were related. I told him I wanted to try IVD and he wrote the Rx reluctantly.

I AM VERY HAPPY to let you know that since we moved Sage, our Labrador, over from Science Diet to IVD Potato and Duck he has not had a single seizure!! Our vet can't believe it.

I do believe you have a gift and I thank God frequently that you published a web site to help. I don't know how I found your web site but I am confident God intended me to.

I truly can't thank you enough for helping my beloved pet. I have attached a picture. You should know you may have saved his life.

Forever Grateful,

C.

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Test everything!

Hi John!

You've changed my life. True to my nature, I test. I got immediate results just days after I excluded wheat from my diet. I continue to get immediate results the day after I cheat. Just a little sliver of golden-crusted pie? Not worth it. To make that decision at the beginning of the ride (instead of the painful end)? Priceless! I'm no longer at that point where the yummy-ness I was raised on can sway me ... THAT's empowerment. As sick as I've been over the years, giving up dairy, wheat and soy feels like an easy answer in comparison. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

And now I'm copying "Food Intolerance in Animals and Man" for a friend of mine who is most likely going to find himself in our ranks. Looking for that book ...

B.

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This just in. CLASSIC food addiction seen in autism, et al

Hi - my name is R.,

I have a 4 year old son, J.. (I'll keep this short and sweet!!) He was born perfect, developed quickly - no problems EVER - till last year - he went on a food strike - only would eat, macaroni (pastas) cheese, bread, ice cream, chips, and drink milk (you see where this is going, right???) I gave in, and now Im paying for it. A few months ago - he started having 'staring' spells. I told the doctor - and was ignored. Last week - he had to small seizures (not the big convulsing ones (grand mal??) He just stiffened, turned blue and passed out - slept for a while - then back to normal. I had an EEG done - it had abnormalities.

I went to a nuerologist and right before the appointment - I found this site - I almost DIED when I read all this - last Saturday - I dumped the milk in the garbage - and threw out everything else - and guess what?? He is down to one "staring" spell a day - and his behavior is great!!! never was before!!

I walked out of the Dr's office yesterday in tears - he wouldnt listen to me and he was pushing me to put him on 2 doses of Depakote a day for 2 years!!!! I walked out on him - now I have to go see another one.........

Well - I have babbled enough - but I wanted to ask you - do you know of any doctors in the NY tri-state area that think like you???? All I'm finding is close mindedness all around me!!! I do NOT want to drug my child but I dont know where to turn - thanks for opening my eyes!!

Any thing you have to say would be helpful!!!

(For those of you who doubt the dramatic and rapid recovery in this case, please visit www.gfcfdiet.com and read the Success Stories section. It will bring tears to your eyes.)

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This morning's wake-up Email

Hi Dogtor J-

I had emailed you about our German Shepherd, Zoe ,and how we had switched her over to the duck and potato diet of D.Van Patten and she has done a turn around that was 100% in her personality and overall normalcy. Like she was before she started the seizures a few years back.

We were ready to wean her off the phenobarb we were so elated and confident inher total recovery. Then,this evening she had a mild
seizure of short duration. About 5 hours after she ate. She is on the Dick Van Patten Duck/Potato based food but as she has pancreatitis(no pancreas whatsover actually since she was 2) she takes the pork pancreas
powder with evry meal. We also put tuna in with it and olive oil (the canola mayo was getting quite expensive with us using it in her 3 meals a day (along with our younger dog too) to help mix the quite awful medication in.

This is the first seizure in a month.Is this normal to just see improvement or do you see a total recovery usually.Let me know what to expect and if there is anything more that I can do.Obviously she still needs the phenobarb,huh?We really thought she was over the epilepsy. It was quite a disappointment.

Thanks for your help and time.

B. F.

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This JUST in- Epi Cavalier

Hi John

Just to update you on my cavalier – thanks to your advice, since being on chicken and potato diet he hasn’t had a fit for 6 months which is really wonderful – he is taking heart tablets and apparently they are helping – his heart sounds better even though he is still coughing a bit.

Few weeks ago I came across new food at the pet shop and I am curious on your comments – It is complete dried pellets food Salmon and Potato manufactured by UK firm WAFCOL consisting of 32% almon, 16% potato, also starch, lupin, linseed seaweed meal, vitamins, minerals, protein, oil, ash, crude fibre, vit A 17000iu/kg, vid D 1500iu/kg, vit £ 65mg/kg, calcium 1.3%, phosphorus 1% - free from wheat, gluten, maize, barley, rye, oats, red meet,poultry, soya, dairy,artificial colours and flavours.

Do you think it will be suitable for a dog with epilepsy – I was hoping if it is ok to may be use it as addition to chicken and potato 50 – 50 and maybe when we are away and dogs go to the kennels.

Regards

A.

My response:

Hi A.,

That's great news. And, the food sounds good to me. Why don't you try mixing it in for a couple for weeks and see what happens, But, if then label is ant indication, it sounds like a great food.

The only potential problem with fish-based foods is the MERCURY issue. This is a very real thing. You know that it is serious when our government gets involved (smile). They now recommend that pregnant women eat no more than one serving of tuna per month due to the mercury content. Most of our salmon is now factory-farmed and the ecosystems in some of these farms (e.g. off the coast of British Columbia) are horrendous according to reports I have read (see www.mercola.com for more details). So, my enthusiasm for fish-based foods in epi dogs is dampened a bit by the fact that most fish (fresh and salt) is contaminated with mercury now according to Mercola (who I believe is correct) and mercury is a known neurotoxin, with most of the work showing this now being done in autism.

Its great to hear from you again. I would like to post your Email on a place that I am listing success stories, if that is OK with you. I always do this keeping your identity hidden (using only first initial) and never using your Email address. Is that OK?

Keep in touch,
John

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Epileptic Brittany

Posted by S. on another forum Monday, July 25, 2005 - 3:29 pm:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DogtorJ - I would like to say thanks to you. I have a 5 1/2 (year) old Brittany. He had his first very mild seizure at about 1 1/2 years old. He had one maybe every 6 months until last August 2004 when he had 4 over 5 days. Each was 'mild' lasting less than a minute with a recovery period of under 5 minutes. When he had the episodes last August I took him to a different vet for a second opinion who insisted that I put him on phenobarbital. During the few days that he was having his seizures, I did some research and found your website. I asked the vet if a diet change might help and he said absolutely not. It had nothing to do with the seizures. Before I left the office, with my pheno prescription in hand, I bought a bag of IVD Duck & Potato. I started Rusty on the diet immediately, cut out all treats and waited. It's almost one year now, and no seizures. I've worked some treats back into his diet - very few, and high quality plus fruits/vegetables.

He loved the food (added bonus) and I never filled that presciption.
So thank you very much for your website & info. Obviously I can't say with 100% certainty it was the diet change, but it sure does seem that way to me. Thank you for devoting so much time and energy to this subject and for giving people some hope and an option to try before resorting to medication.
(Just as an FYI, I raised Rusty on Innova which I know is a very good quality food so it wasn't that I made the switch from a low grade food)

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Fibromyalgia. Its all in your head, right???

Hello Dr. J.

I also recovered from the symptoms of chronic fatigue after suffering for over 17 years. I became bedridden 3 years ago and after going to countless physicians, I was no better off. My gluten free, dairy free, soy free, sugar free, MSG, unprocessed food diet (and more) has allowed me to regain my health. As a chemist, I believed that there was a link between gluten and MSG since glutamic acid is common in both substances. I searched on the Internet for a link between gluten and MSG and I was forwarded to your website. What a relief to find someone on the same wavelength and who had experienced a very similar recovery. Thank you for your well written articles on your website and your explanations. My physicians at one point had labeled me as psychotic, depressed, anorexic and with somatoform disorder. I kept telling them I was getting ill whenever I ate, but they paid little attention and threatened to have me hospitalized with an eating disorder.

I just wanted to express my appreciation for your website.

Regards,

L.

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Seizures in a Boxer from Ireland

Hi John,

I thought I'd email you and let you know how "Meg" is getting along. We changed her diet straight after I received your email in Feb, and have been making all her food ourselves as it's very difficult to find the right food here in Northern Ireland. Meg was on a very very high dose of medication at that stage and her legs had become very weak. She was staggering around and falling a lot.

Now, she has been fit free since Feb, and her medication has been reduced right down to only one tablet of each, which is amazing for us to see. She is completely back to her normal self, the weakness and falling has stopped and she is playful again rather than drugged up on medication. Every day she is fit free is a blessing to us. I am convinced that the diet is the reason for this dramatic change in her and cannot thank you enough for your help and advice.

I hope she continues to be so well,
thanks once again,
N.

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Discovered the answer herself

Hello DogtorJ

GREAT website! I was sent a link by a friend and am so thankful.

I've been raising/breeding/showing/training Rhodesian Ridgebacks here in Canada for over 15 yrs without any medical problems. Then a year ago my 7 yr old intact breeding male began having seizures, beginning one every 4-6 months. Then every 2 months, then every month. I was at my wits end to try and figure out WHY and did not want to bring him to the vet to be medicated.

I have ALWAYS fed and recommended to puppy buyers the food that these dogs did well on....Purina Pro Plan, ADULT, beef base. Over a yr ago I was informed by a rep. that this company was bought by another and to WATCH the ingredients carefully. I started to alternate between the Pro Plan Chicken or Lamb and Rice, but they were always hungry. I then tried the Nutro NAtural Choice LAmb & Rice, this seemed to satisfy their hunger.

I also wondered why my male hadn't had a seizure since MAy....read your site and put 2 & 2 together. Thinking...hhhmmmm...maybe it was the change in food. A week ago I needed dog food before going away and could only get the Pro Plan. Same problem, dogs were always hungry. THEN...a week after being on the Pro Plan, this past Sunday at 4 am my male had a seizure.

I will put him back on the Nutro and see if he stops the seizures once again. I will also look into the IVD diet and maybe go back to a BARF diet. My only concern about the BARF diet is will he be getting all the proper nutrients.

Thank you for listening.

S.

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Seizure-free in Australia

Hello,

Just letting you know that Tyson has had over 90 days seizure free - YIIIPPPEEEE. I am estatic. This is our all time record.

I also went to see my vet and told him about the diet and the success we've had. I mentioned that l would like to commence decreasing his medication to which he responded - OH NO - you can't, don't do it - you don't want to play around with this now blah blah. Basically he scared me into not doing this - BUT l will commence with a 1/4 of a tablet reduction of the Br next month.

I still haven't had Tyson's boosters and am not sure what to do about this - need to give it some further consideration. I know if l talk to the vet about this he will say that l must have them to protect him.

Anyway - once again l can't thank you enough.

Regards,

RF

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Response in Reno

Dogtor J,

An update from Reno the dog (and me)- Since we last corresponded, I placed Reno on the elimination diet reccomended on your website. It's been nothing but duck and potato for him with only a few unplanned exceptions. Reno's siezures have dropped below the X-axis. The only notable exception is a siries of siezures he encountered 48 hours after finding some wheat bread in the garbage.

His energy and mental awareness have also improved and I haven't had to run the steam cleaner in several months. This is a far cry from experiencing 3-4 episodes of (usually) cluster siezures a month.You were right - the GARD diet was the miricle that I was looking for. Thank you!

I've put a "shout-out" on Reno's Dogster page linking folks to your website who might be seaching for help with their pet's eplilepsy:

http://www.dogster.com

Thanks again!

-M

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From another forum...

I found your thread on the lab forum quite some time ago when I was trying to do some research on dogs with seizures. Chloe was having seizures and when I read your articles I switched her kibble to Dick VanPattens Potato & Duck and I am happy to say she has had no more seizures. Since then I have referred others to your thread on the lab forum as well to your site when their furpals have had seizures for them to check it out. Thank you!

PM