Medium-chain triglyceride diet as adjunct in canine idiopathic epilepsy — POSSIBLE

In dogs with idiopathic epilepsy on standard drugs, does a medium-chain triglyceride-enriched diet vs a control diet reduce seizure frequency?

Shelf #293 · gate-verified and displayed under the developer's blinded-trial rule

POSSIBLE: In a single 6-month prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over dietary trial in chronically antiepileptic drug-treated dogs with idiopathic epilepsy, seizure frequency was significantly lower on the medium-chain TAG diet than on the placebo diet (2.31/month vs 2.67/month, P=0.020), and seizure day frequency was also significantly lower (1.63/month vs 1.69/month, P=0.022) (Law 2015). The absolute difference is small, only 21 dogs completed the study, and this shelf rests on that one trial — stated on its face — which is what holds it at POSSIBLE. Drafted Nov 10, 2026 (VetMed build, topic #293); all figures from abstracts fetched and verified at drafting.

Law 2015: MCT diet lowered seizure frequency vs placebo diet (2.31 vs 2.67/month, P=0.020) in 21 completing dogs

Randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over dietary trial (6 months)

Who: Dogs: chronically antiepileptic drug-treated dogs with idiopathic epilepsy in a 6-month prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over dietary trial — each dog fed the ketogenic medium-chain TAG diet (MCTD) for 3 months and a standardised placebo diet for 3 months, in randomised order; 21 dogs completed the study.

Result: Seizure frequency was significantly lower on the MCTD (2.31/month, range 0-9.89/month) than on the placebo diet (2.67/month, range 0.33-22.92/month, P=0.020); seizure day frequency was also significantly lower (1.63/month vs 1.69/month, P=0.022). Three dogs achieved seizure freedom, seven additional dogs had ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency, five had an overall <50% reduction, and six showed no response. Blood beta-hydroxybutyrate was significantly higher on the MCTD (0.071 vs 0.053 mmol/l, P=0.028); there were no significant changes in glucose, phenobarbital, potassium bromide or weight between diets.

Watch out: Single trial, 21 completing dogs, and the average difference (2.31 vs 2.67 seizures/month) is modest — the responder spread, from seizure freedom to no response in six dogs, is the honest picture. This pack replaces topic #290 in this build batch because that topic's assigned anchor failed the gate (see builder report).

Law TH, Davies ESS, Pan Y et al. A randomised trial of a medium-chain TAG diet as treatment for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Br J Nutr. 2015 Nov 14;114(9):1438-47. PMID: 26337751. Registry ID: none in the record. MeSH: 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid · Animals · Anticonvulsants · Blood Glucose · Bromides · Cross-Over Studies · Diet, Ketogenic · Dogs · Double-Blind Method · Epilepsy · Female · Male · Phenobarbital · Potassium Compounds · Prospective Studies · Quality of Life · Seizures · Treatment Outcome · Triglycerides

Synthesis: a real but modest adjunct effect from one small cross-over trial

Synthesis

Who: Synthesis of the card above: Law 2015 (randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled cross-over trial, 21 completing dogs). Single-trial shelf, stated on its face.

Result: The MCT diet showed antiepileptic properties as an adjunct to chronic drug treatment, with statistically significant but small average reductions in seizure and seizure-day frequency and a wide individual spread. One small trial cannot carry more than POSSIBLE, and no second trial is carded here.

Watch out: Diet trials in client-owned dogs depend on feeding compliance over months; the cross-over design controls between-dog variation but the sample is small.

Synthesis of Law TH et al. PMID: 26337751. Registry ID as on the individual card.

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