Seizure alert dogs may warn people with epilepsy of an upcoming seizure
Over the last decade, a new kind of service animal has emerged. According to the Delta Society, while there are no scientific studies to prove this theory, seizure alert dogs have the ability to warn people with epilepsy of an impending attack minutes—sometimes hours—before it occurs. This allows the person time to take anti-seizure medication, get to a safe place, or call for assistance.
How dogs detect an oncoming seizure in a human is a mystery. First, seizure alert dogs need to be trained with the individual with epilepsy as they have to respond to that individual’s specific type of seizure activity. Some trainers and researchers think the dogs detect subtle changes in human behavior or scent before an episode occurs. Some scientists believe that they sense or smell a change in body chemistry in the person before the seizure occurs The main function is for the dog to react to a seizure event very early in its onset so that the human counterpart may have warning of impending seizure events. When given accurate warning that a seizure will occur, a person can get to safety and be better prepared when it comes. Seizure alert dogs are especially helpful for people who have drop seizures, which occur without warning and often cause injury.
Have you seen or heard about a seizure alert dog in action? If so, let us know about it here.
Tags: epilepsy, seizure alert dogs, seizure safety, seizures, service animals