How Dogs Alert to Seizures

[@NascentNyx]

My son had a drop seizure at the kitchen sink this morning. Cracked his head pretty good this time. We can’t figure out his triggers. He had one behind the wheel which was his first witnessed episode. He is officially diagnosed epileptic and under a neurologists care. We are now actively researching this process of service dog addition to our family. I will never unsee what I witnessed today.

[@TrojanOneAndAll]

I have a tramatic brain injury level 2, the worst, and I have seizures from this. I'm on a lot of medications for all the problems I have and of course I take seizure medicine but I still have them sometimes just as I still have migraines even though I take medicine for those too. I had an old Papillion dog that passed away when I was in the hospital with covid & pneumonia just four months after my accident that caused my brain damage so I was already depressed going through all I'd been through & losing my precious Papillion was too much. So we began looking for a new Papillion. Little did I know what a gift he would turn out to be. He's 6 months old & we realized he's very intelligent & loves me & sticks right by me much of the time. We talked about working with him to alert when I have a seizure. He took to it like he was born to do it. What he does is come up to me if I'm laying down, which I am much of the time, he will get up on my chest & walk up to my face & he takes his nose & smells up in my nose for several seconds & my do it again & he also smells my mouth, puts his little paw on my lip so I will open my mouth & he smells inside my mouth. He does this several times a day, first thing every morning & night. I have him registered & take him everywhere now. I'm not allowed to drive though.

[@lisaouerfelli1738]

My dog was bought for me as a pet. I have had seizures since my stroke in 2016. After I have had seizures I was told that my dog stands guard over me and barks for help. After the seizures he lays against my stomach and chest so that I can feel him. If it's a normal night he curls up against my legs so he will feel if I start to seize. He has been in no formal training, but after my first seizure he tuned into me and what is happening to me.

[@catherineprisco6300]

Dogs are amazing

[@mypetgiraffe4236]

My First S.D. was a Cockapoo! In 1999 I got a TBI and she was alerting Spontaneously too! I agree! Dogs Are Amazing!

[@mandyliu3537]

oh man it is the first professionals’ video talking about the mystery of seizure service dog in such a clear way!. it is so informative!!

[@terrysmith7229]

Thank you so much for this information. I'm going to give it a try for my wife who has seizures.

[@natasha5718]

I have partial seizure disorder. I heard about dogs that can predict when there is a seizure about to happen. I never thought about getting a dog because it was very pricey between $15-$25,000 and that was too expensive for me. Once, when I was visiting my cousin, I had the seizure and she had a mutt dog that she found on the street and she told me that the dog jumped on me and started licking my hands. Since then that the dog was following me around the house while I was visiting, I thought the dog was just going to play.I had no idea that he was actually looking after me. couple of years after that, I went to visit my cousin again, and the dog started licking my hands and all over my body, and he was jumping on me and on my cousin, and on the person sitting next to me. I thought that he was so happy to see me. I had no idea that he actually was warning everyone about me having a seizure. That happened four hours before my seizure. I had a seizure in my sleep and he was jumping on the door of my bedroom so he can go inside. So I think if you get a dog all you need is for your dog to be present while you have seizure and that sent he remembers and then he can warn that seizure is coming. So with my experience with this dog, I don’t think you need any special training. All you need is the dog that is going to be present while you have a few seizures and you don’t have to spend a lot of money for training or for a special breed. That’s just my experience so I wanted to share with you.

[@B_Bodziak]

I don't think it's a great idea to tell people they don't need a service dog. First, your type of seizures are not sudden onset -- where there is no scent beforehand. Not all dogs can do what your sister's dog does. Additionally, dogs that have no training but are able to smell someone is going to have a seizure (before the clinical/physical signs happen), may not "alert" in the same way as your sister's dog. Her dog jumped into your lap. So, I assume it was a medium sized or smaller dog. Another dog may be able to smell that you're going to have a seizure, but the dog may alert in a completely different manner that isn't recognizable to people as an actual alert. Perhaps, a dog may bark when it senses a seizure is coming, but if the dog also barks when it hears a noise outside, that's not going to be helpful. Do you need to "order a special service dog"? Maybe, not. BUT, most dogs are still going to need to be trained on what to do/how to alert when it senses a seizure. For someone who has sudden seizures with no scent beforehand, they would need to have someone, can be a family member or friend, train the dog on what to do during and after the seizures, i.e., if at home, bring a cell phone, water, etc. and rest his head on person's stomach, lick their face, hands, etc. There are landline phones designed specifically for dogs to be able to place a call for help. If it happens in public, the dog can be taught to stand over the person and bark to get someone's attention, etc. I'm saying this because I wouldn't want someone who has a seizure disorder to think they can adopt any dog and the dog will do what your sister's dog does. This organization actually has a book on training a dog.

[@cynthiadugan858]

I have 3 dogs. One has seizures that are not well controlled. Today I got a phone call from a neighbor that my dog was having a seizure outside. Turns out it was not the epileptic dog but one of the other 2. My first thought was “I cannot deal with this. I can’t handle the stress of two.” My second thought was “ I know dogs can sense seizures. I need. These dogs to let me know before one of them seizes” Your video was the first thing I found and I’m so thankful for it. Gonna give it a go and see if I can train one or three seizure alert dogs. Thank you!

[@B_Bodziak]

Just know that if your dogs have sudden onset seizures, there is no scent changes to pick up. I know there are recent studies about humans and scent changes before some seizures, but I am not aware of any on dogs or other animals.

[@kevinstufflebeam8662]

My old dog told everyone before a seizure. But it took a bit to recognize her language. She would get really close to me and wouldn't let anyone near me. But she wasn't stressful she was pretty usually. But not before a seizure.

[@debb6054]

Absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I want to help my blind friend train her new guide dog to detect her seizures. Her old guide dog still does naturally ( not trained to do so), but this one hasn't caught on. ❤

[@one_field]

Very helpful video! Thank you for making it. I'll be applying these scent capture & training techniques with my response dog. He's already learning other helpful tasks, but it would be great to get an alert before things go sideways!

[@TLEawareness]

So I have PVNH with intractable complex partial seizures. Are those not stressful enough for a seizure alert dog? I don’t plan on being able to get one or be able take the proper care they need and deserve. It’s just a question out of curiosity. Pretty funny story though… I worked at a dog daycare/boarding facility and one time I had a complex partial seizure in the big dog room at the end of the day (so there weren’t too many dogs in the play room) and when I came out of it pretty much all of them were just sitting and staring at me. The majority of them were Labs and Goldens.

[@wfarnhamful]

I just had a seizure in my sleep and broke my back. My new puppy had tried to drag my hand as seen in the teeth marks in my arm and hand. I came to with him, licking my face and barking. I wonder if he will be a natural at alerting me.

[@jaimea7192]

So grateful for your service

[@georgesadler7830]

Thank you for the video.

[@taviapalmer328]

Can a mini schnauzers be a service dog to trained to sense when a owner will have a seizure?

[@debb6054]

Yes. I was wondering why they just used the labs and Goldens, but temperament wise they are all around the best service dogs. Their size is an advantage for bracing and doing other tasks.

[@singinwithceline]

What happens if a person has seizures in their sleep?

[@lindaelkins1490]

I have atonic seizures. My dog naturally when i go down gets on me, grabs me around my neck and licks me furiously like shes reviveing me. Shes done it while ive slept so i assumed my body was giving off whatever she smelled when ive dropped to the ground. Mine right now are managed with medication. The other day she climbed on me and did the same but i was sitting down. I wondered if i wasnt on medication if i would have dropped and if i gave off whatever smell she picked up before?? Can you tell me if thats possible?

[@donnat334]

Is the seizure scent different for each patient? I've read of dogs alerting to a random person who just happens to be in the vicinity of a service dog

[@debb6054]

Yes, my blind friend with a guide dog was at the hospital one day for testing. Her dog left the room and went into the hallway. Hospital staff and her all said her dog alerted to a few patients in there before they had seizures! The dog never met any of them before. So there is something about the seizure itself they can determine in all people without specific samples. One Dr said he would give her 50K for her dog. 😃

[@ahrenswett3832]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

[@deannamccoy274]

I have...I think they're called temperature seizures. Will a dog be able to sense those? Also maybe any tips on preventative measures?

[@LatriciaPowell]

I have a question. I suffer from convolutions and I’m going off to college soon and they happen at random times and was wondering should I get a seizure service dog?

[@keke4lyfe1000]

I have them in my sleep but haven’t had one in almost two years. But how can I train my dog to alert me if I were to have one again in my sleep?

[@tnorthernfcs]

How can I Tran my pet

[@kevinstufflebeam8662]

Unfortunately my old dog died. Got a new dog. Looking to train him. Still working with him on basic obedience right now.

[@coffeecat086]

My mom adopted a border collie/lab mix from the animal shelter on October 14. I have tonic clonic seizures (controlled by medication except for triggers) , myoclonic sand focal seizures, the last two types are not as well controlled and are an everyday occurrence. I drop lots of things from the second type, and the third, I feel odd and very shaky. During one of these yesterday, Dixie (our Dog) started “acting like she wanted to go outside”’ in a bit of a daze, I took her out. She didn’t leave me at all until he oddness started going away… honestly, until it was gone entirely. I noticed her acting weird before it hit, because she wouldn’t leave my side. She was already house trained and I’m the one who feeds and takes her for walks and grooms her since my mom broke her arm literally 2 days after we got Dixie. Could this be why she’s been alerting me? Lol I just now put this together after my brain got back online yesterday afternoon. She’s done it since the night mom broke her arm that I can honestly say was an alert. I had been up for about 18 hours mans was feeling seizury (our term for auras) amd she didn’t leave even though it was just small events. The. When they stopped, she went to the bathroom on leash amd went back to normal.

[@katrinawoody6268]

.my main problem is I'm poor and cannot afford a service dog. I have no income and no medical insurance. I can afford to feed and care for a dog but service dogs are not free. This upsets me greatly.

[@TLEawareness]

Even if I could afford one ten times over I don’t think I could ever handle saying goodbye at some point. 😭😭😭

[@issapod624]

They're not free because it takes a minimum of 350 hours to train one. The message you wrote implies you believe you should be given someone else's hard work for free. Your disability does not entitle you to this any more than mine does. All of life is not fair.

[@JorviksWitcher]

There are programs dogs freely placed with handlers in need of it

[@taviapalmer328]

I'm so sorry. I wish the states would have programs to help those who need them.

[@catherineprisco6300]

If you can’t get a sample during the seizure would it work to get a sample after or use a covid mask that was worn about 20 minutes after?

[@livefreeallways]

Fluoroquinolones caused my dog seizures. She died last week after going into a seizure and not coming out of it. She went over 12 hours before I could get her into a vet. It was the longest night of my life. pharma poisons humans and animals. I recently met a woman who was also damaged by the same class of antibiotic. She had to use a wheelchair for over a year after her ligaments in her legs softened.

[@tianatowle9677]

Im training my 6month old mini aussie for my seizures an he's starting to show signs of alerting.

[@amandaplayliststockton6987]

The dog I have for my seizures touch me on my shoulders before I have a seizure or after I have a seizure

[@alejandramacias1318]

Hi, I'm looking for a service doggie. Where did you get yours?

[@vickiegeffert1435]

I started having sezuire at the age 5. Grand mall sezuire. I live by myself .my sezuire comes on almost at once. I need a service dog I been told but I can't afford one.

[@Countriesbabe46]

I have cancer, seizures, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis and scoliosis and I'm training my 5 month old pup to be my sdit

[@aishabarnes8263]

What is the number

[@mypetgiraffe4236]

I respectfully disagree that dogs need to be anxious or neurotic. I have trained my 4 seizure alert dogs over the last 22 years, all the same way. We started with a Volhard Tested Medium Australian Labradoodle puppy that was 8 weeks old. He doesn't shed. He doesn't Freak out if I'm gone. I was emitting a pheromone. My Mom took sterile swabbs (make up pads) and wiped them all over me during a seizure holding it by tweezers and put the sample in a sandwich bag. He was successfully, Reliably scent trained by 14 weeks old. So we assessed him... and Sure Enough! My S.D. (whose now 5 years old) who was 14 weeks old. He was correct with the sample 9 times, then refused the 10th time (Handler error) because I worked with him too long (he was Still a puppy). When he was reliable at 14 weeks, we then trained him to paw at me to alert me. If my blood sugar levels drop, he alerts for that too now. Im not type 2... but my neurological illness causes low blood sugars. He now knows to bump me in a specific way to alert for low blood sugar. It blew me away when ppl would tell me that either the dog Can or Can't alert and it cannot be trained and it's toss up. Something Very not true. I just wish there was a way to get him assessed by an ADI representative who tests dogs And handlers. ADI (Assistance Dogs Internatiinal) are recognized all across Europe and Australia. But in the USA, Emotional Support (Comfort Pets) with No Training is just frustrating. We've been attacked Every Time we go to the store for the last 7 months by Totally Untrained ESA's that don't Legally have public access rights. The ADA is Broken. It DOESN'T have any teeth! My boy got Very traumatized after the last attack by a GSD that out weighed him by a good 60-70 pounds. We need Nationally Recognized Training Standards so that after an assessment, the identification patch or vest will tell everyone at a glance that the dog had passed minimum standards and it will cut down Significantly on the Fraud and Abuse of the system. My boy can now ride safely in the back seat of the car... buckled in, and touch a button to tell me when I'm driving if a seizure is coming and I can be safe. If we Can't get Mimimum Training Standards that can be tested for, and he gets attacked... I can't have him with me... because he can't work. So, then I am home bound like a Felon with an ankle bracelet until he has healed up.

[@cornflakes8358]

hey! i read your comment, and found it amazing that you were able to smell test your dog. could you give me more information on how you scent trained them? i understand that you had the scent, but what did you do from there? did you hold the scent up in front of the dog, and when they smelled that scent you trained them to alert? thank you in advance!

[@tnorthernfcs]

My dog sat on my chest all day before I hafore a pulmonary embolism

[@DeepDarkReptiles007]

I'm normally wore out after a seizure

[@jenniferlambrix7911]

My name is Jennifer I am 43 years old and have seizures and trying to train my dog for seizures when I have a seizure

[@BimerAquatics]

At what age is it appropriate to start training

[@hotlove1976]

i have a cattle doge tha alerts my husband to my seizures

[@clairenj1376]

Not scent.;;;ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY FEELING IN THE AIR.;;; I CAN ALERT TO SEIZURES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.;; feels like just before bad thunderstorm.;;;I just stop what I am doing and look at 37 yr old daughter. Claire NJ

[@doramangum-hz8bb]

Ketten have zeizures

[@arealmillennialfamily3129]

So if you’re on a fixed income like most disabled people you’re screwed.

[@arealmillennialfamily3129]

I tried getting on this program and was nothing but in tears