seizure alert dogs?

[LMReggcellent]

Tonight we had the board meeting for the Epilepsy Association of Utah and seizure alert dogs were part of the agenda. Our association is going to be doing some research in the next few months through medical centers and insurance companies to see what the demand is like now because it is growing. I'm wondering who on these forums is interested in owning a seizure alert dog? I know what a seizure alert dog is but I've never considered having one of my own. I'll be learning more about them through the Summer.

 

[Aaleayha]

Seizure alert dogs....are great if you want to sell a kidney and part of your liver to buy one. They are expensive. I've heard they work but I won't ever know.

 

[Endless]

I have one, but it's by accident. He trained himself. Sometimes he got all over me then made this noise. I'd discipline him for it. After awhile I had an "aha" and realized that it was before a complex or simple partial seizure. Sometimes just during a simple partial with really no notice. Might be the same for a complex partial but I'd have no way of knowing.

He only gets it about 50% of the time, and sometimes only gives me a few seconds of notice, but that's better than nothing. Sometimes he is signaling for an hour before it happens, and that's great. But I seldom recognize it as that because it's the same signal that he has for "I have to go out, NOW" So I'm a badly trained owner. I can't afford an alert dog, so all this is incredibly lucky.

Here's a link to a thread that is depressing, but my post in there points to some resources that list required behaviors. If someone wants to start in on training their own dog on those, professional training would cost a lot less later. That's assuming their dog has already learned to alert. I've heard not all dogs pick it up on their own.

 

[Aaleayha]

I have one, but it's by accident. He trained himself. Sometimes he got all over me then made this noise. I'd discipline him for it. After awhile I had an "aha" and realized that it was before a complex or simple partial seizure. Sometimes just during a simple partial with really no notice. Might be the same for a complex partial but I'd have no way of knowing.

He only gets it about 50% of the time, and sometimes only gives me a few seconds of notice, but that's better than nothing. Sometimes he is signaling for an hour before it happens, and that's great. But I seldom recognize it as that because it's the same signal that he has for "I have to go out, NOW" So I'm a badly trained owner. I can't afford an alert dog, so all this is incredibly lucky.

Here's a link to a thread that is depressing, but my post in there points to some resources that list required behaviors. If someone wants to start in on training their own dog on those, professional training would cost a lot less later. That's assuming their dog has already learned to alert. I've heard not all dogs pick it up on their own.

Oh it's not just dogs that learn. Oddly enough my grandmother's cockatiel does weird things right before I seize or goes off like a bat outta hell when I go down into one. they just can't help as much... haha

 

[serendipity324]

I have one, but it's by accident.

we have 3 dogs. my baby is Opie, a yorkie who was always by my side before and since this all started. we also have the shepherd, Riley and the dachshund, Murphy- my grand dog. they have all been more "in touch" and protective with me lately, especially Murphy, ever since I came home from the hospital after the grand mals, he is obsessed with me. he never leaves me now except bedtime.he cries if I go upstairs too long. he nudges and barks at me oddly at times, angry that i am up and about sometimes, making me sit down. sits at my feet guarding me. it's very strange. but cute, he senses mom-mom is off. last night was a rough night, had a seizure in my sleep and I have had a bunch of seizure activity in the last 24 hours and they sense it, earlier, Riley stood 4ft directly across from me with the strangest scariest look today, my daughter and I were a little freaked, I thought she was considering me for lunch :hungry: so we called her off. within minutes I was having one of the types of seizures i have...this is all new to me, so I don't know that ones title yet as I was diagnosed after the few grand mals. we're pretty sure she knew it was coming! freaky.

 

[serendipity324]

Oh it's not just dogs that learn. Oddly enough my grandmother's cockatiel does weird things right before I seize or goes off like a bat outta hell when I go down into one. they just can't help as much... haha

wow! isn't it weird how they sense things..I guess just like birds fly off when a bad storm is coming.

my family hasn't seen my grand mals/tonic clonics..as they happened at work and at hospital..I think they might go off like a bat outta hell if they see it...oh that was bad. actually, i hope they don't see one anytime soon.

 

[Aaleayha]

wow! isn't it weird how they sense things..I guess just like birds fly off when a bad storm is coming.

my family hasn't seen my grand mals/tonic clonics..as they happened at work and at hospital..I think they might go off like a bat outta hell if they see it...oh that was bad. actually, i hope they don't see one anytime soon.

rofl, hopefully they stop all together. that would be nice, yes??

Yeah, I mean if you consider that birds use magnetic fields to migrate for thousands of miles from the north to south then back again ... then remind yourself the epilepsy is all about the electric current in your nerves and brain, it only makes sense that they would feel that tiny shift compared to their whole environment.