Does anyone have a dog that detects seizures?

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ddr1166

ddr1166

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Hello, all - just curious about this - does anyone's dog act different before you/your spouse has a seizure? If so, what does it do?

I've also heard there are "trained" seizure dogs you can get, so any info about that would be interesting (although I don't think we can afford it). I wish I could train my current Black Lab to do something!
 
I have three dogs. Rosie, is 6 and has been with me since she was 6 months old and has always slept with me. One night, I had a seizure in my sleep. My son said she came to his door and was pushing him to follow her. When he came into my room, i was on the floor, holding my head and mumbling. My doc felt it was a seizure and upped my meds after that.
Search for seizure alert or response dogs...there are several discussions on here about this topic and some people have these specially trained dogs Apparently prior to seizing, we emit an odor that dogs can smell. I had another incident that I had a simple partial and prior to the seizures the dogs were sitting around me on the floor....when I came out, all 3 were laying on me as to cushion me.
Seizure alert dogs can let you know a seizure is coming on or has started...primarily to let others know what is happening. Seizure response dogs are trained to do a task (hit a button or something that would trigger an alarm or emergency distress signal).
 
Hi, ddr,

My dog is more of a seizure notification dog. He doesn't warn me in advance. But he does tell me when I've had an altered conciousness seizure. He howls and gets really excited and jumps around. I don't always know when I've had an altered conciousness seizure, so this is a big help for me.

I didn't train my dog to notify me of seizures. He trained himself. He WAS trained to remind me of my medication 3x per day. He's pretty good, but can vary 20 minutes ahead or behind the correct time, which is almost too much variation for me. I think I might send him for brush-up training. He's better than an alarm watch because the watch will go off, I get distracted, and forget to take my meds. The dog doesn't give up until he gets his treat (and I've taken my meds). He's the perfect amount of pesky.

Here's a link to some places you can get your own pet dog trained. They may or may not have specially raised dogs you can purchase, too:

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/service.html

Here's a list of places you can get dogs already trained for you:

http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/assistancedogproviders.php
 
I don't know if my cat knows when I'm about to have one, only because I'm so out of it that I usually don't remember anything that was going on before it came on. However he does know when I've had it.

When I come to he's usually sitting on me and won't leave my side until I'm back to normal. I think he just wants to make sure his Mommy is ok before he will do anything else.
 
Hi Valerie - that's interesting about your cat. More on my cat in a minute.

Our black Lab was in the bed when my husband had his first seizure, and she got REALLY agitated and barked and barked, then sat down as if to wait. The third time (she didn't witness the second one) we were in the car, and she was in the backseat. She sat very quietly throughout, then when he started coming to, she just licked and licked and licked his face. It was so sweet!

Re: my cat. That same night after the car seizure (about 5 hours after his seizure), my 18 year old cat (NOT his cat, my cat who sleeps with me since he was 5 weeks old), hopped up on the bed, looked at me as if to say "sorry, chick, I have a job 2nite" and just waltzed over next to my husband and gave him the Snoopy stare down (like the Red Baron). After about 15 minutes, he curled up next to his chest and stuck his nose in his armpit (he's been sleeping with me for the last 18 years!) and slept by him all night.

Animals are so amazing!
 
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My dog was around 5 or 6 when I began having seizures, complex partial. It took me a while to notice a change in his behavior. He was a puppy when I got him from the animal shelter, no training of any kind. When I finally realized there was a change in his behavioir before the seizure, he did the following: At first, he would stand/sit and stare at me, nudge me backwards and other things he never did before. I though he wanted to play! But he was very calm and consistent and just behaved differently. You will be able to tell once you look for it. Over time, I noticed he would not do it consistently with auras really, but almost always when the auras were going to/did develop into a complex partial. He would always do this several minutes before the seizure so some type of change in body chemistry makes sense. So he def made me aware of seizure before it happened and when I had a 'bad one' prior to medication really helping control them, he would stay by me as well as when I would become aware again he was always lying next to me and or laying with his head on my chest. So between the auras (which I came to call warnings) and Cisco, I was very lucky to be able to prep myself a bit...lay on couch, etc....sadly, I had to say bye to him on June 10th after 14 years of being my best buddy. If you have a dog, be smarter than me and when possible, learn to note changes in behavior, no matter how sublte. In my case, the standing in front of you staring, 'nugging' or 'bumping' you starting out softly then become more aggressive with it, etc...and of course, not only at the treat jar! LOL
 
ddr:

Hello. :) My nephew's uncle has a "mutt" who noticed I was about to have a complex partial. He scooted me into a corner of the bedroom (I was alone) just in case I might fall. When I came out of the seizure, I was disoriented, but noticed that Digby the dog was leaning on me to protect me. While my sister-in-law & her family thinks he's a mutt, I consider him an angel. So, yes, I wholeheartedly believe pets can detect seizures. And, since your finances are tight, you may want to ask your neurologist, or call a pet shelter and explain your situation to see if they can provide any information regarding seizure alert pet information (without trying to sell you anything). Take care, ddr. :)
 
My little shelter mix Brutus, always seem to know when I have an episode coming on. He runs to me and stares and jumps around me. I love him!
 
Rangerwvu - thank you! That is such a great story. Yes, they're truly amazing, and they also help you mentally. I almost died two years ago, and during my recovery at home when she was a puppy, she would sit all day on the bed with her head on my chest and sleep with me. It was so sweet! Then she would force me to get up (of course to do her business), and that would make me get off my bed and out walking. I recovered much quicker both mentally and physically. Of course this is also with a great husband - he gets credit, too.

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. Hoping time will heal. They are angels. D
 
I have heard that you can get a specially trained dog to do this - but they cannot also be a family pet..
 
our beautiful girl, pictured on the left, always stays with me after I have had a seizure. She will follow me and sit by me the whole day. Her way of making sure nothing else happens to mom!
 
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