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These Dogs ‘See’ Seizures
Just as society finally hits a point where they get that kids holding fast to their dog’s leash in a store are not just being disrespectful, here’s a monkey wrench:
The kid might not be blind. Using dogs to catch kids’ seizures is catching on across America, highlighted by a story this week in the Chicago Tribune.
Four-year-old Colin walker’s buddy Donut goes everywhere with him, and its saved his Chicago family from worrying when his epilepsy (a symptom of Dravet syndrome) causes him to become disoriented. His mom, Candace, claims the dog actually senses the seizures before they even happen, barking as much as forty-five minutes in advance to warn the family.
But many dog-training agencies won’t work with kids, and the Epilepsy Foundation and Epilepsy Institute are both loathe to put their stamp of approval on the use of the dogs because the science is slim. A University of Florida study found that just five percent of seizure sufferers in a small study pool of thirty could say their dogs “reliably” warned them of seizures.
Not the best odds. Still, parents like Candace Walker say it works. And there are some groups that have cropped up to train dogs specifically for kids – 4 Paws for Ability trains Seizure Assistance Dogs (who are there to comfort the kids who have seizures . . . basically a buddy during a stressful time) and Seizure Assistance Dogs with facilitated Alert Training (those who they claim can “smell” a seizure coming on).
According to 4 Paws’ Website, “We feel early intervention is important and that very young children who have seizures and/or are medically frail will benefit greatly from the use of a service dog.”
I can’t argue that pets are good for kids with special needs. But would you buy into this kind of science? Even if you heard good things from other parents who have been there?
Image: 4 Paws
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6 Comments
JenniferAllynn commented on Jun 23 09 at 7:32 pmFirst of all, you made it sound like all epilepsy is a symptom of Dravet’s Syndrome, which it isn’t. Epilepsy is a horrific disease of it’s own, and can cause other problems, LIKE Dravet’s.
Second…as a mother of an epileptic child I think these dogs are doing a wonderful service. Yes they can “predict” or sense a seizure in it’s early stages. And yes, they can help a child open up and be more comfortable in the world. Epilepsy is the second leading cause of death in this country, more than cancer, more than heart attacks. It kills over 50,000 children every year. Please don’t treat it lightly. It’s serious disease that causes a person’s brain to stop working and makes people unable to breathe. Watch your child turn blue, watch your child have their soul being sucked out of them. Watch it happen more than once, for some it’s hundreds every day. Then tell me if you can treat it lightly. If you can, you will have lost a loyal reader forever.
jeannesager commented on Jun 23 09 at 8:21 pmJennifer, I apologize, I wasn’t treating epilepsy lightly. I actually know several people with the disease and HAVE watched a child (one of my classmates and friends) as they seized. It was scary stuff – and very real.
However, with the Epilepsy Foundation, et. al saying that the science just isn’t there for the efficacy of these dogs, I was pondering what other parents think . . . people like you.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences – that’s exactly what I was seeking rather than to “make light” of epilepsy.
As for the Dravet issue, sorry, I misunderstood the way the source explained the link – thanks for the clarification!
leahsmom commented on Jun 24 09 at 10:47 amI really support this – I have an epileptic friend with a service dog to help him with his seizures, and he feels that the doc has really been extremely helpful. I’ve heard also of dogs that can help young children with diabetes when their sugars get low – sometimes, this can happen so suddenly, the kid passes out. I don’t know the science, myself, really well – but I am so far believing that it’s possible – I know that with the diabetes dogs, you produce different chemicals (hormones, adrenaline, sweat more) when your sugars are changing, and that seems like something a doggy-nose could pick up; I wouldn’t be surprised if persons with epilepsy also have detectable physical changes. And, if it really does work, having some advance warning and/or assistance can make experiencing these episodes much more safe and less scary.
eringremlin commented on Jun 24 09 at 1:34 pmMy dog has fairly frequent seizures and I can almost always tell when they’re coming on, sometimes as much as 20 minutes before she actually has them. Its taken years to know her well enough to catch the nuances in behavior, but they present without fail before every episode. If I, a bumbling human with limited senses, can be trained to pick up an impending seizure surely a dog could do the same.
Now, do you think they’d hire my Vegas? She has experience in the field…. :)
Vickie Bartlett commented on Jun 25 09 at 11:49 amMy son has a dog who can foretell his fiance’s seizures. In her case, quite often, we can tell as well. However, there have been times when he (the dog) has come to us and got our attention to a problem in the other room.
I do believe that there is a change in scent.
Julie Middleton commented on Oct 03 09 at 4:06 pmComments My 4year old son has epiliepsy and he has seizures at least twice a week and I ve hurd so much about seizure dogs and think it would be grat for my son. He cant talk and most of the time I cant tell when he is going to have a seizure. Where can you get one of these dogs and how much
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