How Dogs Alert to Seizures

Epilepsy Awareness Day at Disneyland
Katie Gonzalez, Founder of Little Angels Service Dogs, explains the history of seizure alert dogs and the science behind a dogs ability to sense seizures. She then demonstrates how LASD trains its dogs to alert and respond 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.

[natasha]

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.

[mandyliu]

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!!

[lisaouerfelli]

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.

[roberttrough]

It’s been a long time since I had a seizure. I remember my jaw quivering fast uncontrollably and with a humming sound. I also felt an aura. The aura always came first. If I could calm myself down once the aura started I believe I could have a good chance of stopping the seizure. I was diagnosed with grand mall seizures. I’ve been on same medication since I’m 13 years old and it’s been very effective. Not sure how a service dog could be trained for that. My biggest issue is not being able to hear my insulin pump alarms at night. I want to train my service dog to put his paws on me to wake me up during my alarm. I believe the dog can be trained to smell the lows of my diabetes. The other issue is Celiacs wheat allergy. The dog could alert me to wheat in my food. Being retired the astronomical cost of a service dog requires me to train my own pup. Living in Tennessee I just read Medicare might help to purchase a service dog. I live alone and am active fishing, swimming, hiking, backpacking etc. I was thinking a Labrador Retriever would suit my needs. I’ve owned large dogs before. Lab, Australian Shepherd and German Shepherd. Recently I’ve volunteered to walk dogs at our local animal shelter. I believe it’s necessary to purchase the Labrador from a breeder with great background in the parents, non barking and my dogs always picked me out. They were always great dogs and never in a leash, didn’t need leash. I understand leash laws. I have a perfect set up in my fenced in back yard to train a puppy. I would like a hiking buddy as well. If necessary I believe a strong Labrador could assist me and steady me walking as I get older. 😊

[terrysmith]

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

[kevinstufflebeam]

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.

[cynthiadugan]

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!

[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!

[debb]

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.
❤

[larryuknow]

I agree with the scent, I'm very close with my wife. I do notice my wife's scent changes, but being human I don't always notice it. It depends how much I'm paying attention or I'm close enough to her. I'll either notice it before or after. It all depends. I also noticed her rapid pulse.

[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.

[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.

[mypetgiraffe]

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.

[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.

[deannamccoy]

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

[aileenfigueroa]

We need help. We are trying to find a dog like this for my son who get seizures. Can you please help us find my son a dog.
He is in a terrible depression and afraid to go outside.

If you could help us with information how to get started to find a dog for him we don’t have a lot of money. We’re hoping that there’s something available or programs available.

[kevinstufflebeam]

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

[lindaelkins]

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?