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1. Can Service Dogs Help Epilepsy Patients?
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3.5 millionAmericanssufferfromepilepsy.One-thirdof those people live withseizuresbecause
treatmentsdon’tprovide the control theyneed.Mycase is mildasfar as epilepsyisconcerned:the
cause is known,andaftermonthsof trial and error, I founda treatmentthatworks.I am dutiful
aboutfollowingmytreatmentplan,butIknow thatmy body’sresponse toitcouldchange at any
time.The life of a personwithintractable epilepsy,acase that can not be controlledwithavailable
treatment,ismuchmore difficult:theymayfindthemselvesdependentonotherstogetthrough
dailylife,oreventogetthrougha night’ssleep.
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dog, hearingdog, mobilitydog, psychiatric service dog.
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I have longheardabout dogsthat can alertpatientstoa comingseizure ortorespondto one after
the fact, so I thoughtthatin honorof November’sEpilepsyAwarenessMonthIshouldinvestigate a
bitto see whattheyare all about.The experience of aseizure isdifferentforall of us:some people
have knowntriggersthatwe can avoid.Otherscanfeel aseizure comingonbefore itactuallybegins
and relocate toa safe space.Many, however,are surprisedbyseizures.Afterone,apersonmaybe
unconsciousorseverelydisoriented.SoIwonder,couldaservice doghelpapersonwithsevere
epilepsytolive asaferandmore active life?
2. In the case of seizure detectiondogs,the EpilepsyFoundationcautionsthatmuchof the evidence
has beenanecdotal,inconsistentandlackedthe rigorof large,controlledstudies.Thankfully,thereis
continuedresearchinterestinthisarea.Journalssuchas Seizure, Neurology, andEpilepsyand
Behaviorhave publishedsmallstudiesonthisbehaviorindogs.Theyare amazingcreatureswith
tremendoustalents,andthese scientistshave recognizedthe successesthatsome dogshave hadin
alertingpatientspriortoseizures.However,theyhave alsopointedoutthatthere isnotyetenough
evidence towidelyrecommenddogsasseizure detectiontools.
The area of dogsbeingtrainedtorespondandassistaftera seizure isveryinterestingasthisskillset
alignswell withtasksotherassistance dogsalreadyperform.Incase of a seizure,the priorityis
alwaysprotectingthe patienttothe duringandafterthe eventandthen,forlengthyseizuresorloss
of consciousness,callingforhelp.Severe casesof epilepsymightrequire overnightmonitoring,
throughregularbedchecksby a lovedone orcomplex electronicmonitoringdevices,butacan
certainlybe trainedtorespondtothe physical manifestationsof grandmal, or tonic-clonic, seizure
to summonhelp,move apatienttoa safe place,or helpa patientstandaftera fall.Additionally,the
value of a dog’scompanionshipisalwayshailedasabenefitbythose wholive withseizure response
dogs.
I have beenfortunate tohave alwaysbeenathome or withlovedoneswhenIhave hadseizures,but
manyare not so lucky.Many live dependentonothersorforcedto make significantlifestyle
changes,sothe questionremains:coulddogshelpotherstolive abetterlife?The answersare still
emerging,butservice dogsmaywell have arole toplayin helpingthose withsevere epilepsytolive
a bit more safelyandindependently.Inthe meantime,checkoutthe EpilepsyFoundation’sflyer
on basic seizure firstaid and ask questionsof doctorsanddogtrainersyouknow.Withmore
interestandmore casesto study,the scientistscancontinue toadvance theirresearch.
For more detailson our products and services,please feel free tovisitus at: assistance dog, ptsd
dog, hearingdog, mobilitydog, psychiatric service dog.
