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Seizure-alert dogs: a review and preliminary study
Deborah J Dalziel1, Basim M Uthman, Susan P Mcgorray
1Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. dalziel@ufbi.ufl.edu
Seizure
|February 5, 2003
Summary
Some dogs naturally alert to seizures, but success depends on handler awareness. Further research is needed to identify and train effective seizure-assist dogs.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Service dogs offer psychological and practical benefits.
- Canine seizure response behavior is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To gather data on canine seizure alerting/responding behavior.
- To research the development and use of seizure-alerting dogs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review.
- Qualitative questionnaires for epilepsy patients.
- Interviews with seizure-assist dog trainers.
Main Results:
- Nine of 29 pet dog owners reported their dog responded to seizures; three alerted to onset.
- No correlation found between dog behavior and patient demographics or dog's characteristics.
- Fifteen seizure-assist dog trainers were interviewed.
Conclusions:
- Some dogs possess an innate ability to alert/respond to seizures.
- Handler awareness is crucial for successful seizure-assist dogs.
- Further research is warranted for patient selection, dog identification/training, and device development.