Can dogs accurately predict seizures in people with epilepsy?

Service dogs are amazing creatures that are able to perform various duties to help people who have disabilities.

Many people are often surprised to find that there are service dogs for people with epilepsy too! However, what many people are unsure of is how effective these dogs are and how they can help in the event of a seizure, which is what we’re going to discuss in this post.

There are two types of service dogs for people with epilepsy:

Seizure response dogs

As the name suggests, these dogs are reactive in the event of a seizure. They have been trained to do a variety of tasks, including:

• Barking to alert others if their owner is having a seizure.
• Going to get help if their owner has a seizure.
• Lying next to their owner to prevent injury during a seizure.
• Putting their body between their owner and the floor to break their fall.
• Activating an alarm in the event their owner has a seizure.

Seizure response dogs are often used by parents who have a child with epilepsy as it allows them to have an extra pair of eyes, but they are also commonly used by adults who enjoy the companionship and extra safety of a support dog. These types of support dogs are more easier to train than the next kind, seizure alert dogs.  

Seizure alert dogs (or ‘seizure predicting dogs’)

As unbelievable as it may seem, seizure alert dogs are reportedly able to predict seizures up to 50 minutes before they occur, giving the owner time to find a safe place. However, we can’t testify to their accuracy and at present much of the evidence is anecdotal, however, it does seem that some dogs have an innate ability to predict seizures. It’s also not known how they are able to do it, some popular theories include:

• Through micro expressions that the owner makes prior to a seizure that the dog knows precedes a seizure.
• Through a particular scent that the dog is sensitive to and humans can’t perceive.
• Dogs may be able to sense disturbances in the electrical field that are caused by an oncoming seizure.

Of course, it’s widely known that dogs have much more highly attuned senses than humans and there have been reports of them accurately identifying other illnesses, such as cancer. For this reason, it’s not inconceivable that they are able to accurately predict an oncoming seizure.

At present, Sheffield Support Dogs are the only charity in the UK who train seizure predicting support dogs. It costs around £10,000 to train just one dog, which they raise entirely through donations. You can find out more about the organisation here on their website – https://supportdogs.org.uk/.

Seizure alert dogs could be a potential lifesaver for someone who has epilepsy, a four-legged friend who can give ample warning before the onset of a seizure. This could be particularly helpful for those with epilepsy who struggle to manage it using traditional medication.

About National Epilepsy Training

At National Epilepsy Training, we provide a wide range of training and care services for people with epilepsy and those who manage people with epilepsy, including healthcare professionals, teachers and family members. For more information call us on 01706 373075 or email admin@nationalepilepsytraining.co.uk.