Seizure Alert Dogs and Digger’s Fund
Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows why they are known as “man’s best friend”. Even though our dogs cannot speak the same language as us, they have an incredible ability to sense how their owners are feeling, whether that is happy or sad.
However, many people will be surprised to learn that this skill has been developed and extended so that some dogs are now being trained to sense when their owner is becoming ill, such as through a diabetic attack or an epileptic fit. This remarkable new animal service has been growing in popularity over the last decade.
One such illness that dogs are able to give an advanced warning about is seizures. Seizure alert dogs are able to warn individuals 10-45 minutes in advance of a seizure, as well as providing invaluable support and companionship that enables the owner to live as full a life as possible. They are able to accompany the person in their home, while they do their weekly shopping, get out and about, or do whatever else the individual wishes to do.
To scientists, the way these dogs detect an oncoming seizure is still a mystery but it is clear that the benefits are life enhancing. As well as providing an early warning which allows the individual to take control of the situation, these dogs can also be trained to fetch medicine, phones, blankets and cushions, dial 999 by hitting a button, raise awareness of a seizure to another person, brace the person as they fall and comfort them by providing stimulation to the unconscious or semi-conscious person. As you might imagine, there is a high demand for such an incredible companion, and therefore there is currently a five year waiting list for a seizure alert dog.
At WitsEnd, we have been deeply moved by the story of Leigh, one of our current clients who is raising money towards the cost of Digger, his seizure alert dog. Digger would allow Leigh to keep leading an independent life as he battles his condition which at the moment has no definitive cure.
Leigh started suffering from seizures at the age of 10, and grew up having an average of 15 seizures a day between the ages of 13 and 16. At the age of 16 he was diagnosed with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis, a severe form of epilepsy, and had to undergo major brain surgery to remove his left temporal lobe.
After the success of this surgery, Leigh stopped having Generalised Tonic Clonic seizures and only suffered from the more manageable Absences and Complex partial seizures, allowing him to live an independent life.
Sadly the Generalised Tonic Clonic seizures returned in 2013. Initially these seizures only occurred over night, but since 2014 Leigh has unfortunately begun to experience these seizures during the daytime as well. These seizures have led to a number of injuries requiring hospital treatment and have resulted in the nurses suggesting his current circumstances are too dangerous for him to be living on his own.
In order to lead an independent life, which is something that Leigh has always wanted, he has recently bought a female labradoodle puppy called Digger, a seizure alert dog, rather than having to wait five years to get one. Leigh is now looking for donations to help cover the costs of Digger. Seizure alert dogs are available at a cost of 8,500 Euros.
We cannot comprehend how difficult Leigh’s life has been but we know that Digger is already making a huge difference to him and his independence since he welcomed her into his home on the 8th December.
If you would like to read more about Leigh’s story or donate to Digger’s Fund please visit his Lets Go Fundraise page. All donations of any size would be gratefully appreciated and for more information on epilepsy please click here.
It is amazing what some dogs can do; training encourages a dog to think and learn, and it is important that they go on learning throughout their life. Digger currently attends WitsEnd for the basic obedience and socialisation training that she requires before beginning her specialist seizure alert work. At WitsEnd we offer five different types of dog training classes ranging from puppy classes to advanced classes and one to one classes. For more information about our dog training classes, please visit https://www.witsend4pets.co.uk/ or call us on 0116 244 2455.