There are a number of conditions that can cause a person to have seizures. Our dogs are trained to respond when a seizure happens by carrying out custom trained tasks depending on the nature of the seizures and a person’s situation. The following tasks give an example of how our dogs are capable of assisting:
· Alert barking when a seizure begins
· Getting help from another person or pressing an emergency button
· Deep pressure therapy during the seizure
· Tactile stimulation during a seizure (licking fingers or toes)
· Providing comfort and assistance after a seizure
· Protecting the persons head or body from harm
A seizure response dog can also give a person more independence by accompanying them in public and providing general emotional support, as with all of our trained service dogs. They can carry emergency medication when out and about as well as important emergency care information regarding the handler’s medical condition.
As a person recovers from a seizure, the medical alert dog can do the following things to assist:
· Retrieve a phone, medications or food
· Act as a brace to help the person stand after a seizure
· Provide deep pressure therapy for comfort
Please note! Honey’s Garden Seizure Response Dogs ARE NOT trained to predict seizure activity before it happens. However, after some time bonding with the owner and successfully responding to seizures, many dogs develop the ability to recognize the pre-warning signs of a seizure and to alert to it. This is not guaranteed to develop or become consistently reliable if it does develop.
Honeys Garden is a nonprofit, 2016/387235/08 organization whose mission is to place quality service dogs with people within South Africa who are under privileged, fighting with disabilities or diseases, and veterans who have lost use of limbs or hearing. We also help with animal rescue, and educate the public regarding use of service dogs in public places.
