Theme: epilepsy - The first epilepsy dog

Text o image: Britta Blomqvist

I have had epilepsy since the end of 1972 and got it after having had meningitis / encephalitis. I have mixed seizures, sometimes only a brief absence attacks, but also large grandmal seizures that several times have been very serious.

I had to quit my job as head of of a kindergarten since my seizures did not at all get better. My two sons had started school and sure, there was plenty to do at home during the days but I could not cope with so much then. Most things were difficult: the balance, evaluation of distance, concentration, and I also had difficulty speaking, but this I try to catch up now.

The balance got better and I could walk again, yes, most got better, but when I get tired I get worse again and the cramps have not improved.

I felt that I wanted to make the rest of my life meaningful, so I started working with dogs, took several litters and started a kennel. I have just raised Rough Collie and right now I have six dogs, which are all absolutely gorgeous.

I noticed early that my dogs reacted when my cramps came and during my epileptic seizures, they were an invaluable help, yes they even saved my life several times. But it took a while before I realized that my dogs could detect even before my seizures began.
Here are some examples of when one of my dogs saved my life. I only had one collie then, a bitch named Mild-Kachina, (hence my kennel name) we called her Sari.

Per [Brittas husband] called home every day since he was worried when I was home alone and for fun got Sari to "talk" with him. I never thought that it would save my life.

One day I got very severe cramps and just came to consciousness for short periods and the cramps just got stronger and longer, I felt panic when the phone rang and I thought 'Oh my God if only Sari could answer ". Sari walked over to the phone that sat on the wall, jumped up towards it but did manage to get it down. Then she opened the door to another room where there also was a phone, which I rarely used, managed to get the receiver off and tried to speak. Per got very worried because he thought that it was me. He rushed home and found me in deep coma. At the hospital, they told me that Sari really had saved my life.

On another occasion I got an epileptic seizure while we were out in the woods. It was in November and it was quite cold outside. Then Sari laid her body on me, licked me on the neck and cheek and it felt very calming. I came to consciousness, and saw that my hands were full of her hair but she still she stayed there and I lost consciousness again. For two hours she lay warming me then she ran home and met my husband when he got home. Incredible that she knew exactly when he arrived. He phoned for an ambulance when he saw Sari alone and when it arrived, Sari ran in front of it on the walkway and showed where I was. I had a low body temperature when I arrived at the hospital but thanks to Sari who had warmed and reassured me, it all ended well.
Surely you understand that I completely trust my dogs, because they have helped me so many times. I also noticed that they were aware of an oncoming epileptic seizure before it broke out, though it took a while before I learned to understand that. I actually still have a little hard time not to finish what I'm doing, before I "obey" Atlas.

In light of all the years that my dogs have helped me, I know for sure that it really works. But it's been difficult not to be able to bring my dogs with me when I needed them the most - like at the post office (where I had a very tiring experience) in shops and in other places. No one understood what help and security my dog is.

During the Olympic week in Athens in 2004 my bitch Yasmin had four puppies. I had intended on keeping a bitch and so I did, but many who came and looked at the puppies said "you cannot just sell the tri-color male he's gorgeous." I got good contact with him so of course they were right, I could did not sell him, and when Atlas was about two weeks old, I decided to keep him. But I also thought that when I kept a male, I needed to work extra with him in order to get a calm dog pack.

I remembered that I had heard that there were trained dogs that help when you have diabetes, then it must be able to train a dog that helps when you have epilepsy.
And it sure did, and my physician wondered some when I wanted a certificate stating that I am helped by my dog, but he had over the years heard how my dogs had helped me, so it worked out well.
To start training Atlas was great fun, my instructor Kerstin Jonsson also thought it would be exciting and she really likes Collies.

We began by praising Atlas when he alerted (he scratches on my leg and takes eye contact) and then we worked with him to get him to fetch help when I got "bad." He really was easy to teach and he fetched Kerstin and made ​​sure she came back to me. I lay on the floor in the laundry room and moaned. Kerstin came and asked what had happened, helped me and I got "well" very quickly.

We practiced that Atlas would scratch at my waist bag where I have my medicine. First, we placed it on the floor and it did not take long before he understood what he should do. When I had it on me, he also learned what we wanted him to do. He really enjoyed what we were doing and he received praise and treats.

At the next training session, we wanted to tie it all together - Atlas should fetch help and scratch on the waist bag and show where my medicine was.
I got "bad" and asked Atlas go get help, I "cried" and pretended to be in great pain, Atlas fetched Kerstin but when she came he did not scratch on my waist bag, Kerstin tried in every way and I just lay there in "pain".

We gave up after a while, but then I thought about what it might be due to. When Atlas scratched at the waist bag he got candy and when I'm bad he normally does not want to eat candy. It's rather obvious. So Kerstin put a sugar tablet in my waist bag, gave it to me when she arrived and I got "well" at once. Then Atlas showed where I had my medicine, he had understood that I got well.
A funny episode occurred during our training when we were in the forest at Kerstins place. Her Collie Sirocco was also joining the exercise. Atlas had by now begun to understand that I was not ill for real. I got "ill" and was lying on the ground and asked Atlas to go get help. Kerstin was some distance away, but Atlas went to fetch Sirocco instead and both the dogs stood and examined me. "Look at how my owner is," Atlas seemed to say. We really had fun at our dogs and not to laugh then was impossible. Sometimes I wonder who's supposed to learn, the dog or me.

To train a service dog for epilepsy means to observe the dog and take it seriously. Eye contact is very important.
What makes the dog senses oncoming epileptic seizure before is not known yet. Some have thought it to be the scent or altered movement patterns but that is certainly not so.

The dog feels when the heart starts beating faster and you get warmer then you excrete a scent that the dog can register, but in that case they would always alert at times when you, for example, is stressed or running. But Atlas will not respond at all then.

I'm sure the dogs feels what happens in the brain before an oncoming epileptic seizure breaks out, we all have an aura around us for certain changes at an oncoming attack. I think of the tsunami disaster where no animals stayed on the beach. There is still much to explore and much that we do not understand.

But we must take advantage of the opportunities that we get from the help of our dogs.
I think the most important things for training a service dog / epilepsy dog is good contact with the dog, love and trust and sure, patience and imagination is also needed.

SoS-Hunden Nr 3/10

[Translated by Elisabeth M-R]