Dog can sense seizures in advance

Some may think of a Lassie movie when hearing of a collie that watches over a child and alerts adults to possible danger.

But for a mother who fears her 9-year-old daughter, Nona, may be harmed at night while having an epileptic seizure, Cheryl Reynolds is comforted to know her four-year-old collie, Benny, is at her daughter’s side, ready to protect her even before a seizure can occur.

Although Nona’s epilepsy, a neurological condition that makes people susceptible to seizures, can vary in intensity, Ms. Reynolds said Benny will begin to pace around Nona and act panicked about 15 to 30 minutes before Nona has a seizure.

“I really don’t know what we did before Benny,” Ms. Reynolds said. “When Nona has seizures or is about to have a seizure, I think Benny knows it’s his job to protect her and goes as far as to stand between her and the dresser or even lay on her to make sure she doesn’t hit her head or harm herself while shaking.”

Once the seizure passes, Ms. Reynolds said Benny calms down and moves away from Nona as she lies unconscious for 45 minutes to an hour to recover.

With Benny having no prior training as a service dog to alert her of Nona’s seizures, Ms. Reynolds said she could only speculate of how Benny came to be Nona’s alarm system and protector.

“When we first got Benny, I noticed that he was really afraid of thunderstorms and began pacing around the room sort of in a panicked state,” Ms. Reynolds said. “But then I noticed that he would act that way around Nona even when there wasn’t a thunderstorm.”

“Then soon after he started doing that, Nona would have a seizure,” Ms. Reynolds added. “I really think it has something to do with dogs being able to sense electrical currents.”

Although Ms. Reynolds has her speculations about how Benny senses Nona’s seizures, according to the Epilepsy Foundation Web site, a national voluntary agency dedicated to helping people and families with epilepsy, it is unknown how some dogs develop an aptitude to sense seizures while others are not as sensitive.

Ms. Reynolds said she has the luxury of knowing that through Benny’s ability to take care of Nona, she feels better about her daughter’s epilepsy as long Benny is close by.

“I’m not afraid,” Nona said about her seizures. “He (Benny) is fun and he likes to play with me.
“He makes me feel safe.”