Wondering about a Medical alert dog

[Jen]

I am a 23 year old student about to graduate with an animal science degree. I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome with episodes of fainting and subsequent small seizures. This is secondary to a connective tissue disorder known as Ehlers Danlos. I am on the highest dose of a blood pressure medication, and still exhibiting these symptoms. I really think a medical alert dog would be helpful if he were able to alert me before I'm about to faint and help me if I do faint or seize.  The problem is I'm hoping to attend veterinary school (applying in the fall) and don't know if I would be allowed  to / or if it would be safe to bring a service dog into vet hospitals when I have to do rounds or eventually when I start working. I have worked in a vet hospital before and know that animals can be unpredictable, especially when they're in pain. I wouldn't want to put a medical alert dog in danger in these situations. I have owned dogs before and have a lot of experience with them. I really want less uncertainty and fear about when I might have a fainting episode and feel a medical alert dog would help, but am unsure if it's feasible given my goals. Any feedback is really appreciated.

Thanks,
Jen

[Kirsten]

Under the ADA, there are some instances when the presence of a service animal can cause a fundamental alteration in the goods and services offered by a business. Having a SD in the treat
Net room with clients and there pets most likely would fall into that category. That would mean an employer could refuse the accommodation.

Animals receiving treatment, even just routine maintenance, tend to be under stress. Yes, they are a risk to other animals present, such as a SD, but the SD is also a risk to the client animal because his presence can increase that stress. I think a very large percentage of smaller animals, including cats, would be quite distressed at having a strange dog in the treatment room with them. As an owner, who shows up with up to four dogs and/or four cats, I would not allow it in my appointments. There's just no way I could supervise all those animals not used to each other while simultaneously restraining someone for some treatment. Which is another point:  the SD would need supervision too, which would likely conflict with the amount of focus you need on the client animal. I just know I couldn't do it and simultaneously do an a ceptible job stewarding my dog.


You might arrange a place for the dog to be when you are actually handling other animals. It would depend on the individual office whether you could pull that off.

[Spectrum]

Welcome! I currently work in a vet clinic and have thought about what to do with an SD when my dog is fully trained. I determined the best option is to have him either in a kennel area or a portable crate (if the hospital is AAHA Accredited crates separate from cage banks are not permitted) while I am working with animals. No, the dog won't be available to help all the time, but it is the safestn option for all parties involved.

[Kirsten]

Sigh. I couldn't edit to clarify that the "other place" I meant would be in a different room. An actual alert dog might pull it off with periodic interactions since what they do is predict things lime upcoming seizures so you can make sure you aren't on the stairs or in the tub when it happens.

It isn't possible to get an alert dog intentionally. Rather, since they cannot be trained to alert, you take your chances whether a given SD can alert. Odds of an SD having or developing this behavior after placement is about 50%. So what most people with seizures do is get a response dog and hope they get lucky and it also alerts.

I think you could make it through most of school having the dog with you. Then you might do the thing with a room for him at work just use him at only at home.

[Jen]

I know I'm replying really late to this but since I originally posted I have been cramming for the GRE and also had very limited internet access (I hate our provider - though now there should be no more problems). Anyway I wanted to thank both of for your input. Since posting this, I have been in contact with a program and will be getting my SD in the next couple of months, which I am very excited about. I have talked to some veterinary clinics where I will be applying for jobs and they are willing to work with me (in terms of having my SD in a confined area) while working. This is all assuming I get a tech job in the year between going home and veterinary school. I also spoke with a couple of the schools I am interested in, and they said that there shouldn't be a problem. Again I apologize for responding so late, but I really appreciated the helpful replies.

[Magesteff]

Another thing to consider is that not all dogs, even SDs, alert. It is something either the dog does or does not. I think, if I remember correctly, even with SD lines that have proven alerters in the line the chance is only about 10 to 15 % that any SD will alert.

[Kirsten]

It's 15% of the general dog population.  That's based on a study done in Canada and reported in their journal of medicine (similar to our JAMA).

According to programs who train seizure response dogs, about half of dogs placed as response dogs begin alerting within 6 months of placement.  Those that do not alert within 6 months tend not to ever develop the ability.

Why would dogs trained as seizure response dogs have such a significantly higher rate of this ability than the general population?  It's because the selection criteria for choosing SD candidates coincidentally selects for the personality characteristics of natural alerters. 

[Lin]

Even without an alerting dog, a SD can do a lot to help someone with EDS and Dysautonomia. I know since I have them both as well

POTS is a type of disautonomia, I have a similar type called IST.

My dog is trained in mobility assistance to help with the EDS as well as dizziness and blackouts related to IST.

I work with animals as well which means my dog sometimes can't accompany me but I've been lucky to have employers that are fine with it. I work teaching riding lessons in stables. I put Tessa in a place command (for us its almost a stay, but stays mean you can't move at all and in the place I don't care if she sits up, turns, etc, as long as she remains in the same spot.) in the corner of the arena, or sometimes stick her in a horse stall if she would be in the way.

[Stag]

Ah, a fellow Dys-er here! My dog may or may not be an alerter-- we don't know, he does exhibit a nose bump (his first ever trained behavior and his fallback when he wants attention, etc) when I'm symptomatic, but even if he doesn't turn out to alert, that's ok with me! The fact that he will learn to pick things up for me and steady me when I walk and respond if I faint and a bunch of other things will help a ton. First SD did it and I coped much better with the dys when I had the dog to alleviate major triggers, sch as leaning down to pick something up or sending her to get someone or grab something or turn off the lights when standing was too much.

[Lin]

Tessa doesn't do any type of alert, but yes she helps me very much in those other ways! And when I must get up, or bend over/squat down I use her harness to help do it gradually, and steady myself with dizziness or graying out.

[labs4ever]

There is a possibility that I may have POTS as well.  I  reecenlty began practicing walking again  during PT with a special walker that I can't fall out of.   Anyway I tend to have seizures while standing. I get light headed and  dizzy and end up seizing.   DIagnosis is  not easy as  I have  multiple things going on. 

At any rate, I wanted to say  that my dog  was trained in seizure repsonse and   that has helped me immensely.   Having her is  a huge tool towards my  success to living on my own in the not so distant future.    She happens to alert too, but I find the response  a  LOT more helpful then the alert by itself would be.