Question for the Service Dog People on Here - Page 1

Have any of you guys ever heard of a service dog that alerts for migranes? If so could you please give me info on that and where you might contact someone about training for that?  A man is taking my last puppy tomorrow and he has asked me this. I told him I had no personal knowledge of such but I would ask on here and see if I could glean any info to help him. Thank you.

My understanding is that alert dogs (ex: seizures, migranes, anxiety attacks, etc) are hard to come by. Very few dogs will actually alert to that. Otherwise, I guess I am no help LOL. Perhaps you could contact someone who trains seizure alert dogs and they can give you some tips or point you in the right direction. 

I believe it is the same as seizure dogs;  but not positive;  you could contact ADA to find out trainers in your specific (or his specific area) for such a dog.  BOL  Nan

or you can contact  my friend that trains them all  Allison Southard. No. Calif.  (916) 726-4417 direct.  N

I am at a loss understanding this one. I have a medical alert service dog. I need his help because I cannot feel my condition coming on. I get migraines as part of my condition afterwards. I can feel the migraine coming on so what exactly does tell you that you would not already know? Migraine is pain and does not change body chemistry? I am confused to see what the benefit of a dog for this would be? I also do not recall any of the Americans with disabilities act covering migraines. My condition makes it dangerous for me to be driving and have my issue come on so the dog pre warns. If you are having a migraine you should not be behind the wheel anyhow and it is not like the dog is going to drive you and the dog cannot tell you one will come on before you go out driving? When I have a migraine quiet and dark are my friends not the dog. What is a migraine dog supposed to do for you? It is not life threatening and cannot be pre warned?



       

Thanks Ramsage and Nan. Nan I will contact your friend and the ADA and see what kind of info I get there.

Newbie I know absolutely nothing about service dogs except if I fall my male will help me get up and also stays by the tub when I bathe. Not anything I trained him for--he just knows when I need help. If Mike has migranes and he wanted the dog for that he certainly never told me. In fact he has other working plans for my boy. When we were exchanging emails--directions to my house--approximate time etc. he brought it up.  I also know one of my very good friends is a diabetic and has a lot of problems regulating her sugar--we are talking ER visits, etc. She has a Chinese Crested that is her medical alert dog and she does alert her to when her sugar is all wacked out.

I will also say this--I used to have bad bad 2 day migranes. And a lot of times I didn't know I was going to have one. I would go to bed fine and wake up in the middle of the night or early morning sick at my stomach and my head pounding like hell. Depending on how much I was throwing up a lot of time I toughed it out. Sometimes I'd drag myself to the ER. They gave me this medication--some kind of little pink pills you dissolved under your tongue but they never did squat for me. Most of the time the only thing that helped was moraphine or demarol.

I am sure, being a retired Highway Patrol, that IF he has migranes, that he knows not to drive and definately not to drive full of meds to comabt it. All I did was ask for info, not on a person knowing when he is getting sick or not and if he should be driving and all that. If you think it's not possible for a dog to detect that, that's all you had to say--this is my opinion. I am just trying to help someone.

I had a rescue litter and was going to keep one of the pups. I had a guy come and fall in love with her at 6 months old. Ended up she alerts to his brain tumor migraines, about 15 to 30 minutes before they come on, he has learned to take his meds before they have time to settle in, and he says, they are reduced by alot. I have had to drive him to the hospital a couple times the pain was so bad, before he got Heidi....He is a veteran, and never trained this dog. She just does it for him....I have no idea how she knows he is going to get an attack..???
She is about 5 yrs old now.
Steph

Hi Steph and thanks for that info. IMO I would think they could detect an oncoming one. Why? Because I feel we are only at the tip of the iceberg of knowing exactly what our dogs think and understand. Also because I know they are a pain--literally LOL--but something causes that pain. I know I am going through that right now--thankfully I just got a new Dr who is as interested as I am to find out what causes my pain instead of just masking it with drugs.

I think it is fantastic that his dog KNOWS and ACTS--all I can say is what a great breed we have. I also know this--my old dr detected something wrong with my kidneys and no not an infection just something wasn't right in 2 different sets of bloodwork I had done. Before he told me this I noticed everytime I would go pee,my pet girl Sister, would want to smell of the toliet water before I flushed it. And you couldn't run her off with a stick because she was right there. Coincidence or did she know something wasn't right?

By the way glad you are back................

Thanks Vonissk, glad to be back, sorta ;-)). If you want to talk to Michael, about Heidi I will give you his number, lol, he loves to talk and is very proud of his girl. She is a pain also when they are coming on..maybe he can shed some light???

I know my personal dogs are very tuned into me and when I am starting to feel dizzy, from my accident several years ago, or just not right, they are right there by my side, I have had to lean on my big guy Red at times, to steady myself. he just seems to know and I didn't train him either. I wonder if they do really "know". Especially the ones we are really close too. I had a blind gal come out from California, to bring me her guide dog, to adopt out, the dog was VERY dog aggressive to the point of being dangerous, when she was out walking, almost pulled her into the traffic at one time, trying to get to another dog. Anyhow, sorry, got off track. She wanted to try Red in a guide harness, he is too tall, which she liked, she also hasa bad knee and needs one to steady her also.

He had never been in a harness before, he was about 1 1/2 yrs old, but he stayed by her side, guided her to where I was working a horse, and layed down next to her without moving a muscle, He usually loves to chase the horses.??? We then brought him in town to try him on the streets,. and he automatically stopped when coming to a curb or a dip where a driveway went by, now HOW IN THE HECK COULD HE JUST KNOW THAT WITH NO TRAINING???? She wanted him in the worst way, still teases me about "her" dog, but I am way too attached to him. He is awesome!!!!
Thanks for this topic, very interesting and I hope you find something out...
Steph

I suffer from migraines but I would not consider an alert dog a Service Dog.  A  Service Dog mitigates a disability, and while my migraines untreated will make me feel like shit (possibly preventing me from working or doing normal scheduled activities) for about 5 days straight, I do not consider this a disability nor would I consider an alert dog something that was necessary for my livelihood and ability to function on a daily basis.  JMHO. Remember that in order for a dog to be considered a Service Dog, it must perform tasks that mitigate a legal disability.  I've never heard of/seen migraines classified by a phyisician as such.

Luckily I'm already alerted to an impending migraine.  My number one trigger is certain weather changes.  Also mine start with a dull throbbing behind my right eye.  When I feel this throb start, according to my Dr. I should immediately take my "migraine cocktail" (a prescription drug and a large dose of OTC NSAIDs).  This has been a miracle cure for me, as I don't seem to have any nasty side effects to the prescription drug like a lot of people have.

Migraines can be and have been classified as a disability. It depends on the severity of the condition, how much it impacts the person's life, etc.

Having had migraines as well, though not to the extent that I would consider it a disability, I can tell you that there are things that a dog could do that would assist someone with migraines. Besides alerting to an oncoming migraine (and yes there ARE body chemistry changes...), the dog could be trained to retrieve medication when the person is in too much pain to move, turn off lights, retrieve water, etc. etc. Keep in mind that per the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, episodic disorders are now covered.

I don't know where you are located, but it looks like these people have trained assistance dogs for migraine alert: http://www.shoreservicedogs.com/servhelp1.shtml. Don't know anything about them, but might be worth it to contact them.