Today on Daily Grail, we ran across an interesting link about dogs trained to predict seizures in epileptics. It sounds like the kind of area that British biologist and author Rupert Sheldrake might be researching.
Eddie is a three-year-old terrier who was abandoned at an animal rescue center in because his owners couldn’t control him. It turns out that his energetic nature made him an ideal seizure alert dog. He was trained at Sheffield Support Dogs, the only facility of its kind in the UK. Seizure alert dogs apparently fall into the same category as seeing eye dogs, but they aren’t just companions. Their job is to predict.
Eddie the terrier ended up with Andrew Eccles, who has never taken anti-convulsants for his condition, but hopes that Eddie may make it possible for him to spend quality time with his daughter and to do nornal things with her – like go to the park. When Eddie alerts Andrew about an impending seizure, he has time to sit down or get himself someplace safe where he won’t hurt himself or his daughter.
One seizure alert dog, for instance, licks his owner’s left hand “obsessively” fifty minutes before a major seizure. For a minor seizure, the dog licks her hand three times, then paws her. Quoting from the article linked above: “It’s not known how dogs like Eddie can sense that a seizure is about to occur though there are three main theories; firstly there may be micro expressions that the dog can pick up which precede a seizure, there may be a particular scent generated which the dog is sensitive to and finally it may be that the dog can sense disturbances in the electric field which are caused by a seizure.”
Finding this article was something of a synchronicity for us. Earlier today, one of the stray cats we feed, Smoke, seemed incredibly lethargic, wouldn’t eat, could barely walk, so we brought her indoors and called the vet.
Smoke first appeared in our back yard when the housing market went south two years ago and people who had lost their homes began to abandon their pets. She wandered into our yard one hot afternoon, timid, hungry, with such soft, plaintive eyes that of course we fed her. Eventually, she moved onto our screened porch and pretty much claimed that area as her own. Our other cats didn’t like her, so she stayed outside, seemingly content to wander around the pool area on cool days, always coming onto the porch at night. We kept trying to convince neighbors and friends to adopt her, but most of the people we know already have pets or have dogs who don’t like cats. So she stayed on our porch.
While she was inside, laying against the cool tile floor, Noah came up to her and sniffed her side. Usually, Smoke hisses at Noah. Not today. Noah kept sniffing, then began to lick Smoke’s side, a slow, loving lick, like he knew something we didn’t.
A few minutes later, our male cat, Simba, moved warily toward Smoke. He usually hisses at her and races past her. But today, he paused and moved closer, sniffing as the same area where Noah had sniffed and licked. It was eerie. It was then we realized that Smoke was seriously ill. By the time we got her to the vet, she wasn’t responding to visual stimuli.
The vet’s prognosis was bad – kidney failure, a possible tumor, diabetes. We made the heartbreaking decision to have her put down. In the moments before the drug took effect, she made a soft, plaintive sound, and her eyes fixed on Megan and me. She knew. Megan and I stood there sobbing, whispering to her, and I felt so ridden with guilt that I hadn’t made a more gallant effort to have her accepted by our other cats.
Unfortunately, the few photos we had of Smoke were lost in various computer crashes. Think: ash gray, amber eyes, a plump Buddha cat.
May your journey be joyful, Smoke. Please return to us.
I missed this post – been so hectic at my end.
A lovely story about Smoke even though it had a sad ending. The animals trying to lick her better was really moving. ♥
I didn't realize Bach flower remedies could be used on animals, too, but it makes perfect sense. Thanks for the tip!
We used to live on a lake and every time one of the baby ducks didn't make it, we buried it in a berm at the side of the house. By the time we left 11 years later, the ducks had several cats and hamsters as company.
Flower essences work very well with animals… Dr. Bach's will work as well as dedicated Animal Flower Essence remedies.
I am sorry about Smoke. Bless you for your kindness….
oh, i know your smoke is there with you all and will soon make herself known! i can see her now, the plump buddha cat!!! a beautifully poignant story and one i know must have been difficult to write – i've always been more a cat person [the leo thing, of course] than a dog person but all critters are precious to me – my kids still speak of their own pets no longer with us – it's always so incredible to read/hear of their own innate abilities that surpass our own in many ways –
It's always hard to lose an animal – we have dogs and cats buried in our garden and still refer to them.
Smoke chose the right family when she adopted you all. A plump Buddha cat: how perfect that sounds.
Daz – wow, those are good ones!! I'd say a trip to sydney should definitely be in your future!
Here's one more from "7 Secrets" before I forget.The part about Joseph Campbell and the praying mantis made me think of the DVD "Microcosmos" which I had placed in the shopping basket a couple of weeks ago on a site where I buy my DVDs .I had also placed a copy of "Pleasantville" in there and couldn't decide if I wanted to get that as well,so I just kept reading "7 Secrets" until(boom)(page 18)you start writing about "Pleasantville",problem solved,movie purchased.
Daz
Rob and Trish,I just started reading your book "7 Secrets…"and already the syncs are going off like fireworks and I'm only up to page 20.
Here's one of many;I read that you had taken over the Sydney Omar astrology series…my middle name is Sydney…which got me to thinking about the city Sydney and how haven't been there for nearly 20 years and that I feel I should visit soon…then as I'm reading and thinking this an advert comes on TV about Sydney(which I haven't seen before)and the catch phrase in this new ad is…Sydncity.I was nearly falling off the chair in disbelief…looks like I have to visit Sydney ASAP.
Cheers again / Daz
Funny you should mention this about animals.I was watching my new DVD "Something Unknown (Is Doing We Don't Know What)"yesterday and in it is a cat that can sense when a terminally ill patient is about to die and it will go and sit with the patient in the last remaining hours before death.Here's the link if you want to watch the movie on YouTube :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5opC_w1mjo
There are about 10 parts and the cat part is towards the end of the film,but the whole movie I would highly recommend watching.
Cheers / Daz
As a fellow animal lover especially cats I deeply sympathize with you.
Even when you know it is the right thing to help them in the dying process it is still hard.
A vet once told me that animals, especially cats (and up that emphasis for an abandoned cat), will often not show that something is wrong until it is quite severe and even too late to help. It is a survival mechanism because in the wild an injured animal is vulnerable.
Cats have kept this wild streak in them so it is quite common for them to not show distress until it is literally too late to help.
Even though your other cats didn't seem to like her they did let her stay on the porch which she was happy with.
A final thought, the last people she looked at were the ones she knew had loved her and taken care of her, her last little meow was quite possibly a thank you.
God Bless and ask to see her in your dreams.
I am grateful the gift of our animal companions.
I am sad for Smoke's passing. 🙁
There are also dogs who can detect cancer cells before science can.
P.S. Noah looks like the happy king of his domain, sitting there all sprawled out in the little pool! Priceless photo! cj
Ohh, this is such a sad story, but you did what you could for her. Your kindness gave her safety and food. Bless you for that.
We've had to put down a dog and a cat this year. It's been a hard one.
We also had a cat named Simba, she was a feral cat my son rescued from a field as a half dead newborn kitten whose mom probably had died or something. We loved that cat, but she always kept that somewhat wild, scared temperament, except around my son. I still feel sad when I think of what happened with Simba. Don't want to talk about it either. We get so attached to our pets. I'm fascinated by how dogs can tune into health issues with people. There's an untapped phenomenon there.
Am writing this through tears and sobs. I have a service dog, a yellow lab/rhodesian ridgeback named "Sunshine". Sunshine is the most amazing animal I've ever known. I have advancing Parkinson's, and will occasionally unexpectedly experience something that is called a "Parkinson's seizure". Altho not a true seizure per se, it has the effect and appearance of an epilectic grand mal seizure, causing intense unrelenting vertigo accompanied by falling and very severe, full-body, hard spasmotic tremors. I have no warning when this is about to occur. But Sunshine knows, and about thirty minutes prior to the seizure, she will nudge my knee persistently, whining urgently, looking into my eyes. If I don't pay attention to those alerts, she'll continue to butt her head against my knee and give several short, sharp barks. I've learned to heed the initial nudges and whines, because surely enough, before I recognized her signals, I would inevitably have the event. Now I have time to take the prescribed medication which almost always prevents it, although occasionally the event will still occur but with much less severity and much less debilitating effects and for a much shorter duration. She is incredibly well-trained, and doesn't react in any manner to storms, thunder, lightning, fireworks, sudden loud noises as other creatures do even though her hearing is very sensitive. The instructor told me that is part of her working dog training. During her training period, when out in public, she wore a "jacket" that reads "Please don't pet me. I'm working." For this reason, she tolerates being petted by strangers, etc., but generally speaking tends to be friendly but aloof except with me and my husband in terms of being stroked and petted. She touches me with some part of her body every moment when I am sitting. When I'm up and busy, she stays close but not intrusively, and watches my every movement. At night she sleeps below my side of the bed. If I'm going to have an event while sleeping, she awakens me with a hard nudge against whatever part of my body she can reach, whining between the sharp short barks, and I know to immediately take the meds. I rest comfortably when she decides to sleep ON the bed, her nose touching my feet, because I've come to realize she will only sleep on the bed when I'm OK and not going to have an event. No one seems to have learned how these animals "KNOW" or "PREDICT" what they know. I personally have the conviction that there is some shift in my body's electro-magnetic field that she instantly perceives. I don't feel it, but Sunshine senses it. I couldn't make it thru the days without my Sunshine. She is my constant companion; my ever-present sidekick; my very best friend; my canine soulmate. The love emanating from her eyes cannot be explained. It is unconditional and fathomless.
I SOOOOO understand how you and Megan felt about Smoke. It is beyond heart-breaking. Just trust that Smoke knew you were saving her from pain and agony, relieving her distress in the only way it could be relieved, and she is grateful. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge to that beautiful meadow where our animals go to run and play until they see us again, and I have a sense will come back to you soon. You'll surely recognize her, and perhaps when she returns, she'll be embraced and accepted by the other furry members of the family. I cry with you. cj