service/seizure/companion dog

[seizeacure]

As most of you know I suffer from Chronic depression ,Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a seizer disorder. My Social Worker, psychologist, and I have been working on ways to make me more independent. I do have a VNS which was turned on in Feb. and has been helping quite a bit for both the seizures and the depression, making it possible for me to really work on the PTSD. Two of my biggest problems right now are fear of being alone in case I have a seizure and/or flashback and getting out of the house and into public for the same reasons. We came up with the idea of applying for a service dog. When I started looking at this option I decided to go with the largest service dog training center in the USA. They train guide dogs, service and/or seizure dogs and companion dogs. The cost to you is simply the routine upkeep of an animal, (Food vet, shots...) The dog is paid for from donated sources so limited income is not a roadblock (check this out some organizations charge up to $3500 for a dog!). Each dog is trained specifically for your specific needs (which is not the case in many other organizations). You list the things you want your dog to do for you in priority order. They give you 7 spaces and say you can include more. My 7 were
1. Physical contact during seizures
2. Physical contact during flashback/high anxiety periods
3. Helping me to stand after a seizure
4. Bringing me my phone on demand or when its ringing
5. Bringing me my meds after a seizure
6. Forcing me out of bed after the alarm rings
7. Being a companion dog when I am crying or isolating

As you can see all thre diagnosis will be helped by getting a dog. Legally these dogs are allowed anywhere a person is allowed and you cannot be charged extra for them. (i. e. pay a pet deposit on an apt., pay for an extra seat on a plane...) Has anyone considered applying for a service/companion dog for their neurological.psychological issues? If you have any questions I can answer feel free to contact me via e-mail at ahistoryfan@aol.com

Annmarie


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[Cry Tears]

Hello...thats awesome you're considering getting a service animal.
I think you made a mistake tho...a service dog cost $35,000:eek:
But I may be wrong...I'll ask again!
I was very ill, had a very oddball symptoms...no one knew what was wrong, but they knew I was ill.
I had severe amemia, was bleeding internally and always needed to be transfused ALL the time.
I was so afraid to die alone as many times I'd passed out and could hardly stand I was that anemic.
I felt panicky about being left all alone as I didn't want to die alone.
One of my doctors suggested I get a service animal shortly after my 6 Y O Golden Retriver died suddenlym but opened a way for me to get Satin. She'd been service dog trained...had impecable manners, cept now she likes to piddle in the LR rug!
She was a perfect dog in every way...talk about manners!
We were inseperable from the moment we met.
I ended up in the hospital numerous times...each time I had my Satin dong right there on the bed with me...she'd quietly sleep snuggled right next to me. One time I was in the hospital 17 days...she became that hospital wings mascot! Everyone adored her...she'd go from room to room visiting patients. We'd also certified her thru Delta Society as an Animal Pet Therapist!
Any time I wanted to check up on her, I'd use a little clicker....3 clicks and she'd be immediatly in my room....she NEVER disobeyed, ever!
We'd fly across the United states, going to the Florida Keys, we live in Oregon. She'd sit right at my feet or sit in the seat next to me.
She loves traveling...she'll go ANYWHERE ...anytime!...she'd go up or down escalators, elevators, terminators....she'd go!...never ever gave it second thought as long as it was by my side.
We went into grocery stores...NEVER gave a sniff, even to a juicy T-bone steak! Pass right pass the bread isle, with soft loaves right next to her nose....Leave it...is all you had to say, even if you put a juicy peice of meat down in front of her...she knew she had to LEAVE IT!...wouldn't even sniff the air...but she would try to tip her head so she could see it.
As soon as I gave the command..OK...she'd snatch it up in heartbeat!
She's the most awesome dog...she means the world to me.
She's very old now...no longer serves as my service animal as I'm no longer needy as I was then.
They'd found the cause of anemia, was an anuerism.
I still have loads of medical problems...but if I hadn't had that angel by my side like I've had all these years...I dunno.
She has been my lifeline thru all my medical nightmares.
She's never ever done a certain thing to act out of line...children adore her and she them...one child bit her on her ear...she whimpered but went rigth back to the child.
One time a man came up to my passenger window at a gas station.
He's very into **** and has a "thing" for me...always tells me I'm hot, Yeah right...he's as ugly as Borris Karloff....so anyone is "Hot" to him! LOL!:D
But Satin knew he is bad news...she sat in the back seat baring her teeth at him and growling deep growel.
If ANY of you knew Satin...you'd say....NO WAY! But yes, she did!
But she knew, could read his "Bad spirit" or karma...he's one icky man!
She's given so many people, so much love...but time is short.
She'd totally deaf now...and showing signs of aging....very slow these days. Our vet tells us to start preparing our hearts...that we may loose her soon.

I've posted numerous picturs of her on the Pet Therapy Forum.
Please join us there...I'm so glad you're considering a service animal.
It will change your life and bring you so much happiness.

Having a living soul around me when I was so ill, was better than having a full time attendant!
Hey...an attendant won't let you rub their belly and sniff yer butt!:D
And you don't have to say "excuse me" everytime you "fluff"!:cool:
Now you can blame Fido...he did it!

I know...that was a nasty statment...but really...who wants someone around you when you want peace and quiet?....when you're ill, you don't always want some chatty person meddling in your business...and eating your goodies 24/7! Some times is good to have companionship...but sometimes is good to be alone...but with a service animal...you're never alone!
You can sleep knowing you have protection right by your side.
If you need to have down time with your medications...you have a soul next to you caring for your every need should you have needs.
They're always instant alert at any given moment, even if they're sleepy soundly...they're right there for you!
Blessings...and please join in on the Pet Therapy forum.
PS...I met a man who had a service monkey...now thats different!
Also saw program...guide horse! Wow!
But I've not yet heard of service Snake...but you never know!
Oh...a service Chicken...he's a service animal to my service snake! Chicken on the Run!....yipes...whats the bulge in the middle of your snake? And where'd the chicken go?
The only picture of Satin that I had handy for uploading, is this one, where my 2 y o kitty Bitty-boo is nursing on Satins very dried up nipple! Silly kitty!

[brainandspinalcord]

I've heard of service monkeys and they can actually be a very useful second set of hands. There is something to be said for just a companion animal, although it's not the first thing people think when they hear "service." Helping someone feel safe and comfortable is a very worthy service, although I did have to think for a minute when a friend got a "service cat." lol.
The picture with Bitty boo in the snugli is just adorable, I had to smile at that!
Annmarie what organization did you go to? It's great that it has so much support to be run on donations alone. I think income so often holds people back from getting the services they need, it's good to hear about a place that breaks that barrier down.

[Naominjw]

When my daughter was in high school, we got her a service dog. It can be MUCH less expensive through private trainers and especially if you get a dog which you can partially train yourself. Howevr, you would need a professional to personailty test it for suitability. Also, what you would really want is one that detects seizures in advance, and then can be trained to alert to that.

We really lucked out with my daughter's dog. That's a story in itself.

-"Naomi"

[Veritas96]

While service dogs cost many thousands of dollars to raise and train for 2 or more years, the cost to a person receiving a new assistance dog is often adjusted with grants from an outside source; sometimes scholarships or fund-raising help is available from the agency, itself.

I got my service dog Kendall from Power Paws of Arizona, a fantastic organization in Scottsdale. I attended boot camp for two weeks with two other people. There were 6 dogs that we trained with for the first week. At the end of that week we learned which dog we would be paired with and got to bring him or her home (or to our hotel) for the rest of boot camp. In order to keep our dogs we had to pass a few exams.

There were classes every day with quizzes. At first I didn't do well on those, because of my multiple disabilities, but after being offered an alternative format I did very well. We also went on daily field trips to restaurants, a museum, a mall, film theater, etc. and were carefully trained how to safely use the bus and/or ADA van with our dogs.

Our first big exam was off-leash at a children's museum. That was difficult, but we all managed to pass eventually. The final exam took place in a huge multi-level shopping mall. Each person-dog team was given a list of things to do in various places in the mall and was secretly observed and rated by two volunteer trainers. There were many problems to solve, and it was very much like a combination treasure hunt/obstacle course. I particularly remember the stress of going into a very crowded shop with lots of delicate items and having Kendall get something off a shelf; place it on the counter by standing with his paws against the top edge; come back to me for the credit card to repeat the moves in giving it to the clerk and then bring it back, to return again for the bag. Although we did well, it was a really stressful exam process!

I also found the training stressful yet very rewarding, and at the end Kendall and I went home together where the two of us have grown as a team. If I could pass anything along to others regarding the process of getting an assistance dog of any type it would include the following:

Training as a dog/owner team is on-going. No matter what your dog has been trained prior to your becoming a team, you will have to:

Get to know each other's individual needs.
Fine-tune the training to your dog's new environment.
Continue to train according to your changing needs and environment.


You will have a wonderful companion-helper who is, after all, a dog.

Other people, usually unwittingly, will often work very hard to distract your dog. I have had people say, "I know I'm not supposed to pat him, but..." as they reach out and pat him. It is very important to consider that while you allow others to distract your dog, your dog is not paying attention to your needs. If you have a seizure-alert dog, for example, that might mean that he is too distracted to notice you are about to seize- yes, really.


A service dog gets a lot of attention, and if you have a service dog you will too. So! If you don't like being the center of attention by strangers wherever you go, you may be very uncomfortable having your dog with you when you might need her or him most of all. :rolleyes:

http://myassistancedog.blogspot.com/

[Naominjw]

My daughter got a service dog for her neurological/endocrinological/metabolic issues which additionally caused her psychiatric issues including depression, anxiety, and hallucinations. We'd gotten the dog back when supposedly she was as good as she was going to get with the pharmacologic treatments available to her. It gave her independence, comfort, physical and emotional support, alerted her to medical conditions, stopped anxiety attacks, and helped in innumerable ways. There was no way she could have started in college without that dog.

"Naomi"

[Veritas96]

...It gave her independence, comfort, physical and emotional support, alerted her to medical conditions, stopped anxiety attacks, and helped in innumerable ways. There was no way she could have started in college without that dog.

"Naomi"

I really love to hear about other peoples' service dogs and how helpful they are. There was a high school student at Power Paws boot camp when I got Kendall. He was getting his first service dog too, and it was so much fun to see how well they got on as a team. Later I heard that his dog was a fantastic help at school.