Standard Poodles Act as Early Warning System for Seizures

Vikki Coggsdale reaches down, puts one hand on either side of the standard poodle's hard leather-covered harness and uses the dog to steady herself as she gets up from an easy chair.

Coggsdale has been unsteady on her feet for years, ever since she began suffering from violent seizures that make it impossible for her to do the things many people take for granted. She couldn't go outside alone, cook on the stove or even go up or down stairs by herself because she doesn't know when a seizure is about to start.


That was until Hampton's Jasmine Charitable Trust introduced her to Michelle, a dog trained to warn Coggsdale of oncoming seizures and provide other assistance. Because of their sensitive sense of smell, dogs can detect small chemical changes that occur in a person just before they have a seizure.
 
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