Ways a Service Dog Can Assist in a Medical Crisis

Ways a Service Dog Can Assist in a Medical Crisis

While for some, a dog is part of the family and a way to give and receive unconditional love, for others a dog is so much more. This is the case with a service dog. There are so many ways a service dog can assist in a medical crisis.

Not only can a service dog assist during a medical crisis, but it can be of optimal use before an actual crisis sets in as well.

Medical dogs have an uncanny ability or an extra sense when it comes to their owners. Some dogs have an innate ability to sense when something is amiss. This close sense of perception between dog and owner seems to come naturally in some cases.

Dogs who have this innate ability to alert their masters may be excellent candidates for training to alert. An alert simply means that a dog will alert its owner by various methods of an impending medical crisis:

* Barking
* Pawing
* Jumping on its owners
* Giving them a nudge

There are several ways an owner can take action now because their medical assist dog has alerted them:

* Taking their medication
* Taking their blood pressure
* Checking their blood sugar
* Getting to a safe place
* Calling a neighbor
* Reaching out for help in a public domain

These dogs are trained to alert their owners, which are vital, but also to assist them once an emergency has occurred. Here's how:

* Seek out help for their owners
* Ensure the position of their owners is safe during something like a seizure
* And even pressing a button to contact emergency medical personnel

Just as there are many ways a medical dog can alert and assist an owner before, during, and after a crisis, medical alert and medical assist dog can also help with many conditions:

* Diabetes
* High blood pressure
* Heart conditions
* Fainting
* Seizures

Of course, a medical crisis dog or a medical assist dog needs caring for and, as such, an owner with disabilities still needs to be sure that he or she can care for that dog. The dog will still need walking, grooming, and veterinarian visits.

A medical crisis or a medical assist dog is a wonderful gift to its owner and the families that love them.