Medical response dog
Encyclopedia
A medical response dog is a specific type of service dog
specifically trained to help mitigate an individual's medical disability. Typically, they are dogs whose job does not handle primarily epilepsy
or psychiatric
-based conditions, though some seizure response dog
s or psychiatric service dog
s may also be referred to as medical response.
Many medical response dogs "alert" their handlers to conditions before they occur. For example, service dogs partnered with diabetic persons may be trained to detect when the handler's blood sugar
becomes too high or low . In the UK, hypo alert dog
s are used to alert their diabetic owners of dangerous changes in their blood sugar levels . In addition to or in the absence of this training, medical response dogs are also often trained skills to help in their handlers' symptoms, such as bringing medication
s or a telephone
, providing bracing and other mobility assistance, or any other number of tasks .
Many medical response dogs may be trained by an organization or by their handler. Like all assistance dog
s, they must be of a particular work-loving personality and be properly socialized
if expected to work in public. There are no breed
or size restrictions other than those directly related to the tasks needed.
The allowed public accessibility of medical response dogs varies from region to region. In general, areas with laws protecting the usage of guide dog
s and other assistance dogs, such as in the United States
, also cover medical response dogs as well.
Service dog
A service dog is a type of assistance dog specifically trained to help people who have disabilities including visual or hearing impairment, and also to help people with mental disabilities including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and severe depression...
specifically trained to help mitigate an individual's medical disability. Typically, they are dogs whose job does not handle primarily epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
or psychiatric
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
-based conditions, though some seizure response dog
Seizure response dog
Seizure response dogs are a special type of service dog, specifically trained to help someone who has epilepsy or a seizure disorder.Due to the differing needs between each case, every potential seizure dog receives specialized training...
s or psychiatric service dog
Psychiatric service dog
A psychiatric service dog is a specific type of service dog trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric disability, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia....
s may also be referred to as medical response.
Many medical response dogs "alert" their handlers to conditions before they occur. For example, service dogs partnered with diabetic persons may be trained to detect when the handler's blood sugar
Blood sugar
The blood sugar concentration or blood glucose level is the amount of glucose present in the blood of a human or animal. Normally in mammals, the body maintains the blood glucose level at a reference range between about 3.6 and 5.8 mM , or 64.8 and 104.4 mg/dL...
becomes too high or low . In the UK, hypo alert dog
Hypo alert dog
A hypo alert dog is a type of assistance dog trained to provide alerts to their diabetic owners when their blood sugar levels start to become hypoglycemic and sometimes hyperglycemic also.-Description:...
s are used to alert their diabetic owners of dangerous changes in their blood sugar levels . In addition to or in the absence of this training, medical response dogs are also often trained skills to help in their handlers' symptoms, such as bringing medication
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
s or a telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
, providing bracing and other mobility assistance, or any other number of tasks .
Many medical response dogs may be trained by an organization or by their handler. Like all assistance dog
Assistance dog
An assistance dog is a dog trained to aid or assist a person with a disability. Many are trained by a specific organization, while others are trained by their handler .-Classification:...
s, they must be of a particular work-loving personality and be properly socialized
Socialization
Socialization is a term used by sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, political scientists and educationalists to refer to the process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies...
if expected to work in public. There are no breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
or size restrictions other than those directly related to the tasks needed.
The allowed public accessibility of medical response dogs varies from region to region. In general, areas with laws protecting the usage of guide dog
Guide dog
Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
s and other assistance dogs, such as in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, also cover medical response dogs as well.