CALGARY, Alberta, June 22 (UPI) -- Canadian researchers have found evidence pet dogs can warn their owners of an imminent epileptic seizure, ABC News reported Tuesday.
In a study summarized in the latest issue of the journal Neurology, scientists at the University of Calgary documented cases of pets anticipating children's epileptic fits up to five hours before the seizure occurs.
The research found dogs demonstrated protective behaviors such as face licking, whining to alert others and moving a child away from harm when suffering seizures near stair landings or furniture.
Dr. Adam Kirton, an author of the findings, stressed the "preliminary" nature of the findings and said research has yet to determine exactly how dogs anticipate a seizure.
About 2 million U.S. residents, or about one in 100, have epilepsy, a brain disorder that sometimes disrupts the passage of information through the brain and changes its chemistry.
Most epileptics will manifest some physical change before their seizure, physicians say, and pets might notice that.
