Dog on the floor, what do you think?

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.

Weird situation this week. We have a patient in with a seizures. She and her spouse insisted that her dog was a service dog and needed to stay with her. Apparently it barks when she is about to have a seizure.

She got a private room and her husband stays with her almost always. He does leave some to get food, I'm assuming to go home and take care of some things. Not sure if he works.

Well, when he leaves, he usually takes the dog with him..????? Now he does take the dog out to potty on occassion, but both days I had this patient, he left for several hours with dog. Plus, whenever I'm in the room, the dog is with husband, not with patient????

It has barked a few times, but when we go in there, it is at people who it didn't know...dietary, housekeeping, etc.

It's a small dog - chihuahua/dauchstand mix and very well behaved. I just think the family is getting away something here. I've been told it has all of its papers, etc.

I know that pet therapy is common and that they use service dogs for more than just blindness now, but has anyone heard of this?

This is a med surg/telemetry floor. The patient is on telemetry, so if she started to have a seizure, the monitors should alert us.

I had a patient once who had a daily visitor with a service dog. She was in a wheelchair and the dog would help pull the chair, open doors, etc. They treated this dog like a service dog...as in we shouldn't pet him when he's on duty etc. This couple from this week just doesn't behave like this.

The dog isn't really doing any harm and it is cute and well behaved, but something just seems....I don't know....fishy about this.

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Don't service dogs have to have some kind of paperwork stating they are service dogs?

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

I share your concerns and personally think this one's BS. I'd express my concerns to my manager and let her deal with it.

Choose your battles carefully in nursing. Is this the hill you want to live or die on?

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

When I've worked places that allowed service dogs, the owners were required to show us the papers and we made a copy to put on the patient's chart.

Sometimes people wanted to bring pets in to visit. In those cases, we had to have copies of vaccinations records, and the decision, yes or no, was made, depending on what the family member who was bringing the pet said to convince us it was ok, before it happened.

If the dog isn't hurting anything, and they're already bringing it in, it's kind of too late.

Yes, there are dogs trained to predict seizures. They don't bark when there IS one, they bark when something or other lets them know that one is coming. Who knows how! I think maybe the husband just feels more comfy with the dog there. It's comforting to HIM, even though not necessary. Also, if he didn't have the dog there with him, he'd have to go home to care for it, if no one else could, and that would mean leaving his wife. It sounds like he's very devoted to her.

Like someone else said, choose your battles. Maybe this isn't such a big deal even if these particular people are getting away with something.

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I have heard of dogs who can do this. I'm not sure what sort of legal paperwork might be required to have an animal listed as service animal or even who you would need to list it with though.

Also, why do you think the telemetry monitors will alert you to a seizure? I realize there may be artifact depending on the type of seizure but I wouldn't consider it reliable.

True or not, I doubt management is going to wanna tangle with the situation if the dog isn't a problem.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

here are a couple of sites to check out for more information on service dogs:

www.registeredservicedogs.com

topdog.org

http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm

requirements and regulations for service dogs differ slightly from those for seeing eye and hearing dogs because their duties differ.

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

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You say the dog isn't doing any harm and is well behaved? Then who cares if they are "getting away with something".

Why do some, actually more like a lot, of people in our field feel the need to control everything? Control freaks always lose in the end.

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You say the dog isn't doing any harm and is well behaved? Then who cares if they are "getting away with something".

Why do some, actually more like a lot, of people in our field feel the need to control everything? Control freaks always lose in the end.

Yay! This is exactly what I was planning to say! If I could, and it wasn't weird, I'd hug you! JK

I don't see the big deal. If I were in the hospital, I would love to have my dog there.

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l'd think they must have some kind of documentation. As others have said, if he is not a nuisance, then I'd let the patient have her dog. There is a woman in my town who has a standard poodle who predicts her seizures. She was never a dog person before she got this animal, but the enhanced safety and peace of mind he has afforded her has been truly life changing. Who knows? Maybe the dog is just her little friend, but if he is no trouble, then so what?

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Specializes in Correctional, QA, Geriatrics.

There are actually quite a few different things service dogs can do besides guide work for the blind. In addition there are other species than also provide service work to humans with a variety of impairments. I personally knew a quad who had a wonderfully trained monkey who assisted him with an amazing number of daily tasks. Currently I have two friends with severe ambulation issues who use 2 large breed service dogs to help them balance and walk. Their dogs have special vests they wear that indicate they are service dogs and they have impeccable manners when in public.

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Yay! This is exactly what I was planning to say! If I could, and it wasn't weird, I'd hug you! JK

I don't see the big deal. If I were in the hospital, I would love to have my dog there.

Well of course you'd love to have your pet with you. But that's a public place and it's not appropriate.

So far it hasn't been a problem, but what if someone has allergies....

I really dislike this new sense of entitlement pet owners seem to have lately, what's with the idea that everyone should have to put up with their little "gem." You love your pet....fantastic, putting it in a purse doesn't make it appropriate in public areas.

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