Early Warning System for Migraine: Your Dog?

Could your dog warn you when you’re about to get a migraine attack?  Could that early warning mean taking medication in time, and averting a worse attack?

I know it sounds crazy to many of you, but your dog just may be smarter than you think.  We have dogs that warn the blind of danger, dogs that can sniff out drugs – and dogs that can detect early warning signs in diabetics.  Maybe a migraine-detecting dog isn’t such a long shot.

Dog with Baby

In January, an online survey was posted at Migraine.com to see if anyone had recognized changes in their dog’s behaviour before a migraine attack.  Over 1000 people answered the survey, and a full 54% said yes – during the initial phases of a migraine attack, their dog did act differently.

How did the dog act?  More attentive was the most common answer.  The dog was clingy.  Even pawing and whining and frantic licking were described.

In fact, 1 in 3 people actually use their dog’s behaviour to take their migraine medication in time.

So this doesn’t seem to be as far out as you might think – it’s actually something that a significant number of people have recognized, and are already doing.

These results will be presented at the 16th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies in September.

Taking migraine medication at the right time can make a huge difference for a lot of people.  Maybe the canine connection is just what some dog-loving migraineurs need to fight those attacks.

via:  The Daily Headache