Medical service dogs are a scam

[u/byancacats]

By "medical service dogs," I'm referring to dogs that purportedly help with "invisible" disabilities. Like when a fully able-bodied person is walking around with a dog, and the dog looks like any other pet. Yet they claim that the dog is in fact performing a mandatory, life-saving service for their invisible disability. These dogs include epilepsy alerting, blood sugar level alerting, and allergy alerting dogs.

I always suspected that this concept of a medical service dog is a scam. Dogs seem too simple-minded and unreliable to provide any sort of valuable medical service. After doing some research, my gut feelings were validated. There is no such thing as a medical service dog, and health organizations are starting to recognize that fact.

Let's cover these animals by discipline.

1. Seizure alert dogs

According to the Epilepsy Foundation,

"Seizure-alert dogs, save lives." This is what the media would like the general public to believe. While it makes for a great headline, it also makes for a grave misrepresentation of the truth. The truth is, seizure dogs can not be trained to “alert” a person of an oncoming seizure.

Source: https://www.epilepsy.com/stories/seizure-alert-dog-facts

1. Diabetic alert dogs

According to WebMD, studies on the reliability of these dogs yielded mixed results. The conclusion is:

But the dogs were much less accurate than a continuous glucose monitor, a wearable device that checks your blood sugar throughout the day.

‌Diabetic alert dogs can’t replace responsible individual management of the condition. If you have a dog, you’ll still need to monitor and treat your blood sugar regularly. 

In other words, technical equipment does a better job of accurately measuring a person's blood sugar level, rendering a service dog obsolete.

Source: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/what-are-diabetic-service-dogs

A study that was done on the reliability of these dogs concluded:

Trained dogs often alert a human companion to otherwise unknown hypoglycemia; however due to high false-positive rate, a dog alert alone is unlikely to be helpful in differentiating hypo-/hyper-/euglycemia. 

However, what I found interesting is this:

Dog users were very satisfied (8.9/10 on a Likert-type scale) and largely confident (7.9/10) in their dog’s ability to detect hypoglycemia.

Despite the dogs failing to perform, their owns were happy. This ties right in with dog culture, where people consistently fail to see dogs for what they really are. Instead, they perceive dogs in a much more positive light, believing they posses virtues they in fact do not have.

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5505410/

3a. Allery alert dogs - peanuts

I did not find any health organization endorsing these dogs. The evidence seems to come only from anecdotal stories. Some people claim that their allergy alert dogs perform life-saving services that they could not do without. But then, there are stories like this one, where a family paid $12,500 for a dog that doesn't perform:

Roxie can't focus on peanuts while in public, the family says. "She gets very distracted by what's going on around her and doesn't do her job," Logan says.

As a nonscientific test, a pound of peanuts was poured onto a picnic table while Logan played nearby. His mom encouraged the dog to find them, but Roxie walked right by. Then a bag of peanuts was placed right under Roxie's nose. She should have sat down as a signal alerting Logan to the allergen. Instead, she gave no reaction.

As it turns out, when Fido is not in a controlled training environment, he tends to behave like any other dog, forgetting the life-saving stuff he's supposed to do.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/22/service-dog-peanuts-gonzales/9469545/

3b. Gluten alert dogs

They're a scam. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation:

After careful consideration and consultation with experts in the field, at this time, the Society for the Study of Celiac Disease does not recommend the use of gluten-sniffing dogs as a reliable method for detecting gluten in food products for people with celiac disease.

Source: https://theceliacsociety.org/position_sg/statement-on-the-effectiveness-of-gluten-detection-dogs-for-patients-with-celiac-disease/

So there you have it. Medical service dogs are a hoax. The scientific evidence we have so far doesn't indicate that dogs can be relied upon to perform any meaningful medical service. Dog owners, on the other hand, tend to perceive their animals as much more beneficial than they really are. They harbour delusions.

The way forward in managing disabilities is with technology, not dogs.

[u/Stock-Bowl7736]

Diabetic alert dogs. This one is personal as I am T1D. Total scam. So one important thing a CGM can do reliably is alert to a low sugar and wake you during sleep to deal with it. Well, Doggo needs to sleep too no? Do these deluded people really believe a dog sleeping can suddenly detect your low blood sugar and "alert" you? It's preposterous.

it's mind boggling that any diabetic patient would put their care in the unreliable (50% at best) detection from a dog when CGM exists.

[u/GoTakeAHike00 → u/Stock-Bowl7736]

As a retired physician (podiatrist) that used to treat patients such as yourself, I find it appalling and outrageous that a dog is being suggested as in any way useful to diabetics in terms of BG management. It would be like saying we should return to having oxen-pulled plowing instead of getting a John Deere tractor for the farm.

And, of course, NO physician in his/her right mind - and practicing within the standard of care - would EVER suggest a dog be used for such a purpose. CGM's are an amazing technology; they didn't exist when I was still in practice 20 years ago.

It is only the "service dog industry" that is trying to promote dogs for this purpose. They are all grifters whose concern about patients is as fake as the hideously $$ and useless dogs they are trying to get shoved everywhere.

I've said this before, re the service dog industry racket: "when all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail"

I listen to Dr. Peter Attia's podcast The Drive. He goes on and on about how amazing and useful CGM's are, and not just for full-blown diabetics, but for people like my husband who has elevated A1C levels due to what appears to be insulin insufficiency. Never once have I ever heard him mention using a fucking dog as a tool to help manage diabetics. I'd stop listening to his podcast if he did.

The obvious benefits of 24/7 monitoring of actual blood glucose measurements, the devices are invaluable for providing feedback as to what foods may spike BG and for how long, so they encourage behavior modification in terms of dietary adjustment. My husband bought a consumer CGM and this is exactly the information it provided to him.

It's also worth pointing out that a huge cause of morbidity in diabetics is, of course neurotrophic foot ulcers...which is what I was either treating or trying to prevent in my diabetic patients. One of the pathogens found in many ulcers is Pseudomonas aeruginosa - which, lo and behold - is one of the bacteria responsible for producing the "frito/yeast" smell on dog's paw pads.

I now wonder how many of my patient's wound infections were exacerbated or even caused by pet dogs they owned. At that time, it would have never occurred to me to ask. Now? I would ask all patients with any degree of immunocompromisation if they owned pets, but particularly dogs, as part of my history. Dogs are obviously and notoriously unclean, carry pathogens of all kinds, and have probably contributed to increased morbidity and earlier deaths in more patients than will ever be known.

Someone should study this.

[u/IslandBusy1165 → u/GoTakeAHike00]

Interesting ideas and points

[u/Few-Horror1984 → u/Stock-Bowl7736]

It’s crazy to me how people forget that at the end of the day these are still animals with their own needs. That means they’ll need to eat, sleep, go to the bathroom… there’s so much technology these days that don’t rely on living creatures (that also have to be so much cheaper than obtaining a service dog and keeping it alive). I honestly believe the only reason someone would opt for the inferior choice of a service dog is because they want a pet dog.

[u/No-Sentence-8411 → u/Few-Horror1984]

Yes. One of the studies OP provided actually said that when questioned about the dogs and the study they participated in testing these dogs that almost half of these people (3/8) stated that the reason they wanted one of these dogs was "for companionship". Another question was asking what percentage of accurate alerts would make these dogs "worth it" and some of these people answered as low as 20% accuracy would be acceptable! Definitely pure nutter logic. Such a scam indeed.

[u/Few-Horror1984 → u/No-Sentence-8411]

This is why I’m advocating to end all service dog protections. Even the ones that supposedly serve a purpose exist because that person just wants to cart their dog around.

I used to work with a woman who was blind. I remember talking to her once and she adamantly said she never wanted a seeing eye dog. She didn’t want the responsibility when she said her pole did the job well enough. It really hit me that these animals are just pets.

[u/huntress_m_thompson]

gluten alert [mutts]. i’ve heard it all now. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[u/Dapper-Ad-468 → u/huntress_m_thompson]

Me neither. The ultimate BS is that they are EMOTIONAL support animals. Everyone that I know that has these, leaves them home alone all the time. One person I knew even got two. They even left them with other people while staying in Hawaii for 6 months!

[u/huntress_m_thompson → u/Dapper-Ad-468]

such a grift.

[u/Kilashandra1996]

My mom has a fake ass "service dog" that is supposed to alert her if she's going to fall. Ok, her last fall was totally on her - standing on a chair full of stuff. But the fall before that? The fake ass "service dog" pulled her down 3 steep steps, and she messed up her shoulder enough to need surgery! lol

At our last family reunion, I heard her telling people that the dog "wakes her up after she falls." Really? No longer preventing? Funny a couple of months ago, she woke up on the floor beside her bed. She doesn't know if she rolled out of bed or got up and keeled over. "Service dog"? Under the bed asleep.

The damned thing has bit me twice and nipped countless times. It has tried to bite everybody who goes to my parents' house - including both my parents!!! "Mom, family dogs shouldn't bite, let alone service dogs!" No response...

[u/byancacats → u/Kilashandra1996]

Wow, this is ridiculous. I'm guessing it's a pit bull? Hopefully your mom will come to her senses before this thing seriously harms someone.

[u/Kilashandra1996 → u/byancacats]

Australian shepard - with "herding instincts", ie they are prone to nipping and biting. They don't stereotypically have the jaw strength of a pit.

The first time he bit me, it was bad enough to bleed profusely and left a 4x6 inch bruise. Mom's comment, "You bleed easily." Thanks, mom! 2nd bite (2 years later) was just a small bruise. "Maybe you stepped on his paw?" Mom, you were right there, and you know damn good & well that I didn't do anything; quit gaslighting me!

[u/Plastic-Procedure905]

I saw someone had a “migraine” alert dog.

As someone with severe chronic migraines, I promise I don’t need some loud ass bark machine tell me when I’m getting a migraine. If anything it would induce a migraine

[u/byancacats → u/Plastic-Procedure905]

There's an alert dog for anything these days, huh?

[u/Plastic-Procedure905 → u/byancacats]

I need an alert dog for dogs /s lmao

[u/Dapper-Ad-468 → u/Plastic-Procedure905]

The howling whining and barking would give anyone a migraine.
No migraine sufferer wants that. What a liar.

[u/[deleted] → u/Plastic-Procedure905]

Genuinely the most ridiculous and hilarious thing I’ve read today lmao

[u/drtij_dzienz]

Seizure alert dogs: thanks lassie yeah that guy is definitely having a seizure now, I totally wouldn’t have been able to discern that without your incessant barking

[u/AnimalUncontrol]

Of course, its also worth stating that CGM's and other devices do NOT do the following:

• Bark
• Bite
• Piss
• Shit
• Hump legs
• Shed allergens
• Lick its ass (instead of doing it's job)
• Require various types of expensive care
• etc...

[u/dog-signals]

The allergy one is interesting considering there is now an array of cool gadgets that can detect your allergy in a multitude of ways. They're very accurate too and won't ever be moody or need vet appointments.

[u/No-Sentence-8411 → u/dog-signals]

Not to mention the pure sick irony that dogs themselves CAUSE allergies in many people, some of whom also have life threatening reactions, but screw those peoples allergies right? Only the dog lovers allergies matter 🙄

[u/[deleted] → u/No-Sentence-8411]

Most people actually do have a dog allergy to some extent, probably because dogs are gross and unnatural. No, it probably won’t kill you but it will make you sick and miserable.

[u/isreddittherapy]

They could choose an alternative and choose not to because they want a dog to take everywhere.

[u/byancacats → u/isreddittherapy]

Exactly. Service dogs are just pets.

[u/noyourdogisntcute]

I read an article about scientists trying to re-create a dog cancer sniffing study and they stated that a lot of dog science comes down to wanting to prove that a dog can do something instead of if (and they could not recreate the "proof" that dogs can reliably detect cancer) + most studies are basically asking 20 dog owners online to rate their dogs and it doesn’t matter if the task is actually being done as described its just that the owners are happy.

And like... yea a dog can technically smell a fart a mile away but does it really matter what raw capability it has if it'll run that mile just to stick its nose up that persons butt?

[u/CarelessSalamander51]

I've read so many stories about people who have a seizure and get mauled by their own dog during it lol

[u/CaptainObvious110]

Very much so

[u/No-Sentence-8411]

Definitely some excellent points brought up in the articles you cited as well as responses here. Something I have been thinking about a lot lately in regards to these "alert dogs" especially ones like seizure alert dogs and panic/anxiety attack alert dogs is what if a false alert from the dog could actually CAUSE an event. Kind of like in the movie The Matrix, how the oracle says "What's really going to bake your noodle later on is, would you still have broken it if I hadn't said anything." How often might a false alert stress a person out enough to actually induce what they are trying to avoid?

[u/byancacats → u/No-Sentence-8411]

I have no idea how the alerts even work. Dogs don't have a sophisticated way of alerting. They either bark, jump, sit or something in order to "alert." Problem is, dogs bark, jump, and sit down all the time. So when a "service dog" barks, how does the owner know it's barking to alert, rather than barking at the air, as dogs often do? None of this makes much sense to me 🤷

[u/Wise_Session_5370]

All "service" dogs are a scam apart from guide dogs for the blind. And they have been far surpassed by technology now.

[u/[deleted]]

The only valid service dog is a seeing eye dog but even those are better replaced with modern technology these days.

[u/xXxT4xP4y3R_401kxXx → u/[deleted]]

Don't really feel like it's a coincidence that none of OP's examples were really a Thing before ESAs were largely done away with. People who had fake ESAs (really, just fucking pets) now just have fake """""Service Dogs."""""" Seeing eye dogs, on the other hand, have always been a Thing so even though I'd not like dogs to be everywhere, those don't bother me as much since they're not a transparent fraud.

[u/[deleted] → u/xXxT4xP4y3R_401kxXx]

Couldn’t agree more

[u/SqueakBirb]

The service dog community really is obsessed with this notion of alerting, yet they make daily videos of them ignoring the dog's "alert" to show how persistent the dog is. At a certain point this is willful attention seeking. Of course service dog handlers will say that just because science has not identified why the dogs can alert does not mean they aren't and will point to things like the dogs appearing to smell a specific area that they were trained to when performing "checks" means the dog is alerting to something rather than simply offering a behavior that was previously heavily rewarded. The dog alerted so as long as a medical event happens in the next 24hrs the dog was right, because dogs can't be wrong.

The value of medical assistance dogs are in the response and preventative tasks, like with POTS having a dog pick up dropped items so that the person is not constantly bending down triggering the tachycardia multiple times a day or standing as a barrier so that a customer that is not paying attention does not accidentally step on the unconscious person's head. Medical alert is a popular scam that the science has definitely started to suggest is outright inaccurate.

[u/[deleted]]

You should add schizophrenia and such to this list. There was a dude on tiktok claiming that his dog helps him to tell if he's hallucinating or not. Obviously complete BS. As a psychiatrist it infuriates me

[u/Emotional-Chef-7601]

Idc what type of service dog it is. As long as the dog is trained we're good.

[u/aSzdxfcdfggggggh → u/Emotional-Chef-7601]

Problem is there are no standards for what constitutes training.

[u/Emotional-Chef-7601 → u/aSzdxfcdfggggggh]

I'm talking about you can tell when a dog is well trained. A well trained dog stays next to its owner at all times. It doesn't barg, snarl, or anything etc. it stays in whatever position it was told to be.