The nose knows…Special dogs and, in some cases, even the family pet, can be trained to use their powerful sense of smell to detect a particular change in body chemistry that occurs when there is a drop in a diabetic’s blood sugar level.  With specialized training, man’s best friend can become an important ally in alleviating the worry associated with monitoring and coping with diabetes.

It’s been said that a dog is man’s best friend, but now the maxim can be modified to suggest that a dog is a diabetic’s best friend.

Nightmare scenario: It’s 2 a.m. and you and your husband are awakened by your dog’s frantic barking. In most households, that might mean an intruder is trying to break into your home. But for families who have a child with Type 1 diabetes (also known as insulin-dependent/ juvenile onset diabetes) and a diabetes alert dog, it can mean the difference between life and death. An alert dog warns you and your child when its sensitive nose detects a drop in the child’s blood sugar. During the night, the dog will give a trained alert, such as a bark, until the child wakes up and/or  someone comes to help by offering a glass of juice or something to eat to get the blood sugar back within normal range. Without this special canine, your child’s blood sugar could plummet during the night, while everyone sleeps, to levels that trigger a seizure and the need for an injection of insulin. If you are unaware of the crisis, your child can slip into a coma, and a trip to the emergency room is then necessary.

According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-long, debilitating, autoimmune disease that is most often diagnosed before the age of 30.  The pancreas of a person with type 1 diabetes does not produce enough insulin to properly control blood sugar levels, and thus, insulin injections during the day become necessary. A drop in blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) can occur for a variety of reasons. Typically, an individual recognizes the onset of hypoglycemia when experiencing symptoms such as hunger, shakiness, rapid heartbeat, pallor, headache, drowsiness and/or dizziness. In certain cases, individuals can develop “brittle diabetes”, which is characterized by sudden, large swings in blood glucose levels and the resulting inability to tell when their blood sugar is starting to drop.

Patient education and self-care practices are important aspects of disease management. Working with an alert dog adds a new four-pawed dimension to diabetes management and can, not only  thwart a blood sugar crisis, but also provide tail-wagging companionship to those children or adults who feel isolated and worried that their disease will prevent them from leading a normal life.

Medical alert dog training is a very new field. Most dogs over the age of ten months, regardless of breed, and including the family pet, have the potential to become diabetes alert dogs. A simple temperament test can determine their natural ability. Once successfully trained in obedience and proven to be calm and unruffled around distractions, the animals are deemed ready for the scent discrimination training that is at the heart of diabetes alert dog training. During training your dog will be taught to:

• Detect the chemical markers associated with low blood sugar levels in the blood
• Alert you by barking
• Awaken or stir you from sleep by barking, pawing, nudging, and jumping
• Assist you by carrying a sugar gel pack on his collar or vest, which you can take to raise your blood sugar level
• Alert another person to the situation if you are not coherent

A diabetes alert dog will accompany your child everywhere, constantly watching over him or her. Parents of juvenile diabetics usually have to wake up 3 or 4 times during the night to check in on their children. Once a diabetic alert dog has been trained to watch over the child, they can have peace of mind and sleep better knowing that the dog will alert them if their child’s blood sugar starts to drop.

For less than the cost of one emergency room visit, you can have the added peace of mind that comes with having a diabetes alert dog companion.

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Organizations, such as Southland Dog Training in Orlando, are proud to be one of the few companies that offer this valuable service. To determine your dog’s potential as a Medical Alert Dog, please call 866-418-7246 to schedule an in-home evaluation. An honest assessment will be provided regarding your dog’s abilities to get you on your way to having your own Medical Alert Dog.