Diabetic Service Dogs

:dance:There was a long article on this type of dog on the aol page but it wouldn't post so I found the link. What a great service. Being a child, juvenile diabetic, this service would be wonderful for me since I have very brittle diabetes and rapidly changing sugars. Sadly, the service is only available in 4 states now.

Please check it out and if you love someone with diabetes, this may be a perfect pet and also help them with their health and blood sugar control.

Goz



http://www.dogs4diabetics.com/index.html

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Dogs4Diabetics assistance dogs have been specifically trained to identify, and more importantly, act upon the subtle scent changes that hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) creates in body chemistry—changes undetectable to their human companions. These dogs play a critical role for their partners in their diabetes management.
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From Aol Link

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Most people have heard of -- and many even know -- dogs trained to help the blind, deaf, or those with physical disabilities. But dogs trained to act as medical assistants to type 1 diabetics were unheard of until just a few years ago.

In 2004, Mark Ruefenacht, a former forensic scientist and part-time guide-dog trainer, was woken from a low blood sugar-induced seizure by a dog he was training at the time. Ruefenacht, a diabetic, forgot to check his blood sugar before going to sleep one night. In the middle of the night, the puppy he was training noticed something was wrong and determinedly woke Ruefenacht up. Confused and feeling sick, Ruefenacht got himself some sugary snacks and eventually felt better. The puppy had spared Ruefenacht an emergency room visit.
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Dogs are so in tune with people as a matter of survival, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that they would be ideal for diabetics. I have friends and an aunt with diabetes, and know how quickly things can go downhill for them. A dog trained to look for signs of low blood sugar could be a life saver.

I hope this program catches on, and more service dogs are trained.