2016-03-31 Show Diabetic Alert Dogs — affectionately known as DADs — are service dogs that are trained specifically to assist diabetics. Their primary task as service dogs is to alert diabetics of an oncoming hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic event (low or high blood sugar!) DADs are able to do this by reacting to particular smells that are emitted from the human body due to chemical shifts caused by either hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia (undetected by a human nose). There are various ways that the dog can alert their human of a low or high blood sugar, which all depends on how it is trained. These skills require rigorous training from professional service dog trainers. In addition to being on alert for blood sugar malfunctions, Diabetic Alert Dogs are known to provide a tremendous amount of love and emotional support to its owner, resulting in an increased sense of security and balance in the daily life of someone with Type 1. How can I find my own DAD?Getting a Diabetic Alert Dog of your very own is a process. The first step is to find a legitimate, accredited organization made up of trainers that will assist you in both the acquiring and the training of your new DAD. Alternatively, there are Diabetic Alert Dog Training schools that will assist in the training and development of the dog of your own choosing. After being matched with the right dog for you, you may be asked to provide a “scent collection kit” so that your dog can learn your body chemistry during its training. Home visits are scheduled in order to begin the bonding process. Organizations & ResourcesHow long do I have to wait for my dog?The average wait time for your DAD to be ready to come home with you for good is approximately six months to a year. What is the cost?The exact cost will depend on the particular organization and training program selected. But on average — an investment in a Diabetic Alert Dog can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $20,000. There are non-profits that grant dogs for free and only require that you pay for your training with the dog. Dogs 4 Diabetics out of Concord, California, provides diabetic alert dogs and training for free if you qualify. Read Dog Talk with Early Alert Canines to learn more on average training fees. About service dogsThere are many kinds of service dogs that fall into the Medical Alert Dog category, each are trained to assist humans with their unique disabilities.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, every trained and accredited service dog wearing a service vest is allowed to accompany their owner to any privately owned business that serves the public — restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, retail shops, sports venues and more. Service dogs may also join their humans on airplanes for no additional fee. A service animal is not considered just a “pet.” A brief historyThe use of service dogs first came about in 1863, in the form of the American Civil War Therapy Dogs. A training school for Law Enforcement Dogs was established in 1899, and in 1929, the world met its first Seeing Eye Dogs. A woman named Dorothy Harrison Eustis ran a training program in Switzerland for guide dogs in the 1920s, and trained the United States’ first known seeing eye dog named “Kiss.” Before they were established in the US, guide dog training programs were established in both Switzerland and Germany. Today, as we can see — Service Dogs are utilized in so many different ways, and have remained loyal servants and best of friends to those who need them the most. ➞Join the Beyond Type 1 Community! Read a personal account: Elle and Coach — How a Diabetes Alert Dog Changed My Daughter’s Life by Stefany Shaheen. Read My Best Friend Addie, The Alert Dog by Russell Roberts. Read Maggie Jones’ advice: Consider This Before Getting a Diabetic Alert Dog Read MoreMedically Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on May 11, 2021 Diabetic service dogs, also called diabetic alert dogs or DADs, are trained to let you know when your blood sugar has spiked too high or dropped too low. This way, you can take action before the problem turns into a medical emergency. If you have diabetes, your body has trouble processing the food you eat and turning it into energy. This means that diabetes can cause your blood sugar levels to build up and reach dangerous levels. This is called hyperglycemia, and it can lead to serious complications, like eye diseases, kidney damage, heart attacks, and strokes. To treat diabetes, a medicine called insulin can help keep your blood sugar levels from rising too high. But, a common side effect of insulin is hypoglycemia. This means your blood sugar level drops too low. Hypoglycemia can cause seizures and coma, so it’s important to treat it as soon as possible. Dizziness, confusion, and drowsiness are symptoms of both severe hyperglycemia and severe hypoglycemia. A diabetic alert dog is trained to alert you of a blood sugar drop or spike while you’re still awake enough to treat your blood sugar levels or get help. The way a diabetic service dog tells you that you need to check your blood sugar depends on their training. Some diabetic alert dogs are trained to paw, nudge, lick, or stare at you, while others are taught to jump, bark, or whine. Some dogs have been taught to bring a blood glucose monitor to their owner. After reports of untrained pet dogs displaying behavior changes when their owners’ blood sugar levels were low, experts began to study ways to specially train dogs to notice and alert people. Scientists think that dogs smell chemical changes in your breath, saliva, and sweat that happen when your blood sugar levels shift. Diabetic alert dogs are trained using samples of sweat from their potential owners, including some taken when the person has low blood sugar and some taken when they have normal blood sugar levels. The dogs are rewarded during training every time they detect the low blood sugar sample. Several scientific studies have found that diabetic service dogs are successful in alerting more often when their owner has low blood sugar than when their blood sugar level is normal. Other researchers found that diabetic alert dogs varied greatly in how accurately they detected blood sugar changes, with many dogs performing no better than they would have by chance. A 2016 study showed that diabetic alert dogs often detected hypoglycemia in their owners when those people had no symptoms and would not have otherwise known that their blood sugar was low. But the dogs were much less accurate than a continuous glucose monitor, a wearable device that checks your blood sugar throughout the day. One of the main reasons many people with diabetes want a diabetic alert dog is to alert them when their blood sugar drops in their sleep. But the problem with this is that dogs have to sleep, too, and their accuracy has been found to be much lower at night. Another challenge with diabetic alert dogs is that they typically cost between $8,000 and $20,000 initially. Although, some organizations provide free service dogs if you pay for the training, so it may be worth doing more research. As with all animals, there are ongoing expenses to keeping a diabetic alert dog, like veterinarian bills and buying food. The dog may also need to be regularly tested by a trainer to make sure they are still able to detect changes in your blood sugar levels. This could lead to some dogs needing additional training from time to time. Even in studies where the researchers were not impressed with the dogs’ performance, the dogs’ owners reported feeling very satisfied with their dogs. They trusted their dog to alert them during a low blood sugar event and felt that their blood sugar control had improved. Other reported benefits include:
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. Talk to your doctor about monitoring and alert options that may be best for you. |
How to get a diabetic service dog
Postagens relacionadas
direito autoral © 2024 comojogaruno Inc.
