Diabetes and Man's Best Friend- Alert Dogs
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.”
― Milan Kundera
“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”
― Christopher Hitchens, The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
There are many beautiful quotes about dogs and I never find them too old.
I have never owned a dog, okay maybe the family dog Rex who was really my little brother's dog, I had left home at the time he arrived. And my son takes care of one.
I would want to own one but I am yet to put my thoughts into action. I often oscillate between adopting a Portuguese water dog, you know like, Bo, President Obama's dog, a Pomeranian, or Golden Retriever.
They are truly man's best friend and have been of tremendous help, especially as service dogs, whether it's helping out people with disability, Post Traumatic stress therapy, or acting as Diabetic Alert dogs, monitoring Blood glucose levels, and saving lives of Diabetics. We all should love Dogs.
Movies have been made of Dogs, like All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Must Love Dogs (2005), and recently Oscar-winning movie "The Artist" featured, what may perhaps be the most famous dog Uggie (born 2002) a trained Jack Russell Terrier famous for his roles in Mr. Fix it, Water for Elephants, and most recently The Artist.
Movies have been made of Dogs, like All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Must Love Dogs (2005), and recently Oscar-winning movie "The Artist" featured, what may perhaps be the most famous dog Uggie (born 2002) a trained Jack Russell Terrier famous for his roles in Mr. Fix it, Water for Elephants, and most recently The Artist.
Diabetes is on the increase and at an alarming rate too, especially Type 2 diabetes (a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It is more of a lifestyle disease. unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary life are chief culprits.
As a primary eye care provider, I see patients lose their eyesight from diabetes every day. Mainly from Diabetic retinopathy, (hemorrhaging of Retinal blood vessels, or bleeding at the back of the eye, to laymen). This is caused by uncontrolled blood sugar (glucose) levels over time.
These days the age is getting younger, especially here in the Caribbean, specifically Trinidad and Tobago.
On average, 3 out of every 5 patient I see, who is over forty years of age, turns out to be diabetic.
Extrapolating from these statistics, I know many of my patients present in their late thirties will become diabetic when they return in two years for their eye exam.
A fact that scares me and has me running to the gym as often as I can.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the worldwide prevalence of diabetes in adults to be around 173 million in 2002 and predicted that there will be at least 350 million people with Type 2 diabetes by 2030. At present, about two-thirds of persons with diabetes live in developing countries and the majority of new cases will originate from these areas. The global increase in the incidence of diabetes is related to high levels of obesity-associated with a change from traditional diets, diminishing levels of physical activity, population aging, and increasing urbanization.
Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading health problems in the Caribbean, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality and adversely affecting both the quality and length of life.
In the Caribbean, higher prevalence in women correlates with higher levels of obesity. There is evidence to suggest that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is increasing in children and adolescents, which is also likely to be due to an increasing prevalence of obesity in these groups. Consistent with other reports, a study conducted in Trinidad and Tobago showed that persons of South Asian origin had a higher prevalence of diabetes than other ethnic groups, highlighting the relevance of ethnicity as a risk factor.
Diabetes Alert Dogs
Trainers say that Diabetes Alert Dogs are right 90 percent of the time. These service dogs are "scent trained" with cotton balls of sweat from a person's body during a low blood sugar.
After a period of extensive training when the senses low blood sugar, It knows what to do. First, the dog will lick the owner's hand. If the person doesn't respond by saying, "Glucose" which is the command for the dog to go get the glucose tabs, then the dog will paw the leg or thigh and eventually the chest.
Thus far, attempts to demonstrate that dogs can detect hypoglycemia are based on little more than anecdotal reports. Dr. Deborah L. Wells, Senior Lecturer at the School of Psychology at Queen's University in Belfast, has studied dog responses to their type 1 owners. Her study, Canine Responses to Hypoglycemia in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes, was designed to explore whether there is any validity to the notion that untrained domestic dogs can detect hypoglycemia in people with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Wells says, "We interviewed (by survey) over a hundred people with type 1 diabetes to quiz them on their dogs' responses to their hypoglycemic episodes. In a nutshell, we discovered that a very high proportion of owners believed their dogs were responding to their lows, displaying 'alert-style' behavior (e.g. pawing at the owner, barking, etc.). Many dogs also woke their owners up from sleep at night when they were going low."
While Diabetes Alert Dogs, has been used mostly in Type 1 Diabetes (a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.) which occurs in younger people, there is no reason, why it can not be used also in older patients and seniors
FAQ about Diabetic Alert Dogs
Q. How long does it take to train a Diabetic Alert Dog?
A. It takes anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 years of age before they are fully trained.
Q. Can I train my current dog to be a Diabetic Alert Dog?
A. Most likely the answer to this question is no. We need a dog that has certain character traits that are needed to do this type of work. I would be more than happy to give a test to your current dog to see if he or she would be a match.
Q. What breeds are most suited to be diabetic alert dogs?
A. The most suitable breeds to be diabetic alert dogs are Labrador retrievers, and golden retrievers, but there are always exceptions. Both of these breeds typically seek out a strong bond with humans as well as use their noses to find things. Two things that are desirable in a diabetic alert dog.
Q. Is there a guarantee that the Diabetic Alert Dog will alert 100% of the time?
A. Diabetic Alert Dogs are not robots they are still prone to the same faults as humans, meaning if the dog is fatigued or sick it will make his job much more difficult. A Diabetic Alert Dog is not a replacement for medication or for testing and should never be you primary tool for monitoring your sugar.
Q. At what age will my Diabetic Alert Dog start alerting me?
A. Each Diabetic Alert Dog is different. In the first few months, the alerting will be sporadic, but with diligent training and time, you will see the alerting increase. Most Diabetic Alert Dogs are fully trained by three years of age.
Q. Where can I take my diabetic alert dog?
A. A diabetic alert dog has the same rights as any other service dog. According to the American Disabilities Act (ADA) , businesses that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public.
http://www.ada.gov/svcanimb.htm
Q: Can I have another dog in addition to my diabetic alert dog?
A: Many trainers will say no to this question. My answer is, it depends. It depends on the temperament of the dog who is not the diabetic alert dog. If they are well-balanced nonaggressive dog who is exercised on a regular basis there should be no problem.
Q: Can I pet and snuggle my diabetic alert dog?
A: “You” are encouraged to do that. A diabetic alert dog needs to have a very strong bond with the person who has diabetes.
Q: Does this mean that other people should not pet and snuggle my diabetic alert dog?
A: As a general rule I say that friends and family are fine, but the main person that the dog receives affection from should be you. As far as the average person on the street, I always say that the dog needs to learn how to ignore everyone else except you. So strangers are not allowed to come up and give your diabetic alert dog love.
Q: Will my diabetic alert dog alert me at night?
A: All diabetic alert dogs are trained to alert at night as well as the day, the training for night starts once the dog is alerting 90% during the day. So if we choose the right dog and you follow up with his daily training there is no reason why the dog will not alert during the night.
A. It takes anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 years of age before they are fully trained.
Q. Can I train my current dog to be a Diabetic Alert Dog?
A. Most likely the answer to this question is no. We need a dog that has certain character traits that are needed to do this type of work. I would be more than happy to give a test to your current dog to see if he or she would be a match.
Q. What breeds are most suited to be diabetic alert dogs?
A. The most suitable breeds to be diabetic alert dogs are Labrador retrievers, and golden retrievers, but there are always exceptions. Both of these breeds typically seek out a strong bond with humans as well as use their noses to find things. Two things that are desirable in a diabetic alert dog.
Q. Is there a guarantee that the Diabetic Alert Dog will alert 100% of the time?
A. Diabetic Alert Dogs are not robots they are still prone to the same faults as humans, meaning if the dog is fatigued or sick it will make his job much more difficult. A Diabetic Alert Dog is not a replacement for medication or for testing and should never be you primary tool for monitoring your sugar.
Q. At what age will my Diabetic Alert Dog start alerting me?
A. Each Diabetic Alert Dog is different. In the first few months, the alerting will be sporadic, but with diligent training and time, you will see the alerting increase. Most Diabetic Alert Dogs are fully trained by three years of age.
Q. Where can I take my diabetic alert dog?
A. A diabetic alert dog has the same rights as any other service dog. According to the American Disabilities Act (ADA) , businesses that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public.
http://www.ada.gov/svcanimb.htm
Q: Can I have another dog in addition to my diabetic alert dog?
A: Many trainers will say no to this question. My answer is, it depends. It depends on the temperament of the dog who is not the diabetic alert dog. If they are well-balanced nonaggressive dog who is exercised on a regular basis there should be no problem.
Q: Can I pet and snuggle my diabetic alert dog?
A: “You” are encouraged to do that. A diabetic alert dog needs to have a very strong bond with the person who has diabetes.
Q: Does this mean that other people should not pet and snuggle my diabetic alert dog?
A: As a general rule I say that friends and family are fine, but the main person that the dog receives affection from should be you. As far as the average person on the street, I always say that the dog needs to learn how to ignore everyone else except you. So strangers are not allowed to come up and give your diabetic alert dog love.
Q: Will my diabetic alert dog alert me at night?
A: All diabetic alert dogs are trained to alert at night as well as the day, the training for night starts once the dog is alerting 90% during the day. So if we choose the right dog and you follow up with his daily training there is no reason why the dog will not alert during the night.
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