True Heroes: A Diabetes Detection Dog Can Be A Lifesaver For A Child

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Diabetes is a truly frightening disease, especially for children. If not monitored carefully, a child's glucose levels could drop or spike to dangerous levels. While there are devices that can monitor blood sugar levels, there is a "friendlier" and much cuter way for children to help them cope with this disease: a diabetes detection dog. 

Diabetes detection dogs, which have been in service since 2009, can actually smell the chemical changes that occur when a child's blood sugar starts to decline. Some parents have, in fact, reported that these dogs have detected changes several minutes before their child's monitoring system notified them of a problem. For example, in 2016, a dog named Jedi woke up his masters and alerted them that their son's blood sugar levels were dropping. His alert came about ten to fifteen minutes before their son's monitor registered an alert. 

What to Know About Diabetes Detection Dogs

If you have a child with diabetes, you may find the thought of obtaining a diabetic alert dog intriguing. If so, here are a few things you need to know in advance:

• Fully trained diabetes detection dogs can be expensive, with costs from $8,000 to $20,000. However, many families have been able to raise the amount of money necessary by starting online fundraising pages. There are also some programs available that will allow you to participate in the training of a dog and bring your costs down, which is what Jedi's family did. 
• If you get a diabetes canine, having a service dog registration card will make your life easier. Children with diabetes typically look just like their peers. As a result, without a service dog registration card, some establishments -- such as restaurants -- may deny your canine entry. But with the card, you should be able to bring your dog into most areas, and even in places where dogs are typically denied access. Service dog registration kits can be easily obtained online.
• You will probably have to make special arrangements to have a service dog accompany your child to school. In most cases, the dog will need to be introduced to a school setting under the control of an adult handler to see how it will react to being surrounded by activity and unfamiliar surroundings. 

Diabetic detection dogs have proven time and again to be true lifesavers. if you have a child with diabetes, it may be worth your time to look into getting one of these canine heroes. 

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4 October 2017