Type 1 diabetes comes with a lifetime of blood checks, insulin shots, dizzy spells, and dangerous secondary diseases. The body’s inability to produce insulin or respond to it means that blood sugar levels jump up and day all throughout the day.
After a prolonged time, this can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels. This damage is what leads to heart disease, nerve damage, poor cognitive functioning, and blindness.
Ouch!
Thanks to lots of science, though, there are many ways that a diabetes patient can monitor all of this safely.
And thanks to even better research and training, there is an even better way to monitor this: with a diabetes alert dog.
A Diabetes Alert Dog Can Monitor Blood Sugar Better Than You
A recent news story about a certain type of service dog is warming the hearts of people all over the world. This service dog is trained to monitor blood glucose in diabetes patients.
Sounds a bit like magic, doesn’t it?
The diabetes alert dogs are trained to sense blood sugar levels based on the smell, which is noticeable to the furry creature. Blood that is low in glucose has a bitter, metallic smell. Blood that is high in sugar has a fruity smell.
When the dog smells either the metallic blood or the fruity blood, it is trained to approach the master (either the diabetes patient or the parent of the patient) and place a paw on his or her lap. This indicates that the blood is outside of normal range. The master can then check the blood and administer insulin accordingly.
This is particularly helpful for very young diabetes patients who are unable to notice bodily differences on their own yet. It is also just a lot more pleasant than the traditional devices used to monitor blood glucose.
The only problem?
One such service dog will set you back over $20,000. So start saving up if you want this cute new device that is hitting the market.
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