We’ve all seen service dogs – dogs that help the blind, or physically handicapped get through their days with a little more independence. But did you know there are service dogs for diabetics?
A variety of breeds can be trained to be diabetes service dogs, including golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, mixed-sporting breeds, and poodles. There are two kinds of diabetes service dogs, Medical Response Dogs and Diabetic Alert Dogs.
Medical Response Dogs are trained to respond to the symptoms of severe low blood sugar such as fatigue, loss of consciousness, and seizure-like behavior to help notify you and others of hypoglycemic events. Medical Response Dogs can also retrieve “low” supplies such as food, drinks, or an emergency kit. Medical Response Dogs for diabetes are trained to respond to signs that an owner may be experiencing low blood sugar levels, once they have become symptomatic.
Diabetic Alert Dogs are typically trained for people with Type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes. They are trained to detect chemical changes in a person’s scent that signal a possible low glucose event before the person is symptomatic so they can stop the low before it starts. People with Type 2 diabetes who are not dependent on insulin typically do not have life-threatening low blood sugars. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dogs can only be given to people with a recognized disability along with some additional requirements and limitations for public service dogs which could cause barriers to getting a service dog for people with Type 2 diabetes who are not insulin dependent. Therefore, diabetes service dog organizations also train dogs in various support skills to help people with diabetes at home (but not in public). These dogs are often referred to as “Diabetes Buddy Dogs.”
The way a diabetic service dog tells you that you need to take action depends on their training. Some service 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. Dogs may also perform other activities in addition to alerting their owners. These can include:
- alerting other family members if an owner needs assistance
- Alerting people nearby if the owner is in public to help the owner in cases of severe blood sugar changes
- alerting the owner to audio signals from insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, and other devices. This is especially helpful for people with impaired hearing, for children, and for diabetes management while sleeping.
- bringing needed objects, such as medications
- retrieving a cell phone so the owner can call for assistance
- dialing 911 using a special device if assistance is needed and the owner is unable to call
- providing emotional support.
Programs typically focus on scent discrimination. This means that the dogs are taught to detect smells in the air associated with blood sugar changes and to ignore smells associated with normal, safe bodily functions. Many people think the dogs are smelling blood sugar, but the dogs are actually sensing the compounds that come out of the liver when the blood sugar is either dropping rapidly or is low. Though humans can’t detect these smells, dogs can. Often low and high blood sugar breath samples are used to train the dogs, but sometimes articles of clothing worn by their owner when their blood sugar was low and high are used. After about six months of intensive training, the dogs can distinguish these scents in people.
Kim Denton, who works for Dogs4Diabetics and has had Type 1 diabetes with hypoglycemic unawareness for over 40 years, says having a Diabetic Alert Dog “changed my life for the better by helping me keep my blood glucose in a much tighter range, which means fewer health complications and I feel much better both physically and mentally.”
Denton says that her dog, Troy, “has saved my life so many times by alerting me before my glucose dropped to a life-threatening level, that I can't keep track anymore. Troy tells me long before my CGM detects a rapid drop or rise in my glucose levels, and he does it without that annoying beeping! If my sugar starts dropping while I am sleeping, Troy jumps on me to wake me up and will continue licking my face if I start to fade off.”
Cost: The process of getting and training diabetes service dogs and their owners can be expensive. A diabetes service dog typically costs between $8,000 and $20,000 initially. As with all animals, there are ongoing expenses to keeping a diabetic service 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. There are some organizations that provide training services for free or for a reduced cost for those who qualify. Some will provide a dog for free if you pay for the training. Other organizations offer financial assistance or payment plans for those who qualify. For example, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on charitable donations, Dogs4Diabetics does not charge its clients for the dogs or other program services which significantly reduces the costs of owning a diabetes service dog. If you are interested in obtaining a diabetic service dog, it may be worth doing more research on cost options.
Time: Owners also need to put a significant amount of time into training and maintaining the skills of their diabetes service dog outside of the formal training the dogs receive. This includes participation in some of the initial training of the dog, giving the dog time to acclimate to your specific needs as a person with diabetes, and follow-up training throughout the dog’s lifetime.
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.
In studies on the effectiveness of diabetes service dogs where the researchers were not impressed with the dogs’ performance, the dogs’ owners still 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:
- less time spent worrying about hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia (61.1 percent of respondents)
- ability to take part in more physical activities (75 percent of respondents)
- improved blood sugar control
- fewer episodes of passing out from low blood sugar
- fewer events for which paramedics (911) had to be called
- greater independence
- improved quality of life (75 percent of respondents)
It is important to know that diabetes service dogs are an additive tool to help people manage their diabetes. A service dog should never replace a CGM, self-monitoring blood glucose with finger sticks, hypoglycemia prevention methods, or healthy lifestyle efforts; a diabetes service dog provides an additional form of support for people with diabetes.
If you are wondering whether you could qualify for a service dog, talk to a dog service organization such as:
· Dogs4Diabetics
· Diabetic Alert Dogs of America
· Early Alert Canines
· Canine Partners for Life
· 4 Paws for Ability