|
Dog Monitors Diabetes Patient
by: Teri Webster Examiner.com, Michigan
A dog's powerful scent tracking ability can be used to detect everything from illegal drugs to medical conditions.
Max, a black Labrador, is helping 14-year-old Liam Kelly monitor his Type 1 Diabetes. The 55-pound dog alerts Kelly when his blood sugar levels are too low or too high, The News Tribune reported.
Kelly must constantly monitor his condition. There is a real danger he could slip into a coma while asleep. Max, was trained to prevent that from happening. By monitoring his blood-sugar level and keeping it close to normal, Kelly can also ward off the compliations that Type 1 diabetes can cause.
Kelly's parents, Lisa and Michael, decided a diabetes service dog would give their son a fighting chance. Lisa Kelly learned about the dogs while attending a conference for children with diabetes. Since their son is a heavy sleeper, they thought the dog would serve as an extra guardian. Both parents still get up throughout the night to check on their son, as well.
It is believed that less than 100 diabetes dogs are used in the nation. Scientific proof is lacking for how effective they are, but if Max is any indication, they work just fine. Max has alerted Kelly even at times when he was feeling fine and would not have suspected his glucose levels were off.
Max was trained by Ron Pace and Jarod Pace of Canyon Crest K9 Training Center in Tacoma, Wash. They donated their time to provide Max's training.
The trainers used items Liam Kelly wore while experiencing various glucose levels. The clothing was even frozen to maintain the scent. In about 30 days, Max was able to alert to him to possible problems.
Diabetes dogs are trained to recognize different scent level's in a person's breath. A sweet, fruity scent means glucose levels are high, while a rusty, acidic scent indicates a low gluclose level.
Depending on the accuracy of his alert, Max receives a favorite toy or a piece of cheese as positive reinforcement. Max even knows how to bring over Kelly's glucose testing meter.
With the extra monitoring of his diabetes, Kelly is able to play football and do other things teens his age are doing.
But he thinks of Max more as his best friend than a monitor, The News Tribune reported.
|
