Dog helps monitor Gillette boy's diabetes

[Northerner]

Daniel Wilson gets to bring his dog to school.

The 11-year-old sat quietly at his desk at Pronghorn Elementary Monday morning, with Buddy tethered to its leg.

None of Daniel's classmates seemed to think anything of it ? one boy sat cross-legged on the floor during the reading period, absent-mindedly scratching Buddy's outstretched paw.

Buddy is a service dog who alerts Daniel, a diabetic, when his blood sugar gets too high or too low.

http://www.chron.com/news/article/Dog-helps-monitor-Gillette-boy-s-diabetes-2183864.php

 

[Tumble]

I love stories like this. My chocolate dog won't leave my side if I have a bad hypo.

 

[Nyadach]

Dog's are interesting as blood meters. On a recent training ride pulled up to do a routine blood test and out of a drive a dog runs out and started whimpering at my feet. Was very strange, at first I thought it was just peckish for a leg of cyclist. Did my blood test and was at 3.8 so had my correctives and chatted to the dog for a while. After a while the dog seemed to get either bored or thought I was ok, and trotted back home. Tested myself again before setting off and was up to 5.4 so off I went.

Have read a bit on dog's being trained for diabetics and seemed to be partial ideas on scent but it hadn't been narrowed down (as lets face it if it could it would make a handy non-invasive blood tester based off the chemicals in our skin) or on changes in behaviour a dog is more sensitive to noticing in an owner. Found it strange though recently with the dog seemingly noticing me and I had never seen the dog before, and it sensed me for a good distance away...well that or just a curious dog.