SASKATOON – Diabetic alert service dogs are being used by more Canadians, for their ability to let their owners know when their blood sugar levels have dropped.
According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, more than 9 million Canadians are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Gail Maki is a mother of two and has lived with type 1 diabetes for 35 years. This usually means setting her alarm and waking up twice a night to check her glucose levels and constantly monitoring herself throughout the day.
Her health is a major concern to her family and easing these anxieties is a seven-month-old black lab named Echo.
The Saskatchewan mother recently received the diabetic alert dog and says it’s doing a remarkable job.
“She can let Gail know when her sugars are going too high or too low, and that way she’s not having the major fluctuations of the really high highs or the really dangerous lows as well,” said Echo’s trainer Erin Gray.
Gray flew in from Virginia to teach Gail how to interact with the dog and help her adjust to spending 24/7 with Echo.
During the interview, Gail’s blood sugar dropped and Echo began to get nervous and nuzzled her new owner. Sure enough, the canine was right and Gail boosted her glucose levels.
There are fewer than 200 diabetic alert dogs in North America, but Gray says numbers are growing.
“At this point the waiting list is about six to nine months, Gail did wait about a year,” said Gray.
Gail says having the dog around 24/7 comes with a financial commitment, but her family says they can’t put a price on the peace of mind they now have with Echo.
Comments