Thursday, July 25, 2013

Keep Your Freedom With The Help Of A Jasper TX Diabetic Alert Dog

By Lance Aldinger


Jasper diabetic dogs are trained to alert their handlers to dangerously low or high blood sugar levels. This allows diabetics to take steps to return their levels to normal before complications develop. The service dogs' accuracy and speed are better than those of modern technologies such as continuous glucose monitors or glucose meters.

Type 1 diabetics must frequently check and stabilize their blood sugar levels. Hyperglycemia, persistently high blood glucose, can lead to neuropathy, kidney failure or heart disease. Hypoglycemia, low blood glucose, can cause convulsions, loss of consciousness, and eventually coma. Blood sugar levels can be raised by consuming carbohydrates or lowered with insulin injections.

Signs of hypoglycemia normally include sweating, fatigue, dizziness and confusion. However, some diabetics develop a condition called hypoglycemic unawareness. Their blood glucose can drop dangerously low without producing any symptoms and they can suddenly pass out without warning.

In Jasper, Texas, the alert dogs trained to serve diabetics are English Labradors. This breed has an acute olfactory sense and instinctively sniffs out prey. From the time they are one day old, the puppies are imprinted with blood sugar scent swatches. Scientists have not yet discovered the chemical compound associated with hypoglycemia, but Labradors are able to accurately identify its odor.

When a dog senses that their handler's blood glucose level is below 80 or above 180, they alert them by pawing. This physical contact is especially effective when the diabetic is distracted or asleep. The handler can then check their glucose to confirm the dog's accuracy and eat carbohydrates or inject insulin as required.

Jasper diabetic dogs are socialized so that they can accompany their handlers in any situation. They provide diabetics with the freedom to get on with their lives without constantly worrying about their blood glucose levels. For people with hypoglycemic unawareness, the Labradors can be true lifesavers, ensuring that they never lose consciousness in hazardous circumstances.




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