[nagdu] Diabetes and seizure alerts by our dogs (WAS guiding eyes application question)

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Linda and Dar,

I think the loyalty and love our dogs have for us -- their pack bond with
us, if you will -- is just about all the reinforcement they need to "train"
them to alert to physical problems like blood sugar or impending seizures.
The survival of their human companion is reward enough, and of course we
give them extra love and attention when we're back on our feet.  /smile/

Daisy alerted her dad to his throat, so he got it checked and found he had
cancer, which the doctors caught in time.  So now, every time she sniffs one
of us in a thoughtful manner, we get slightly nervous.  /smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 10:26 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guiding eyes application question

Hi Dar,
My diabetes instructor friend discovered that her dog would alert her to low

sugar episodes while she was asleep. Her dog pawed and licked her until he 
roused her and she then discovered her sugar low and took care of it.  It's 
amazing what these dogs can do.  I also have a friend whose dog alerted her 
to seizures.  Both of these dogs did these things on their own.  They can 
smell the chemical changes going on in the person having the low sugar or 
seizure.  I wonder if all dogs can smell this change in us and if they can 
be trained to respond to it when they smell the change like a dog being 
trained to respond to the presence of drugs of explosives.

Take care.

Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "d m gina" <dmgina at samobile.net>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 2:35 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guiding eyes application question


>I will tell here.
> One of the instructors got mad at a friend of mine now, who was in the 
> same class, because he would test rite before he would go out.
> They said when you know you are next you need to have this behind you.
> He is a diabetic as I am.
> What instructors don't count on, is your sugars can swing quickly.
> So even ten minutes before your work out you could be one reading, and ten

> minutes later you can be another.
> I felt this was quite unfair.
> But I didn't say a word, because it didn't happen to me.
> When I was walking, I asked for juice, and they ran and got it.
> I said things didn't sound rite to me.
> Sure enough I was so excited to work my new dog, I dropped with sugars.
> The dog stayed rite there until I was Ok.
> He wouldn't listen to any instructor.
> He stayed in my face.
> then when I was OK he got down.
> Now if I am low at night he will start to scratch, wakes me up, I check 
> and take care of the matter.
> this is how tuned we are as a team.
> I may never have another dog like this again.
> this dog wasn't trained at all for this.
> He just did it on his own.
> He won't even listen to my husband.
> Until something is done.
> This is very good.
> I have no problems myself giving information asked.
>
> -- 
> --Dar
> every saint has a past
> every sinner has a future
>
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