Diabetic Alert Dog helps active 14 year old girl stay safe and well
Thousand Oaks, CA, May 7, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Today, Emma, a 14 year old from Thousand Oaks, California, meets her Type 1 Diabetic Alert Dog delivered by Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers. Emma’s dog, a Labrador Retriever named “Mocha,” has already received thousands of hours of training as a diabetic alert dog and it will continue to learn under the careful guidance of a certified trainer from Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers, “SDWR,” and through the rapport it develops Emma and her parents. SDWR has a mission to provide specially-bred and trained dogs for adults and children with invisible disabilities like Autism, PTSD, Seizure Disorders, and Diabetes.
Emma is an active young lady who enjoys dance classes, Regiment Band, camping and going to the beach. But Emma also lives with the life-threatening challenges of Type 1 Diabetes. Diagnosed at just six years of age, Emma knows the daily life with a dozen or more finger-poke blood glucose checks, counting carbohydrate intake, and night-time blood glucose checks by her parents. Unlike Type 2 diabetes that can often be controlled with a balanced diet and watching one’s weight, Type 1 is caused when a virus attacks and permanently shuts down a person’s pancreas causing them to need insulin 24 hours a day. Emma’s diet must contain a careful balance of foods with a special focus on the amount and intake of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates have to be covered by insulin injection or through an insulin pump that is attached to the body delivering insulin through canulas—similar to small IV catheters. Blood glucose levels have to be monitored several times each day and night, as well as after exercise or sleep. Common illnesses like a cold or flu are especially difficult for people with Type 1 as viruses and fevers almost always cause spikes in glucose levels. Blood glucose levels that are too high or too low are life-threatening events for people with Type 1 diabetes. Now with the arrival of the Mocha, Emma will have yet another tool, a four-legged one that has received foundational training to monitor her diabetes and keep her from experiencing dangerous high and low blood glucose levels—especially frequent when a lifestyle is as active as Emma’s!
Dan Warren, Founder and President of Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers, indicates that the Organization’s diabetes alert dogs are trained to recognize and alert on the scent of low and or high blood glucose levels. “When Emma’s blood glucose begins to fluctuate, her service dog will pick up the scent and give the alert for ‘high’ or ‘low’ blood glucose levels,” states Warren. These hypo and hyperglycemic events, dangerous highs and lows, can result in seizures, coma, and even death. Many Type 1 patients have implanted glucose monitoring systems but these systems are often 20 minutes behind an alert dog’s sense of the glucose movement. Electronic systems measure parts per million while alert dogs have been shown to scent parts per trillion. A trained diabetes alert dog is taught to alert and be persistent to the point where it will go get another member of the household if the dog’s “person” does not respond.
Mocha will not only take care of Emma at home, she will accompany her to band camp, dance classes and enjoy the family-favorite activities such as camping and trips to the beach. As a service dog, her right to be with Emma in all public places is protected under Americans with Disabilities laws. Mocha will go with Emma to restaurants, shopping, to doctors and hospital visits and eventually she will attend college with Emma.
Additionally, these amazing dogs are trained to retrieve essentials needed such as Glucose tablets, Glucagon, insulin, juice boxes, testing meters or retrieve medication from a designated spot in the house. Alert dogs are further trained to dial out on K-9 equipped phones to summon emergency medical help if needed. All these trained activities help ease the concern that parents of a young child with Type 1 Diabetes.
Mocha will also work with the SDWR trainers and Emma towards public access certification. Dan Warren is quick to point out that, “all the incredible services these dogs can provide are through progression, hard work and dedication of the Organization and the individual and family who must work together to build on diabetic alert dog training foundations and fundamentals. This is about an 18-month training program.”
What sets SDWR apart from other service dog organizations are the customized training methods and SDWR matches dogs to their “person.” According to Dan Warren, “that important bonding time between dog and person can begin to happen right away. For the over seven years we’ve been utilizing this method of dog placement, we’ve achieved amazing results. To date we have almost 600 dogs working across the country and around the globe.”
Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers is a non-profit organization based in Madison, Virginia, and relies on donations to help the Organization in its mission, “Until there’s a cure…there’s a dog.” To make or donation or learn more about SDWR, please visit the website, http://www.sdwr.org/. To learn more about Diabetic Alert Service Dogs visit http://www.sdwr.org/service-dogs/diabetic-alert/. To find out how you can volunteer or serve as a puppy raiser visit http://www.sdwr.org/volunteer-opportunities/ .
