New Research: Can Dogs Sniff Out Hypoglycemia?
Article Date: 23 Nov 2007 - 0:00 PST
Queen's University researchers are appealing for volunteers to help investigate whether dogs can reliably detect changes in their owner's diabetic state.
Dr Deborah Wells from the School of Psychology at Queen's and Dr Shaun Lawson from the University of Lincoln are appealing for 100 Type One diabetics to complete an online survey. The researchers are also seeking video footage of dogs reacting to their owner's 'hypos' or low blood sugar levels.
Dr Wells said: "Anecdotal reports suggest that some dogs can perform early warning of hypoglycaemia by using their sense of smell to 'sniff out' if their owner's blood sugar levels are dropping.
"At present there are a couple of people in the UK trying to train dogs for hypoglycaemia detection, but scientific study of this phenomenon is sorely lacking and in much need of investigation.
"This study has the potential to be of enormous benefit to the medical profession. Knowledge amassed from the study will be used to inform the development of electronic non-invasive alert systems for this disorder. These are systems that are able to detect either decreases or increases in blood sugar levels similar to an electronic nose."
Dr Wells added: "The video footage will be analysed to see if dogs exhibit any changes in behaviour or show alertness. We will also examine how similar these experiences are between dogs, how reliable they are and whether or not the dogs react in the same way every time their owner experiences low blood sugar levels."
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST
Communications Office, Lanyon North
Queen's University
Northern Ireland
Belfast
http://www.qub.ac.uk
The survey for those with both diabetes and dog(s):
http://www.psych.qub.ac.uk/surveys/diabetes/
Source? http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/89670.php
Queen's University researchers are appealing for volunteers to help investigate whether dogs can reliably detect changes in their owner's diabetic state.
Dr Deborah Wells from the School of Psychology at Queen's and Dr Shaun Lawson from the University of Lincoln are appealing for 100 Type One diabetics to complete an online survey. The researchers are also seeking video footage of dogs reacting to their owner's 'hypos' or low blood sugar levels.
Dr Wells said: "Anecdotal reports suggest that some dogs can perform early warning of hypoglycaemia by using their sense of smell to 'sniff out' if their owner's blood sugar levels are dropping.
"At present there are a couple of people in the UK trying to train dogs for hypoglycaemia detection, but scientific study of this phenomenon is sorely lacking and in much need of investigation.
"This study has the potential to be of enormous benefit to the medical profession. Knowledge amassed from the study will be used to inform the development of electronic non-invasive alert systems for this disorder. These are systems that are able to detect either decreases or increases in blood sugar levels similar to an electronic nose."
Dr Wells added: "The video footage will be analysed to see if dogs exhibit any changes in behaviour or show alertness. We will also examine how similar these experiences are between dogs, how reliable they are and whether or not the dogs react in the same way every time their owner experiences low blood sugar levels."
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST
Communications Office, Lanyon North
Queen's University
Northern Ireland
Belfast
http://www.qub.ac.uk
The survey for those with both diabetes and dog(s):
http://www.psych.qub.ac.uk/surveys/diabetes/
Source? http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/89670.php
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Cody Turner on -
I am type 2 diabetic but insulin dependent and my dog has woken me up more than once when I have been dangerously low.
-
Permalink Reply by Unicornzzz on -
I too am a type 2.
-
Permalink Reply by Kathy on -
http://damdiabetes.blogspot.com
Steve, do take a look at this blog. Molly blogs about her professionally trained service dog, Dixie, who alerts her to hypos. Dixie is extremely smart and perceptive - the blog is really interesting.
BTW - Hapy Holidays!
-
Permalink Reply by Sara on
-
It works! I have a service dog from Dogs 4 Diabetics in California. It is awesome! She tells me when I'm going low WAY before the CGM's did. I rarely get below 70 now.
Now that we've been together for a few months, she has trained herself to alert me on highs. Anything above 250 gets her attention. She has saved me several times when my pump sets were bad.
Their program is small and only in the Bay area right now. I hope more is done with this idea because not only can a dog tell you when your low, but put its head on your knee while your drinking juice..
-
Permalink Reply by Unicornzzz on
-
What breed of dog is she?
-
Permalink Reply by Cody Turner on
-
My dog is a dauschand and she isn't even trained to alert me, she just does.
Cody
-
Permalink Reply by Unicornzzz on
-
She just loves her owner.
-
Permalink Reply by Diabetes Response Service on -
Steve. There is a company called Heaven Scent Paws that trains and sells dogs. They are trained to lick you when you're low. I've heard the dogs are expensive and there is a wait list of several hundred diabetics per trained dog.
-
Permalink Reply by George on -
HSP is fraud. They have been sued by the Attorney General in Missouri, for providing dogs that are partially trained or not trained, have supplied dogs that are 100% unsuitable to be service dogs, 18 times in June. Stay away from HSP
-
Permalink Reply by Steve R on -
The idea of working with dogs like this is just fascinating. Thanks for so many replies about this.
-
Permalink Reply by MeadowLark on -
I have a beagle, a cat,2 birds,3 rats,1 guinea pig,and 1 hamster:) My cat is the one that wakes me in the middle of the night and gets me moving:)
MeadowLark
Advertisement
REsources
Groups
From the Diabetes Hands Foundation blog...
Congratulations Diabetes Advocates Scholarship Recipients!
The Diabetes Hands Foundation and Diabetes Advocates Program is proud to announce and congratulate the members of DA who were granted scholarships to attend diabetes conferences in 2013! Thanks to a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, in 2013 we were …Continue Reading
La Familia de EsTuDiabetes Sigue Creciendo
El Centro Nacional de Prevención de Enfermedades Crónicas y Promoción de la Salud en el Estados Unidos encontró que a partir de 2002-2009, el 11,8% de los hispanos mayores de 20 años, que viven en los EU, viven con diabetes …Continue Reading
TuDiabetes Team
DHF STAFF
 Manny Hernandez(Co-Founder, Editor, has LADA)
|
DHF VOLUNTEERS
Lead Administrator
 Bradford (has type 1) |
Administrators
 Lorraine (mother of type 1) |
 Marie B (has type 1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIKE us on Facebook
Spread the word
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
© 2013 A community of people touched by diabetes, run by the Diabetes Hands Foundation.
