Archive for June 25th, 2009
British dogs are trained to sniff out diabetes
You’ve probably heard that dogs have the ability to smell cancer. And some dogs “tell” their owners, by focusing on the affected body part. That can include licking or “pestering” their owners in the areas where the cancer exists.
Now there is a program in the UK that is training dogs to warn diabetic owners when their blood sugar levels fall to dangerously low levels.
The program started from anecdotal evidence. A survey found 65 percent of 212 people with insulin-dependent diabetes reported that when they had a hypoglycemic episode their pets had reacted by whining, barking, licking or some other display.
What’s really cool is that the program is training rescue dogs that will be paired up with diabetic owners, many of them children.
We don’t need to say this, but we will: dogs are SO awesome!
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