What Conditions Can Service Animals Help With?

Diabetes

Diabetes is a very common and widely misunderstood condition, and it surprises some individuals to find out service dogs can help diabetes patients. But diabetes is also a potentially life-threatening condition that can cause permanent damage to multiple organ systems. A service dog for someone with diabetes is called a diabetic alert dog. These dogs are trained to detect high and low blood sugar in their handlers, and they warn their handlers before the situation becomes dangerous. Diabetic alert dogs have sensory training to detect the subtle changes in a human's scent that occur during hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. In addition to alerting diabetes patients of high or low blood sugar problems, these dogs may be trained to perform additional tasks like retrieving medication or barking to alert passersby if their handler loses consciousness due to a dangerous blood sugar issue. Like other service animals, diabetic alert dogs are protected under the ADA in the United States.