![]() ![]() ![]() Gradually changing blood sugar levels are more difficult for the dogs to detect. They are trained to identify and discriminate different chemical scents released through a diabetic’s breath or skin when their blood sugars change rapidly. The dogs trained by D4D have more than 200 million sensory receptors used for scent detection, compared to about six million in human beings. It trains only Labradors and Golden Retrievers donated by the Guide Dogs for the Blind and Canine Companions for Independence. Based in Concord, California, this nonprofit is one of only a handful of certified dog-training programs of its kind across the country.ĭ4D provides the dogs, training, and all follow-up services throughout the working dog’s life at no cost to its clients, except for training materials and a $50 application fee. The promise of a new journey in coping with this incurable disease began in 2009, when Kathy acquired Odetta, a small, shy black Lab from Dogs 4 Diabetics (D4D). If untreated, the brain, which secrets glucose directly from the bloodstream, begins to shut down, leading to seizures, comas, brain damage, or death. Despite significant medical advances and use of battery-powered devices like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, type 1 diabetics still face formidable and at times life-threatening challenges when their blood sugars drop precariously low like Kathy’s did. ![]() Kathy is one of more than 5 million Americans who take insulin to treat their diabetes. ![]()
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