You’ve all heard of cancer-detecting dogs and seizure alerters. But here’s one I hadn’t been aware of since very recently: Dogs with the ability to sniff out hypoglycemia.They call this class of dogs bio-detectors, a perfectly reasonable moniker for what it is they do. Somehow, they can use their thousand-times more sensitive sense of smell to sniff out pathology...sometimes well in advance of its devastating effects.
If the goal is to save lives through early cancer detection and provide a safety net for those afflicted by devastating episodic diseases, dogs have proven their mettle. Though refinements in training, degrees of detection and distribution of this new brand of service dog are still being worked out––and will be for a while, I’m afraid––it’s all in the works, according to the British research center, Cancer and Bio-detection Dogs.
Its mission? “To improve the detection, recognition and diagnosis of human diseases and other medical conditions, by the use of dogs and other animals trained in the recognition of relevant stimuli” And their newest project? Aid for those with Type 1 diabetes.
According to a New York Times piece published last month,
“Last year, researchers from Queen’s University in Belfast decided to investigate anecdotal reports from dog owners who said their pets warned them of hypoglycemic attacks. They surveyed 212 dog owners, all of whom had Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder that prevents the body from producing insulin. A regular concern with Type 1 is that blood sugar will drop precipitously low, causing a person to fall unconscious.
Among the dog owners, 138, or 65 percent, said their dog had shown a behavioral reaction to at least one of their hypoglycemic episodes. About a third of the animals had reacted to 11 or more events, with 31.9 percent of animals reacting to 11 or more events. The dogs got their owners’ attention by barking and whining, (61.5 percent), licking (49.2 percent), nuzzling (40.6 percent), jumping on top of them (30.4 percent), and/or staring intently at their faces (41.3 percent). A small percentage of the dogs reportedly tremble in fear at the time of a hypoglycemic attack.”
But that’s not all. Organizations training these dogs in the US and the UK have reported that a very small percentage of these dogs have been exchanged for others due to an inability to detect their hypoglycemic episodes. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.
What do they smell? There’s the rub. We don’t know. Is it hormonal fluctuations, endorphins or what?
Next up, the obvious question any veterinarian would ask: Can they detect the same in our pets?
***
Check out my PetMD DailyVet post for the day: Location, location, location...and your pets' vaccines. It's a corollary to last week's post on retail vaccine sales.
On a related note: Tomorrow night, Dolittler BFF Dr. Phil Zeltzman (of fabulous newsletter and glorious vet surgical fame) will be discussing the topic of vaccine-associated sarcomas on Martha Stewart's satellite radio show. It's happening at 8-9 PM EST, September 2 on XM #157 and Sirius #112. Don't miss it!
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I met a man who swore his dog saved his life when he woke him up while he was hypoglycemic.
Stefani September 1st, 2009 11:48:06 AM
aww look at that little frnechie in the corner!
I don't know if it's just me, but sometimes when my own frenchie spends a long time smelling my breath i wonder if it's because of the food i just ate, or if he's detecting cancer...
Sarah September 1st, 2009 03:39:39 PM
I'd like to learn more about these bio detection dogs. I have had hypoglycemic episodes since high school and they get REALLY bad when I'm pregnant. It never occured to me a dog might be able to pick up the early warning signals. Thanks for posting this! I'm going to have to find out more now.
Meri September 1st, 2009 03:59:58 PM
My dog Kaylee alerts to hypoglycemia and her ability to do this has immeasurably improved my quality of life- I get enough warning to stop and eat something, now, which is WONDERFUL.
How? Can't tell you, although I suspect it's something scent-wise that they pick up on.
Cait September 1st, 2009 04:31:10 PM
Years ago I read a 'historical novel' ( I want to say Dear and Glorious Physician ) which talked of detecting the rich man's disease by smelling the man's urine. It smelled sweeter than normal, like sugar. The reference of course was to diabetes.
I have no idea if that is complete fiction or was based on historical facts for the era but it made me believe very early in life that our body and its changes are detectable in ways that are less invasive than blood tests, CAT scans, etc.
I would surmise our bodies put off many signals via scent that we cannot interpret!
Beth P September 1st, 2009 04:47:25 PM
Does ketosis typically accompany hypoglycemia? The dogs could be detecting ketones.
Chemist_Bill September 1st, 2009 04:58:40 PM
There's an organization in Northern California that is already training and placing dogs that bio-detect low blood sugar. It's called Dogs 4 Diabetics. Follow this link for the story of a girl whose bio-detector dog, Colton, goes to school with her each day -- http://bit.ly/119SNH
Dogs 4 Diabetics is a not-for-profit that needs donations to be able to expand its work.
RobFavole September 1st, 2009 05:01:51 PM
Just curious, do vets consciously sniff their patients for disease indicators, do they teach that in vet school? It's become a lost art in human medicine so I'm glad to see it "going to the dogs". All my critters can tell me when my health is failing if I just pay attention. Over the years, we've worked out some cues (from them to me) and they can be pretty persistent in getting me to listen these days.
PJBoosinger http://pjboosinger.viviti.com/ September 1st, 2009 06:20:03 PM
Beth P, I've read that Arab physicians of the 1200's would taste urine for sweetness to detect what we call diabetes.
Meri September 1st, 2009 08:12:58 PM
Once I read this fantastic story of a woman who used to faint hundreds of times a day. With the service dog she got, she never had an incident ever again. The dog started warning her to lay down on the floor when she was about to faint. The dog could sense it. Amazing.
Daniela Caride
www.TheDailyTail.com
Daniela Caride September 1st, 2009 11:01:39 PM
I know of someone whose dog started acting strangely toward one of her other dogs, who turned out to be quite sick. I don't think it was cancer, but something like CHF, if I remember correctly.
Dogs pick up on the small things that we miss, with their keen senses. It only makes sense that they could sniff out trouble in one another.
Louie's Mom September 2nd, 2009 12:27:08 AM
During vet school I adopted two boxers, one with boxer cardiomyopathy and one off the street (coincidence). Male and female, they got along beautifully––best friends––until one day a light switch went off and they started fighting. I could never tell who the aggressor was. A behaviorist finally had to point out that my female, Agatha, was the initiator––but it made no sense. A couple of months later, Bruno started having seizures. A fast-moving brain tumor was diagnosed. Coincidence? Um...no. She knew. I'm convinced.
Dr. Patty Khuly September 2nd, 2009 06:59:04 AM
There was an article recently in the veterinary press in the UK about a diabetic woman who had trained her dog to alert her when she was going hypo. She used unwashed t-shirts she had worn when having a hypoglycaemic episode to fake episodes to train the dog, as it seemed to react to a change in the smell of her sweat when she was going hypoglycaemic. She trained it to not only recognise the episodes, but also to bring a strategically placed bag of sweets to her in her house.
If only I could remember where I read about it!
Jeheme September 2nd, 2009 04:41:20 PM
Almost all of my animals can detect stupidity. As soon as I leave a door ajar a cat will find it, the result is the cat is outside or in a closet. If I am stupid enough to leave my keys out, the cats will drown them. If I am stupid enough to leave grain out, goats, ducks and chickens all jump on the band wagon to detect it.
If I am stupid enough to leave my hat on the ground a goat will pee on it. The rooster will point out stupidity if you turn your back on it. I once let three goats out the minivan without leads and they quickly detected stupidity and jumped up on the hoods of a couple other cars to indicate it.
Bob Jones September 3rd, 2009 08:51:20 AM
LOL Bob, that is very funny. I think my pets are adept at this stupidity detection, as well!
Louie's Mom September 3rd, 2009 07:40:53 PM
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