Hypo Alert Dogs

[Ashleighrose414]

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with Hypo alert dogs, specifically in the UK. I'm Type 1 since 2005, and my sugar is fairly well controlled but i have developed severe anxiety regarding low/high readings, to the point that I will have panic attacks if my blood seems to be dropping or rising too much.
I'm wondering if maybe an alert dog may make me feel safer at home and out and about, as i spend most of the day at home alone, and am especially anxious about going out on my own. My hypo awareness is okay, but as i tend to run a little high to avoid hypos, when Im running in a better range it is compromised and i am less likely to notice a hypo.
I would also be interested in those who didn't qualify for an alert dog, and instead bought or adopted a dog and trained them to be an alert dog, as I have always preferred getting a rescue dog over a puppy.

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @Ashleighrose414

It would be a good idea to contact this organisation: https://hypohounds.co.uk/about/ and have a chat with them.

Having a dog who could alert you to your hypo events would really help, apart from having the company, knowing you're low by being alerted is useful, they tend to help those who have little or no hypo awareness, as far as I know they only alert you once you are low as that's when your scent changes though.

If you've still got good hypo awareness then have you thought about a CGM system like the Dexcom G6 which has an alarm for falling glucose levels ? it would wake you at night too, you set the level at which you would like to be alerted say at 4.6 mmol/l so you have time to fix before the hypo hits, it does cost £159 a month but it is money well spent, so there's a couple of options available to you.

 

[DCUKMod]

@Ashleighrose414 - Is this anything you might have mentioned to your Diabetes Team? They might have some useful strategies, or tech to help you.

This organisation might be of help to you too: https://www.assistancedogs.org.uk/ It's a bit of an umbrella organisation for assistance dogs.

More generally, several members have noticed that their own pets become tuned into their blood glucose positions and tend to give out certain signs when things are going a bit awry. Dogs are great for understanding things in a way alien to humans.

Good luck with it all.

 

[Ashleighrose414]

My diabetes team are aware of the issues I am having, i was given a libre a year ago to try and ease some of the anxiety I have, but i sometimes find that it actually makes it worse eg when i see ive had a hypo or a near hypo and not noticed I become panicked even if my blood has already corrected itself.

I will look at both websites and try to speak to someone, thank you!