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Would you ever consider getting a diabetic alert dog? Tell us why or why not in the comments!
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Not that I don’t like dogs, but my CGM works fine and doesn’t need to be fed or walked or boarded when I’m on vacation.
I’d love to get one but they’re soooo expensive
I’m afraid to live alone because of hypoglycemic unawareness. I do have a med-alert button, but if I wake up in a low, I don’t think of using it because my brain is so foggy. My new pump/CGM alarms are not volume adjustable. This is so awful. My phone is too old to use with my pump&CGM so I can’t make use of the app. It’s a shame they still have no good solution for this & that the dogs are so expensive.
I love, and have always had dogs but from everything that I have read alert dogs are not as reliably accurate as my Dexcom CGM so I will stick with the technology.
I had one a few years ago. In my opinion, the money is better spent on a CGM. They require so much time, effort, and money. I have always loved dogs and they have been in my life for many years . I prefer them as friends, family, and pets.
I have a Dexcom and don’t feel a need for an alert dog. My Dexcom is my life saver.
I already have two Irish wolfhounds, so I really don’t want to add another. For those of you who don’t know, that’s already 300 pounds of dog. When they are gone, I think I’m ready to not have that responsibility for a while.
I chose “other” because I had started to train my Labrador Retriever for this, but realized that I didn’t have the time to devote to this, and my wife spoiled him too much when she was home with him. Don’t really need one with my new pump features, but thought it’d be nice to be able to bring the dog to more places with us if he had a “job.”
I use an insulin pump and CGM, those along with the support of my husband leads to me indicate I most likely would not pursue getting a diabetic alert dog. I’m more of a cat person! One of my cats served as my alert animal before I had a CGM, she would wake me at night if she sensed that I was too low.
We already have 5 dogs in the house, and the chances of us ever having an ’empty house’ are negligible. Both my wife and myself are animal rescuers and are forever ‘taking in’ pets. Having said that, my Medtronic 670G and CGM have worked absolute wonders for me since starting in March of this year (2020), so getting a diabetic alert dog is extremely low on my list of priorities.
I use my Medtronic insulin pump but sometimes it is confusing if the sensor is fine and all those aspects, for that reason I would like one so that it can be my company and also my dog body care agent 🙂
I use my Medtronic insulin pump but sometimes it is somewhat confusing if the sensor is fine and all those aspects, for that reason I would like one so that it can be my company and also my care agent in my dog glucose 🙂
I do not see necessity.
I would love to have one but the chances of having no other dogs is low.
I’ve heard of Diabetes Alert Dogs, but never considered one for myself before. Only after this question, am I now beginning to think of one for myself.
I had one for 10 years and he was great at sensing lows, both present and oncoming. He went everywhere with me, even overseas. I lost him three years ago to cancer and went n the Dexcom G6 recently. While the Dexcom has some advantages, e.g. my dog had to sleep, I never suffered from “alarm fatigue” as I do now. I am pretty fed up with the endless alarms, many of which cannot be eliminated. Constantly having to change my pump and infusion sites is also wearing on me also. I just spent a month in Maine and the amount of “stuff” I had to lug with me was amazing. My lifestyle with my dog was much better!
I have considered it but it is cost prohibitive. CGM is covered by insurance. But if it were more affordable, I would love to have the dog in addition.
I have had one in the past and have one currently. I find that having both the dog and the Dexcom gives me great peace of mind. I went thru an organization called Medical Mutts to train my Mini Golden which was fabulous. It’s not easy caring for a dog and keeping up the training, but I find it’s well worth the time and effort.
No Thank You! I am very happy with my insulin pump and I feel that it gives me the alerts I need when my blood sugar is low.
Would enjoy having a dog, but can’t afford it.
I said other because my current almost 4 month old lab puppy is going to be trained as my service dog; for help in standing from a fall, our trainer is like are you sure you don’t want her certified as a DAD also? It would be nice but unnecessary since I have a Dexcom now and not a MiniMed sensor. She’s already picking up on my highs and lows, when I have them, plus my stroke/TIA symptoms.
Not likely to have a dog. First I am not a dog fancier. Second the cost for a trained dog is prohibitive., Third my Dexcom and T-slim work very well. Having said all that, I would not absolutely rule it out.
I had considered it in the past but with my Dexcom CGM and the Share feature so my husband can also monitory my blood sugar, I don’t feel it’s necessary. Plus I already have a 4 legged child (dog) who is a senior now and my priority.
Absolutely not. I absolutely ADORE my dog. But, the amount of money a D.A.D. costs is ridiculous when you can have a CGM that does the same job and doesn’t require a lesson in service dog eligibility everywhere you go. I guarantee that a restaurant won’t stop you from entering due to a CGM. But, they WILL try to stop you from bringing your D.A.D. inside nearly every time (I’ve seen it happen FAR too many times). Why have to deal with that struggle at every turn when you can have a CGM that does the same things, and more? We thought about a D.A.D. when my son was first diagnosed. But, it just didn’t make sense money-wise and we already had a dog. We decided against it, mainly due to the length of time it takes to train them + the overall cost. We opted for a CGM and only regretted the Medtronic CGMs. Dexcom has been fantastic. I would not trade that for a D.A.D., ever. I’ll let my dog be a dog and just do dog things. Let the Dex do the work.
I had considered a diabetic dog but the catch is you have to take care of the dog too. So that means carry bags of food, take the dog for grooming and vet appointments, clean up the shedding hair, let the dog out and in or take the dog out and in. I am 72 living alone, but the Freestyle Libre is much easier to maintain and I can focus on taking care of myself. For a child, a diabetic dog would be a good option if the child likes animals. Someone in the house has to take care of the dog & the kid both.
I’d consider it, I have a dog and I love dogs, but I also have a dexcom CGM that actually tells me exactly what glucose is and how fast changing! It is fantastic! L10cliff
A dog is a big expense, the original investment when you buy it and the maintenance. It’s also a lot of work. A CGM is easier. I use a Dexcom G6 and I very pleased with it.
I am allergic to dogs, and have never liked them. My Dexcom G6 can not only alert me when I am high or low, but can warn me (and my spouse) when I am headed in that direction.
My dashchund Cooper alerts me and my wife when I get low. Amazing little dog,never trained, just does in naturally.
I personally do not want a Diabetic Alert Dog, They require a great deal of care and work with physical maintenance as well as constant training that I am not up to doing. I most certainly see their worth. My T1D daughter has one. His alerts beat the Dexcom G6 by 15-30 minutes, which can be a huge advantage. She chooses to invest in the work and training because of that. I’m all for her doing that even though I do not choose that for myself.
I have been Dexcom’ing for a long time (ever since they first came out). Now if I were a kid, or perhaps a university student, yeah. The biggest obstacle for me now is that we have several rescue dog and my bed is already full – yep they all cuddle with mommy.
While a dog may sense a low BG and alert me, it won’t do any good if I am suffering a severe low and can’t think rationally. Until diabetic alert dogs have opposable thumbs and can inject glucagon I will not consider an alert dog.
I might consider it. I’ve been single most of my life and after 47 years dx’d, I have scarry issues. I’ve had dogs most of my life. My current buddy of 13 years keeps me on my toes and makes me walk him 4-5 times a day! 👍
I want one someday but I hesitate because I wouldn’t want to take the dog EVERYWHERE with me.
I’d rather use my cgm
I’ve considered it and if I could train one of my rescue dogs to do it, that’d be great. Also, I consider my dogs to be family, so having one that “works” for me would be difficult.
I had a Chihuahua for 16 years and never trained her for insulin reactions, but she would sense when I dropped low quickly and would alert me by scratching my chest hard and getting antsy (she was normally very chill). This was pre-CGM days and was so helpful, especially when I’d go low during the night. She’d notice it before I dropped too low. I wouldn’t consider getting one now since I have Dexcom, but that little pup worked well for me.
When I wasn’t on a pump, having a dog may have been a life saver. Literally. I’ve had some close calls. If I ever have to give up the pump, due to cost, I’d definitely consider a dog. I’m sure that would cost a pretty penny as well.
I have considered getting one in the past, but I did not have an accurate sensor at the time. CGMs are so much more reliable now so I’m not considering it anymore.
I have had a hypoglycemic alert dog since 2010. I just graduated with my second one (NICST/Dogs 4 Diabetics). They are faster than technology and are a built in redundancy not to mention the non-judgmental help and support.
I’ve got a Dexcom, just a plain old dog is enough for me!
If we were ready for a dog it would be super cool but luckily I have great warning from both my cgm & my body ! A newly diagnosed friend of mine who has had a dog for about 5 years clearly amazingly trained himself to alert her !!
I have had type 1 for almost 32 years and with a cgm I do not think I would find an alert dog useful. However, if my son (currently 4 years old) were to become diabetic as well, I would consider getting one to help with his monitoring, with the added benefit of alerting for me as well. I would also consider getting one in certain circumstances as I age, such as if I were to get dementia, became disabled, and/or lived alone.
I researched getting a diabetic dog for my son back when he was in elementary school. There were no CGMs back then and he would sleep through his lows, so I would have to set my alarm every 2 hours during the night and run a finger stick. We live on the east coast and the only place at that time was in CA, it was expensive and required a lot of travel time and training, I wished I could have afforded it!! Now I have diabetes myself and I would love to have a special dog. We have the latest technology which is awesome, but there is nothing better than the love of a dog!! I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have a bond with a therapy dog!!
I heard or read that the alert dogs are not all they are “cracked up to be.” Now that we have Dexcom to give us lots of loud alerts, and Dexcom is accurate, we do not need dogs for diabetes.
I have a pump and CGM. Because they works so well, I would trade up to a diabetic alert dog and go back to MDI.
Eventually might consider the help, but with having several dogs (and a cat) could be confusing for a service dog. But had some trouble several weeks ago, that cat was all over me.z
I do not have severe hypoglycemic events that require glucagon although I do have many hypoglycemic events (the lowest have been in the twenties). I was not aware of the existence of diabetic alert dogs. If I lived alone I may try looking for a dog capable of alerting me of seizures and hypoglycemia. (Seizure alert would be my priority.) Dogs are more of a responsibility than any pet I have had previously.
Aside from the expense of getting a diabetic alert dog, dog ownership is a huge responsibility for which I am not equipped.
No. Absolutely NOT. I have Dexcom and CIQ to help me through the night. Besides my husband and I have companion cats and they are so much easier to take care of. The few people I have encountered with a DAD become too dependent on them and the attention & focus becomes all about the dog and not enough about themselves as a whole person.
I tried diligently to find a diabetic alert dog after being told I had low sensitivity to low glucose – by the time I catch on to it it’s almost too late. However, I was denied because my highs and lows were too unpredictable and would be hard on the dog. Gee…
I have been type 1 since 1982. I have had many dogs the ones I have been closest too, including my current 7 month old puppy, have seemed to want to get my attention sometimes to an annoying point when my BG is low. I didn’t realize till a couple years ago that dogs can smell your body chemistry.
I would love to have one. I grew up with dogs, and had responsibility for taking care of them. As an adult, I absolutely want to get a dog, and I would be so happy to have a diabetes alert dog, because wow—talk about a quality of life improvement! However, the cost is prohibitive. $10k is out of reach for all but the most financially secure diabetics. I say this as a professional with a good career.
I wanted to get one when I was single because of night time lows and hypoglycemic unawareness, but it cost to much. Now I have a CGM and do not need one.
I have had many dogs over my lifetime that basically trained themselves to seek help when I needed it but mostly they could smell when I was low or high and let me know I needed to test or they would hassle me if they thought I needed to get help. Dogs are super smart and hounds have great noses so when I was diagnosed at age 10 before we had any blood testing equipment other than Testape or Clinitest and test tubes for testing urine, my Dad’s hunting dogs, Beagles, and Basset Hounds slept with me in my room and would get help if I was too low in the middle of the night. But this was in the 1960s. I have always had rescue dogs which I trained or who trained themselves. They have been super helpful and I have been very lucky since my 2 kids and my husband have helped me numerous times when my dogs have alerted them. Unfortunately, there are ridiculous rules now from the Diabetes training Centers that don’t allow you to have more than one dog in the house at a time. My dogs have saved my life more than once over the years and we have a real difference of opinion with regard to training. I have had to train my dogs myself because of this.