Trained Dog Can Smell Diabetic Emergencies!

February 8th, 2011 - 5:05 pm ICT by GD  

By Ranjan Bhaduri
labrador_retriever_black_portrait_flickrFeb 8, (THAINDIAN NEWS) There are many instances of dogs helping humans and saving their lives in history. The canines are also used in rescuing accident victims and tracing injured in an accident sites. However it is not commonplace to come across dogs that can detect signs of illness in their owners and act accordingly. Therefore it is not hard to guess why the tale of Shirley the Labrador has made headlines and taken even the animal experts by amazement. The owner of the canine, Rebecca Farrar suffers from an aggressive variant of type one diabetes which means she can reach coma after suffering a hypoglycaemic attack. It is not possible for the young old girl to understand when her blood sugar levels are dipping below. However the dog can understand that with her extraordinary power of smell.

When the Labrador sniffs a change in the blood sugar level she starts licking the girl as a precaution. If that does not wake up the girl the intelligent dog approaches others for help. The mother of the girl Claire Farrar said “If Shirley can’t wake her up during the night she comes into my bedroom and gets me up. It’s like Lassie.” The dog was trained extensively by the Medical Detection Dogs charity for a year.

The dog has made the owners amazed. Even the trainers at the UK charity are surprised by her sniffing skill. If this can be incorporated in other dogs a lot of lives can be saved. A lot of youngsters pass out from the disease each year and canines can be used to warn them before they fall in coma.

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