Helper dogs have been trained to assist people with a variety of disabilities. Some dogs help people with epilepsy. Others can be useful for those with visual impairment or physical limitations. Now, British researchers are training dogs to detect hypoglycemia in people with diabetes. When someone’s blood sugar falls too low they can go into shock. The dogs are trained to detect subtle changes in scent when someone with diabetes begins to experience very low blood sugar levels. The dogs alert the person so that action can be taken to avoid this potentially life-threatening episode.
