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Meet “Dog, the Diabetes Hunter”

Dogs have been trained to lead the blind, relax those with anxiety and cheer up people suffering from depression.  But trainers have discovered a new, potentially life-saving capability for some service dogs.

FOX News Radio’s Chris Hoenig reports:

Audio clip:

Koda is Suzanne Crowley’s service dog, but with a unique talent.  Crowley is diabetic, and he can SMELL when her blood sugar drops.

(Crowley) “There have been times when my blood sugar has dropped below what a meter will read.  You can slip into a coma and die.”

Kristin Minnie has trained Koda to alert Crowley with a simple signal.

(Minnie) “Take his big paw, and put it right on her.  You can’t miss it.”

It took just six months for Koda to learn the special scents that come along with Crowley’s diabetes, and Minnie is already working with more dogs.

(Minnie) “They love their job, they don’t mind doing it 24/7.”

Koda doesn’t just save Crowley’s life – Crowley has saved Koda’s, too.  He’s a former shelter dog, rescued by the service program.

Chris Hoenig, FOX News Radio.

Editor’s Note: Kristin Minnie works as the Pack Leader at El Dorado K9 Training in Sacramento, California.

One Comment

  1. Megan

    September 13, 2012 at 4:52 am

    I want my dog to undergo dog training in Perth to be a dog doctor. I’ve seen a lot of videos that shows dogs who are doing this. It is amazing that they can do something like this to help us protect and improve our health.