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Sniffing out disease: Diabetes-alert dogs are on the rise

A dog’s snout is a powerful weapon. So strong, in fact, that pooches trained to smell low blood sugar are being used to manage diabetes.

For 27 years, Sarah Breidenbach had a foolproof way of knowing when her blood sugar level was dangerously low.

Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, she could spot the early warning signs — feeling shaky and anxious.

Then one night, her internal detection system failed. While sleeping, her blood sugar level plummeted, causing a violent seizure that sent her to the hospital. Her body recovered, but her inner monitor did not.

Over the next 18 months, paramedics made 178 trips to her home.

That’s when her doctor prescribed an unusual tool to help manage her diabetes: a dog.

Enter Moxie, a 5-year-old service dog who sits at her St. Paul owner’s side around the clock. The black Labrador can tell when Breidenbach’s blood sugar is too high or too low — just by smelling her breath.

Read the full article: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/221529221.html