Dogs have the ability to sense when a human with Type I diabetes suffers a low blood sugar episode, and scientists have discovered how they are able to do this. When a diabetic is experiencing a drop in blood sugar levels, this produces a chemical that dogs are able to smell. This can alert a dog to the onset of hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycemia, also called low blood glucoseor low blood sugar, occurs when the level of glucose in your blood drops below normal. For many people with diabetes, that means a level of 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or less.
Oxford university researchers pinpointed a chemical called isoprene. The level of isoprene in a person’s breath tends to rise when the blood sugar in the body falters. The isoprene in the breath may be the substance that dogs are smelling when a diabetic’s blood sugar level crashes.
Due to this, many families with diabetic children have begun taking in medical alert service dogs to help monitor their children’s symptoms
