title: Perceptions about professionally and non-professionally trained hypoglycemia detection dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with diabetes increasingly have questions about diabetes alert dogs. This study evaluated perceptions about dogs trained professionally or otherwise to detect glucose levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  A link to a survey about glucose detecting dogs was announced on diabetes websites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  135 persons responded, with 63 answering about their child with diabetes. Most respondents obtained their dog from a professional trainer (n = 54) or trained it themselves (n = 51). Owners of self- and professionally-trained dogs were very positive about dogs' abilities to alert them to low and high glucose levels, while owners of dogs that learned entirely on their own (n = 15) reported lower frequencies of alerts and more missed hypoglycemic episodes, p<.01. Regardless of how dogs learned, perceptions about managing diabetes were improved during periods of dog ownership relative to times without, p<.001. Self-reported rates of diabetes-related hospitalizations, assistance from others for treating hypoglycemia, and accidents or near accidents while driving reduced during periods of dog ownership compared to periods without dogs, ps<.01.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest potential effectiveness of and high satisfaction with glucose-detecting dogs. Clinicians can use these results to address pros and cons of dog ownership with patients who inquire about them.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut School of Medicine, USA. Electronic address: npetry@uchc.edu.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Petry
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Rash
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, USA.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diabetes; Dogs; Hypoglycemia