Diabetic Alert Dog

Hi, my name is Christine Swaney. I am a type 1 diabetic of 8 years. Everyday is a constant worry of my blood sugar levels, and everywhere I go, diabetes is in the back of my mind. I wear an omni pod and CGM to help me maintain my blood sugar levels, but I still struggle trying to maintain diabetes with everything else going on in my life. Such as adjusting to my new college life, having a job, and extra curricular activities, diabetes just brings an extra layer of challenges. 


My goal for next year is to move out, and live independently from home. With a diabetic alert dog, it would take a huge stress off of both me and my parents about the worry of something happening to me away from home. Diabetic alert dogs can take up to a year to train, so I want to start as soon as possible. Diabetic alert dogs cost $850-$1200 for the DOG ALONE. The training with cost $10,000. Diabetic alert dogs are highly trained to smell high and low blood sugars, and help you take action. If I were to have a problem while sleeping, and not wake up, this dog could save my life. If my blood sugar is so low without me knowing, I could have a seizure. If my blood sugar gets too high without me knowing, over time it will effect my vision, organs, and limbs, and it could send me into a coma. There have been times where my blood sugar is so high, my vision gets very blurry, and I cannot see. Having the diabetic alert dog with me would not only ease the minds of my parents, but would also make me feel safer when I’m on my own, and more confident in taking care of my diabetes.


Diabetes is a non-stop battle I deal with on the daily, and I will for the rest of my life. Having this dog could bring ease into my life, and help keep me safe.