News

Panda Bear's paws at work for diabetes

NOV 22, 2006

By Leigh Tonkin

If you see a fluffy Chinese Crested Powderpuff dog strutting the streets of Bowral, don't pat him - he is on duty. John and Janice Mangion's dog Panda Bear is training to become an assistance dog to help John monitor his diabetes.

As members of Paws for Diabetes, which is a not-for-profit volunteer organisation that trains and certifies diabetic alert and therapy dogs, the Mangions have one of only a handful of dogs to undergo the training in Australia.

When Mr Mangion is having a hypoglycaemic attack, as an assistant dog Panda Bear will paw, lick or bark at him to alert him to the problem. Some dogs are able to pick up changes in a diabetic's blood sugar, by smelling changes in the gases in the diabetic's breath.

Mr Mangion said the dog's help would be invaluable to him because he cannot pick up his own symptoms. "It amazes me that the dog comes in and smells my nose and mouth and you can see that he is looking for something," he said. "If it's not right, Panda Bear starts licking me on the face."

"Some dogs alert naturally, it's not restricted to their breed," Mrs Mangion said. "If they don't have the natural talent, they need to be taught scent discrimination."

Panda Bear was accepted into the Paws for Diabetics training program as an assistance dog three months ago. He has already been through puppy training and has started on novice training, with a lot more work to be done before he sits the assistance dog international test to become a fully accredited public access dog.

When they got Panda Bear, they only attended to train him as a pets as therapy dog along with their other two dogs Raz and Miss Pink.

Mrs Mangion has been involved with pets as therapy at the Abbey Nursing Home, visiting residents once a week. She said they do a meet and greet in the nursing home, and it is opening for residents to reminisce about their former pets. "Most people in the nursing home have had a pet, but obviously they can't bring them with them."

For more information on Paws for Diabetics, visit www.pfd.org.au

Source: Southern Highland News