News

School bars dog which can sense and warn of boy's diabetic attacks

MAR 8, 2007

By Debbie Guest

A Perth school is refusing to let an 11-year-old diabetic boy take a specially trained dog to class that can warn of an impending attack which could put him in a coma.

Corey Charles and Kimberley Muirden, also 11, are the first people in WA to receive the whippet dogs through the charity organisation, PAWS for Diabetics.

Scientists are uncertain how the dogs’ potentially life-saving ability works but they apparently sense a change in a diabetic’s chemical make-up prior to a hypoglycaemic attack. When Corey’s dog Oscar senses the danger, he warns him by whimpering and nibbling his fingers.

But Corey’s school, Calista Primary, won’t let him take Oscar to class. That has forced his mother Tracey to keep him home since they got the dog last week from the Eastern States. “We’ve tried to explain to them why we want the dogs and a lot of non-diabetics don’t understand what we go through day to day,” Mrs Charles said.

The school is concerned about how Oscar will fit into a classroom environment and the possibility that other students will be allergic to him.

Mrs Charles said the Education Department was reviewing the ban but in the meantime she was considering a private school. Since last week, the dogs have warned Corey of five attacks and Kimberley of two.

Corey said Oscar has been a big help to his diabetes.

“Yesterday, he kept annoying me and I thought he wanted some food,” he said. “He kept nibbling on my fingers and when I did a test I was having a hypo (hypoglycaemic attack).”

Corey was then able to restore his blood sugar levels with a glucose tablet and something to eat.

Co-founder of PAWS for Diabetics Lorraine Roulston said many dog breeds could predict the attacks.

To bond with their owner the dog initially must be constantly by their side, Ms Roulston said.

Kimberley has been taking his dog to class at St Stephen’s School, Carramar, and principal Phil Ridden says there have been no problems.

Diabetes WA advocacy officer Sandy Havlin said dogs can be used as a new tool to help people avoid attacks but they should discuss the issue with their diabetes specialist.

Princess Margaret Hospital endocrinologist Tim Jones said the idea of dogs preventing attacks had not been scientifically proved but anything to help people cope with diabetes is a good thing, as long as it is used with established treatments.

Source: The West Australian