训练嗅觉低血糖的狗可以拯救生命

Dogs Trained to Smell Low Blood Sugar Levels May Save Lives

Dogs can be trained to use their sense of smell to recognize illegal drugs and explosives. So Mark Ruefenacht wondered if the animals also could recognize changes in the blood sugar level of people with diabetes¹.

Ruenfenacht has had the disease for much of his life. In 1999, he almost died while training a young dog to be a guide dog for the blind. Without any warning, his blood sugar suddenly dropped to a dangerously low level.

Ruefenacht said the dog stayed with him, and tried to keep him awake.

"More than likely, I had a seizure², from the low blood sugar. The dog liked me, and he stuck with me and I was able to get my blood sugar up."

When talking about a drop in blood sugar, doctors use the term hypoglycemia. Ruefenacht said his near death experience made him wonder if dogs could be trained to identify the chemical changes that happen during an attack, and then inform their owners.

Dogs4Diabetics begins

Ruefenacht worked with scientists and financed³ research which found that the "smell" of hypoglycemia appears in both breath and sweat. He also worked with and studied animal trainers who teach dogs to recognize everything from explosives to cancer.

In addition, Ruefenacht started training a yellow Labrador retriever named Armstrong to tell him when he had a dangerously low blood sugar level.

The training was successful. Armstrong is now listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s first diabetes-detection dog.

Armstrong died in 2012.

Ruefenacht noted⁴ that after his early training successes, several organizations offered him a lot of money for the rights to his discoveries. He told VOA he refused those offers. Instead, in 2004, he created a group called Dogs4Diabetics, where he trains dogs to help people with diabetes.

Ruefenacht says training for a diabetes detection dog and its owner can cost up to $50,000. His organization raises money to cover the costs, so they can provide dogs for free to those in need.

The smell of hypoglycemia

To train the animals, Ruefenacht uses bottles containing swabs of sweat from a diabetic with low blood sugar, and containers of other smells, such as peanut butter, dog food, or plants. The dogs are given a treat when they choose the correct jar.

This "sweat jar" method for training diabetes detection dogs has been approved scientifically.

The next step is to teach the dog to alert⁵ the owner. The dogs are trained to use subtle⁶ signs at first. However, if those signals are ignored, the animals then put their paws on the owner’s legs or shoulders. They learn to lick⁷ and put their nose in the owner’s face, and make noises. If none of these methods work, the dogs are then trained to find someone else to help.

Ruefenacht says the dogs can often detect blood sugar dropping long before electronic systems send a warning sound.

Dogs4Diabetics has placed more than 100 dogs with diabetics. The group hopes to expand the program -- training people’s “most loyal friend” to save lives and help diabetics around the world.

I’m Phil Dierking.

Words in This Story

detect - v. to discover or notice the presence of? something hidden

paw - n. the foot of an animal that has claws?

swab - n. a small amount of material taken with a swab as a sample from a person's body?

sweat - n. to produce a clear liquid from your skin when you are hot or nervous?

subtle - adj. hard to notice or see

1 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

2 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

3 financed   

为…供给资金，从事金融活动( finance的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Capital expenditure can be financed by borrowing; operating expenditure should not. 资本支出可以靠借款，而运营费用不行。
• All purchases shall be financed with the proceeds of loan. 全部货款用贷款支付。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 alert   

adj.机警的，活泼的，机灵的；vt.使...警觉

参考例句：

• Drivers must be on the alert for traffic signals.驾驶员必须密切注意交通信号。
• The rabbIt'seems to be very alert all its life.兔子似乎一生都小心翼翼，十分警觉。

6 subtle   

adj.难于觉察或描述的，精巧的

参考例句：

• Her whole attitude had undergone a subtle change.她的整个态度发生了微妙的变化。
• There's a subtle hint of garlic in the sauce.调味汁里稍微有一点蒜味。

7 lick   

vt.舔（吃），打败，轻拍，吞卷；n.舔，少许

参考例句：

• I think we could lick the best teams there.我想我们能打败那儿最好的队。
• The house would look better with a lick of paint.这房子稍加颜色就好看了。