Will My Insurance Cover The Cost Of A Diabetic Alert Dog?
Absolutely, this is a must! This creates a bond between you and your dad and he or she needs love and affection in exchange for working for you! There are restrictions to this that we will discuss as this is not your typical pet but YES!
Your Diabetic Alert Dog is on duty 24/7 to sniff out your blood sugar levels. An acquaintance, stranger or visitor may not know how to interact appropriately with a service dog as to not distract him from his job. We discourage this type of interaction but will go into it in further detail during your training. There are proper ways, times and places for this to occur.
If I Have Another Dog, Can I Still Have a Diabetic Alert Dog?
Your Diabetic Alert Dog is a service dog. Per the American Disabilities Act (ADA), your Diabetic Alert Dog is allowed in any business or organization that serve the public and they must allow your Diabetic Alert Dog in any area of the facility where customers are usually allowed to go. Diabetes is a disability under this law. Your Diabetic Alert Dog can accompany you in grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, airlines, schools, health clubs, shopping malls, salons and public transportation. Your Diabetic Alert Dog will have a service vest with distinguishing patches as well as an ID card. These items are not required by law but they can help you to make public access easier and avoid stressful conflicts. The only place they can keep a dog out is in the operating room!
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make "reasonable accommodations" to disabled persons to mitigate their disability. Service dogs fall into this category. Of course, each work condition is different. Certain work conditions would be a difficult environment to justify a service dog as reasonable accommodation. For example, a construction worker, chef, waiter or other fast paced difficult environment would not be the place for a service dog. We will work with you to decide if a service dog is right for you.
Do I Have To Live In A Certain Area To Get A Diabetic Alert Dog?
Can My Child Take Their Diabetic Alert Dog To School?
Can I Cuddle, Pet, And Play With My Diabetic Alert Dog?
Once we receive your complete application, it usually takes 2-3 weeks to process at which time we will call you for a phone interview and to review the application and ask additional questions. At that time, we usually let you know if you have been pre-approved but there are times we need to send your application for board approval. If that is the case it may take an additional week. Once pre-approved, we require that you come to our facility for a meet and greet for final approval.
Home placement varies depending on your needs and the length of the waiting list at the time of approval. We do not produce in mass as each dog is hand selected and individually trained. Once we assess your needs and approve your application, we can give you a better time frame. On average, it is usually a 12-18 month process from start to finish. However, at times we try to keep some dogs in training that are close to graduation. If that is the case then you could possibly have one within 3 - 6 months of approval.
Having a Diabetic Alert Dog will require you to test more often than most. Along with the usual times that you check, you will also be required to check every time your dog alerts you. A Diabetic Alert Dog is NOT a replacement for your meter and should never be relied upon as your only tool to manage your diabetes!
How effective are Diabetic Alert Dogs?
Can I Purchase Health Insurance For My Diabetic Alert Dog?
FAQs
Our policy requires the diabetic/handler to be a minimum of 16 to take the dog to school. Even at this age, we are looking for a very mature diabetic that has proven he or she is taking control of their diabetes and is responsible enough to care for a service dog and commit to the continued training. Our waiting list is long however, so feel free to apply once your child has reached the age of 14.
Will I Have To Check My Blood Sugar As Often?
A dog has over 225 million scent receptors whereas a human has only 5 million, which makes the sense of smell of a canine is over 1000 times more sensitive. Right away you can expect a 70%+ accuracy, but the more you bond with your DAD the higher that percentage climbs. By putting in the time and following our guidelines, obtaining a 99% accuracy is achievable!
Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained to be incredibly accurate. But, these are not machines. They are not perfect and will miss some alerts. Your Diabetic Alert Dog should be considered an extremely important back up tool to your normal diabetes management tools. It is imperative that you keep in contact with your trainer.
Unfortunately, no. However, some health care plans do have medical spending accounts which you can draw from to offset the cost. All expenses related to your DAD are tax deductions! Cost of the dog, food, training, travel to get the dog, supplies, etc.
How Long Is The Application Process?
We encourage this as we have it on our own dogs even though Ray is a veterinarian and we have used it! We will be happy to provide recommendations to you. You can also buy life insurance for your canine. It is costly, but life insurance is available through Mourer Foster.
This depends on the situation. Our Diabetic Alert Dogs are raised around other Diabetic Alert Dogs, pet dogs, cats, livestock, birds and even wildlife. The deciding factor depends on your other dog. Does your other dog show aggression towards strange dogs? Does the other dog have bad habits such as destructive behavior, chewing, excessive barking, house training issues, guarding, digging, counter surfing or health problems? These types of problems can distract from your service dog and teach your Diabetic Alert Dog bad behaviors. We suggest that you work with a trainer in your area to stop these behaviors prior to applying for a Diabetic Alert Dog.
Where Can I Take My Diabetic Alert Dog?
Yes, we are still accepting applications for handlers that live within 8 hour drive of New Braunfels, Texas. However, we are moving to Tennessee! We are now taking applications for handlers that live within an eight hour drive of Chattanooga, Tennessee. This includes the states of Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia!
We will never ship a dog. All dogs must be picked up in person and we require that you make several trips to our training facility during the training process. Lodging is available at nearby hotels.