Gluten-Sniffing Pups Making a Difference for Celiac Patients
So, where do service dogs come in?
Since consuming even the smallest amount of gluten can cause a flare-up, it’s critical that anyone who has celiac disease avoids it as much as possible, but this is a sentiment that is easier said than done.
Living the gluten-free lifestyle is not for the faint of heart. It takes dedication, planning and lots of label reading. This can be especially difficult for children with celiac disease, especially when kids are away from their parents at school, camp or other extracurricular activities. As much as a parent would like to say they can be with their children 100% of the time to make sure they are not eating or being exposed to gluten, the reality is that’s not really the case. This is where those gluten sniffing wonder dogs come into play.
A service dog trained specifically for this purpose can help those with celiac disease detect gluten without having to jump through the hoops that are usually involved. There would be no need to ask a million questions at restaurants, steal the cookie packaging out of the garbage can to read and then re-read the labels, and more importantly, kids could participate in all activities (like birthday parties) with their friends without fear.
