Service dogs have been around for a number of years, and have become a fairly normal thing to see on a day to day basis. Service dogs begin their training at around 16 weeks old, and can be trained to perform a number of tasks depending on the condition they’re being trained to help with. While it can be understandable to think of seeing eye dogs when service dogs are mentioned, they are also used to help with a wide variety of medical conditions. This article will take a look at three medical conditions that service dogs can be used for.

• Diabetic Service Dogs: One medical condition that service dogs can be used for is diabetes. Diabetic service dogs can help their owners in a number of ways. According to Diabetic Alert Dogs of America, diabetic service dogs are trained to warn their owners about low blood sugar, or high blood sugar, before it can become dangerous for them. This works because dogs have an incredibly powerful sense of smell, with 200 million scent receptors compared to the 5 million that a human possesses. Low and high blood sugar levels have a distinct smell that dogs can smell, while humans cannot.
• Autism Service Dogs: Another medical condition that service dogs can be used for is autism. While autism presents itself in a variety of forms, including a wide-ranging display of behaviors, service dogs can be used to help with the condition regardless. For example, according to Autism Speaks, autism service dogs can work to decrease anxiety when the person they’re paired with is going to a place or event that makes them anxious. They can also be trained to stop an autistic person from engaging in self-harming activities.
• PTSD Service Dogs: And finally, a third medical condition that service dogs can be used for is PTSD, also known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can be caused by a number of traumatic events. According to PAALS, a service dog can help people with PTSD to better cope with fear and anxiety. They can also be trained to provide a physical barrier, of sorts, in between the public and their owner, making it somewhat easier for them to go out in public and engage in social activities.

In conclusion, there are several medical conditions service dogs can be used for. These medical conditions include autism, PTSD, and Diabetes. These are just a few of the medical conditions that service dogs can be trained to help with. If you, or a loved one, has any of these medical conditions, service dogs can be a huge help in making it easier to live day by day.