I noticed that Bailey's alerting had decreased this week and at first I was at a loss as to why. I started to scrutinise everything I was doing, as well as what everyone else was doing, when it dawned on me that something seemingly insignificant had changed. The lancing device used for pricking Jason's finger to test his blood glucose levels (BGL's) had broken and the spare one we had as a backup was not as gentle as the original so we started using a different meter. The Accu-Chek Mobile meter came with an easy lancing device which Jason found less painful, so we decided to ditch the Freestyle Optium meter altogether. We received the mobile device about twelve months ago but had kept it in the cupboard as a backup, preferring to continue using the familiar FO meter.
The two meters differ in appearance, as do the cases they are kept in. When changing them over, I had failed to realise the importance of introducing Bailey to the new meter. As a Diabetic Alert Dog (DAD), Bailey has become accustom to very specific daily routines and this has really highlighted how observant and even attached he has become to things within these processes.
The two meters differ in appearance, as do the cases they are kept in. When changing them over, I had failed to realise the importance of introducing Bailey to the new meter. As a Diabetic Alert Dog (DAD), Bailey has become accustom to very specific daily routines and this has really highlighted how observant and even attached he has become to things within these processes.
The original meter case measures 13 x 10cm and the new mobile meter's case 20 x 7cm. The actual meters vary greatly in appearance too. The mobile meter is nearly twice the length of the other and the lancet device is attached to the side and we use it whilst so (but it can be removed if need be). It doesn't need to have strips inserted into it, instead it has a continuous tape which moves around every time we test Jason's BGL's. It makes a sound as a cassette does this but no other sounds like the other meter when a reading is given. The screen is also lit so that the information is clearly displayed. So quite a lot of visual differences between the two.
Bailey has spent his entire training and life as our DAD along side the same meter. It has become an intrinsic part of his routine. Then all of a sudden an unfamiliar meter appears. His alerting decreases and he seems a little perturbed. When I suspected this was the reason behind his decrease in alerts, I took the original meter out of the cupboard along with the mobile meter the next time I tested Jason's BGL's. As soon as he spotted the original meter, he acted like he'd just been reunited with an old friend. He became excited, wagging his tail and carried the meter around in his mouth.
His alerting has become regular again since reintroducing the original meter to our routine. If he hadn't reacted this way, I still wouldn't have been completely convinced that the new meter was the reason behind it but it was so obvious that I'm now convinced this is why. It appears he has an attachment to the meter itself but my lack of familiarizing him with the new one didn't help. I will continue to use the mobile meter until we get another lancet device to replace the broken one but will carry both meters with me when testing Jason so that he feels comfortable having the familiar whilst also getting used to the mobile meter.
His alerting has become regular again since reintroducing the original meter to our routine. If he hadn't reacted this way, I still wouldn't have been completely convinced that the new meter was the reason behind it but it was so obvious that I'm now convinced this is why. It appears he has an attachment to the meter itself but my lack of familiarizing him with the new one didn't help. I will continue to use the mobile meter until we get another lancet device to replace the broken one but will carry both meters with me when testing Jason so that he feels comfortable having the familiar whilst also getting used to the mobile meter.