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polarbearscooby

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polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted

Ok, so as some of you might know, My Mother hasn't taken me having celiac disease very seriously... Until now. After my last bought with Bronchitis she finally got to see what I'm like after I've got glutened (brain fog, weak, sick, etc.) and now she's at least sorta taking it seriously. She's convinced now that I need a service dog to help me "locate wheat" and "let me know when I've had wheat" and "to help with the brain fog/panic attacks". My question is: Is she right? Should I look into this? Or should I tell her that such a dog does not exist. I find this all kind of ironic because I begged to be allowed to get a dog 5 months about and she wouldn't hear of it ;p Thank you in advance for the help! I don't know what I would do without you guys! :)

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shopgirl Contributor
shopgirl
Posted

A service dog for Celiac? I think spending more time learning to read ingredients and protecting yourself from cross contamination is more important.

Service dogs are usually reserved for people who can't do certain things on their own. Celiacs can keep gluten out of their diets just fine but it takes practice. A dog isn't going to be able to determine whether or not your pasta, crackers, or lipstick is gluten-free.

But keep pushing for the doggie for yourself. Even if they can't sniff out gluten, the right one can be very comforting if you do get sick. :)

SGWhiskers Collaborator
SGWhiskers
Posted

I've thought about this too. If a service dog can be trained to smell cancer and alert for seizures, why not wheat? I've never heard of such a dog, but it would sure make socializing out of the house easier. Now, how to get that pup from eating the hamburger you suspect was contaminated.

It will be interesting to see what you learn.

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted
  • Author

See! That's what I thought! (And quite frankly I do a good job of keeping gluten out of my diet. Except for CC on occasion) But my Mom insists that I need a service dog because obviously I can't do this myself, sucks.

I was thinking of a lab, I had a friend who had a service lab, we connected so well (I watched him on the weekends she worked all day and night (nurses aid) )...He was able to predict my panic attacks, and even taught himself to detect if my Dad's sugar levels were to high or low... Every lab I've ever met we just seem to make an immediate connection.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Sorry but I think your mom may just be making fun of you.

Dogs could probably be trained to smell wheat, rye or barley. But what amount would they need to over power the smell of the burger the restuatant cooked on the same grill they just toasted a bun on? Also, I have been seeing a lot of people with service dogs that aren't being utilized. It's a terrible waste of a trained dog. Not every dog has the temperament or natural talent for various jobs.

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted
  • Author

Sorry but I think your mom may just be making fun of you.

Dogs could probably be trained to smell wheat, rye or barley. But what amount would they need to over power the smell of the burger the restuatant cooked on the same grill they just toasted a bun on? Also, I have been seeing a lot of people with service dogs that aren't being utilized. It's a terrible waste of a trained dog. Not every dog has the temperament or natural talent for various jobs.

Unfortunately she's not making fun of me.... She just really thinks I have a disability....:P

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Well, it's creative. I don't see how a service dog could do something like smell CC in a restaurant where there is bread on all the tables and crumbs everywhere but it's hard for us humans to imagine how a dog's nose really works.. A nice lab might help with the panic attacks, but I doubt it needs to be a service dog.

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polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted
  • Author

That's what I'm thinking....

And it is a good excuse for her to finally let me get a dog....

jenngolightly Contributor
jenngolightly
Posted

Ok, so as some of you might know, My Mother hasn't taken me having celiac disease very seriously... Until now. After my last bought with Bronchitis she finally got to see what I'm like after I've got glutened (brain fog, weak, sick, etc.) and now she's at least sorta taking it seriously. She's convinced now that I need a service dog to help me "locate wheat" and "let me know when I've had wheat" and "to help with the brain fog/panic attacks". My question is: Is she right? Should I look into this? Or should I tell her that such a dog does not exist. I find this all kind of ironic because I begged to be allowed to get a dog 5 months about and she wouldn't hear of it ;p Thank you in advance for the help! I don't know what I would do without you guys! :)

When I first read this I couldn't help laughing. I can't imagine a dog going with you to the grocery store to read the labels on soup to see which ones were gluten-free. Isn't that what we, as Celiacs, are doing most of the time? We pick up something in the grocery store and immediately flip it over. A dog could never do that!

As I thought more about your post, I started thinking about your mother who hasn't been taking your illness seriously until now. You say that she's taking Celiac more seriously, but now she's trying to get a dog to do her job. She needs to step up and protect you from gluten. She needs to read labels, keep the counters clean, teach you how to prepare for cross contamination. I'm not sure how old you are, but it sounds like she's still in charge of your well-being? She should know the symptoms of when you've had gluten and how to take care of you. A service dog can't do those things. A mom must do those things.

Getting a pet dog is secondary to the real issue that you've posted. Your mother sounds like she's pushing her responsibilities onto someone (or something) else. Or, she still doesn't understand what to do with your Celiac diagnosis. It may be time for you both to go and see your doctor and get some guidance, but not from a dog. :-)

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted
  • Author

When I first read this I couldn't help laughing. I can't imagine a dog going with you to the grocery store to read the labels on soup to see which ones were gluten-free. Isn't that what we, as Celiacs, are doing most of the time? We pick up something in the grocery store and immediately flip it over. A dog could never do that!

As I thought more about your post, I started thinking about your mother who hasn't been taking your illness seriously until now. You say that she's taking Celiac more seriously, but now she's trying to get a dog to do her job. She needs to step up and protect you from gluten. She needs to read labels, keep the counters clean, teach you how to prepare for cross contamination. I'm not sure how old you are, but it sounds like she's still in charge of your well-being? She should know the symptoms of when you've had gluten and how to take care of you. A service dog can't do those things. A mom must do those things.

Getting a pet dog is secondary to the real issue that you've posted. Your mother sounds like she's pushing her responsibilities onto someone (or something) else. Or, she still doesn't understand what to do with your Celiac diagnosis. It may be time for you both to go and see your doctor and get some guidance, but not from a dog. :-)

I'm 20, and I live at home with my Dad because I can't live on campus. Up until this point my mom hasnt taken an interest in me having celiac disease at all. I do all the shopping, and my dad is the only other person who has any idea what I can and cannot eat....

As it stands I have no problem doing all this myself...

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

That's what I'm thinking....

And it is a good excuse for her to finally let me get a dog....

go for it. Tell her you'll do the training. :P

jenngolightly Contributor
jenngolightly
Posted

I'm 20, and I live at home with my Dad because I can't live on campus. Up until this point my mom hasnt taken an interest in me having celiac disease at all. I do all the shopping, and my dad is the only other person who has any idea what I can and cannot eat....

As it stands I have no problem doing all this myself...

Good for you! I've heard that it's tough to find gluten-free food on campus. I work for a university and I always bring my own food when we have events. I can't trust our food people. For some reason they think gluten free is the same as vegetarian. ??? I'm glad you have a supportive dad. I lived with my dad, too.

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted
  • Author

Good for you! I've heard that it's tough to find gluten-free food on campus. I work for a university and I always bring my own food when we have events. I can't trust our food people. For some reason they think gluten free is the same as vegetarian. ??? I'm glad you have a supportive dad. I lived with my dad, too.

Well the school I got to has a mandatory meal plan, and I can't eat literraly anything in the caff. And since it's a private Bible college they have very strict rules about living off campus. I have to live with a guardian until I'm over 24 or have 60+ credit hours....

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted
  • Author

go for it. Tell her you'll do the training. :P

Tottally what I'm thinking ;-p

rainer83 Newbie
rainer83
Posted

I love animals, so I would be like "Yea... I need a dog..." just so I can have a dog.

In all seriousness though, you don't need a dog. Like mentioned, reading the ingredients and avoiding even things that are processed in a factory with wheat, that's key. Though more companies need to add that to their labels. I haven't checked since I stopped buying it, but Quaker oatmeal is terrible for CC. I switched to Bob's Red Mill gluten free, no CC oatmeal and have been fine with that, they actually grow their oats in just oat fields, no wheat or anything comes near it. I wouldn't trust a dog with my food, he would think it's a treat lol. "no, smell! not eat!" is what would happen.

jenngolightly Contributor
jenngolightly
Posted

Well the school I got to has a mandatory meal plan, and I can't eat literraly anything in the caff. And since it's a private Bible college they have very strict rules about living off campus. I have to live with a guardian until I'm over 24 or have 60+ credit hours....

Ahhh. The price we pay for education. It'll be worth it in the end. I heard this story a while back: Open Original Shared Link

Persevere! You sound like a wonderful, smart woman who can take care of herself (and a dog, if one should come around).

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I don't know about a dog, although they are nice. I used to have 2 Shetland Sheepdogs, Corey and Sasha. Now I have a cat, and she isn't much on sniffing out gluten. But when I get cc'd gut pains, and am laying in bed, she always gets on my chest and kneads my tummy with her claws. That's the only time she kneads my tummy, other wise she will knead my shoulders or chest. I don't know how she knows it hurts, but she does. She was an alley orphan.

The dogs did do a lot of woofing though, and chewing on things. :D They were also great at getting rid of Thanksgiving turkey bones.

You should check on the life span of the dogs you are considering. Some live for 10 or 12 years, others can go upwards of 18 to 20. That's a long time to care for an animal, taking them for walks every day, trips to the vet for shots, boarding in kennels when you want to take a trip. Getting home from work on time every day to feed them and take them out for their business. You also need to get them flea meds every year, and heartworm shots or pills. Taking them to the groomer is important also, and has to be done regularly. They need their toe nails trimmed and fur washed, cut and brushed etc. And a license every year in some places. I don't know if you've ever had a dog, so thot I'd mention these things. Costs can add up too.

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted
  • Author

I don't know about a dog, although they are nice. I used to have 2 Shetland Sheepdogs, Corey and Sasha. Now I have a cat, and she isn't much on sniffing out gluten. But when I get cc'd gut pains, and am laying in bed, she always gets on my chest and kneads my tummy with her claws. That's the only time she kneads my tummy, other wise she will knead my shoulders or chest. I don't know how she knows it hurts, but she does. She was an alley orphan.

The dogs did do a lot of woofing though, and chewing on things. :D They were also great at getting rid of Thanksgiving turkey bones.

You should check on the life span of the dogs you are considering. Some live for 10 or 12 years, others can go upwards of 18 to 20. That's a long time to care for an animal, taking them for walks every day, trips to the vet for shots, boarding in kennels when you want to take a trip. Getting home from work on time every day to feed them and take them out for their business. You also need to get them flea meds every year, and heartworm shots or pills. Taking them to the groomer is important also, and has to be done regularly. They need their toe nails trimmed and fur washed, cut and brushed etc. And a license every year in some places. I don't know if you've ever had a dog, so thot I'd mention these things. Costs can add up too.

I have two cats, and they are awesome!

As far as costs go I understand that all to well. We've had a family dog for 13 years. We've always had a dog :) and my cats have to have allergy shots every month. So I'm used to it all :)

If I get a dog it won't be an overnight thing....it will take a LOT OF prep because I want a puppy and I want it to be a good fit. And we'll have to puppy proof...

polarbearscooby Explorer
polarbearscooby
Posted
  • Author

I thought you all might be curious to know that I had a rather long serious discussion with my Dad tonight about me getting a dog (it was an hour long...) And after our long talk we decided that I can start looking for a dog after my Dad gets a raise, we puppy proof, and find a good larger dog vet (My vet is more of a farm vet although he can do cats and small dogs, we have to ask if he's willing to take on anther client). He said it might take 6 months....but he promised since (and I quote) "This sounds very important to you" that he would try to get it done as soon as we could. Now he/she (I'm leaning towards a she, I've been doing research for MONTHS and he knows it) would not be a "service dog" per-say, but I am considering getting us both certified for Therapy work, since my Major does have a LOT to do with Children (Childrens Ministry lol) and my minor is Deaf Com. But Therapy dogs aren't the same as a service dog (as I'm sure you know)

@GFinDC Dad and I even discussed the cost of said Dog, which is why we are waiting on the raise ;-)

Right now I'm looking for a dog for companionship, friendship, playmate, and even a guard dog to some degree. And my biggest concern is "Will my Cats hate me?" lol But they've never cared about our current dog. Anyway...Sorry that post is rather long and it's really celiac related.... Thanks for all the input!

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