Meet Golden Alex

'Super sniffer wonder dog' is more than a friend to girl with diabetes
By Chandra Huston, Baxter Bulletin Staff Writer, April 27, 2005

Lindy Raine Moser plays in the floor of her Briarcliff home with her best friend, Alex. The two bounce, roll and jump on the beige carpet in the living room, into the hall, around Lindy's room and slide past the kitchen. Then they head outside to romp in the green grass. Occasionally the 10-year-old girl begins to feel low and shakes uncontrollably, but Alex doesn't panic. He knows just what to do. He gently nudges her before running as fast as he can to Lindy's parents, Randy and Crystal Moser. Then he nibbles and licks their hands.

Alex isn't just Lindy's best friend, he's her diabetic alert dog. He detects when the type 1 diabetic's blood sugar is either too low or high and alerts the Mosers to the problem.

Alex has only been with the Moser family for two months, but is already more than they could have asked for. He is loyal. He is accurate. And, as mom Crystal dubbed him, Alex is a super sniffer wonder dog.

Diagnosis of the disease

Lindy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on Dec. 16, 2001. Crystal Moser said her daughter was extremely thirsty, urinated frequently and was cranky. She knew something was wrong. Doctors confirmed Lindy had the disease and put her on insulin pump therapy.

Type 1 diabetes is drastically different from other types of diabetes. It is a disease where the immune system attacks islet cells inside the pancreas which is responsible for producing insulin. Eventually, the body will not produce any insulin, which the body needs to be able to use sugar. The person then becomes insulin dependent by injection or pump therapy for the rest of their lives. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, but the disease can be controlled with diet, insulin shots and islet cell transplants.

The disease, often called juvenile diabetes, is usually diagnosed in children. type 2 diabetes is more treatable because the body does produce some insulin.

According to the American Diabetes Association, symptoms of type 1 diabetes include increased thirst, increased urination, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weight loss despite an increased appetite. People with the disease tend to have hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, high blood sugar.

Lindy said she can sometimes feel when her blood sugar is changing, but other times she is oblivious to the reaction. "When I get low, I feel weak and shaky," she said. "And cranky," adds Crystal, who homeschools Lindy and her three siblings.

"I was in denial so bad," said her dad, Randy. "You're already overwhelmed so much, and then your thinking, 'Did I do this?'"

Crystal said she struggled to accept Lindy's condition. "You want something to blame it on," she said. "You want something to take your anger out on and put your heartache toward, but there's nothing." Lindy adjusted to her disease quickly, but last summer she faced a frightening situation. While spending the night with her grandmother, Lindy passed out and had a seizure. The ordeal had the Mosers seeking a change.

Super sniffer wonder dog

Since their daughter's diagnosis, the Mosers have constantly looked for options to optimize Lindy's abilities and health. They never thought a segment on "Good Morning America" would be their answer. The show featured Michele Reinkemeyer, founder of Heaven Scent Paws Inc. and her family discussing how diabetes alert dogs can be life-changing. Randy's grandmother saw the show and called Crystal.

This year, the family discovered the St. Elizabeth, Mo., company through a parent support group and inquired about the availability of this type of dog. The company provided a talented golden retriever named Alex, who is still a puppy at the age of 1.

The dog is not fully trained, but performed so well that Reinkemeyer placed him with the Mosers after a year instead of her typical two-year training sessions. Alex usually alerts Lindy to low or high blood sugar by nibbling her hands or face. If she doesn't respond, he searches the home for her parents and does the same.

Lindy is still in the process of training Alex. She breathes on his nose when she has low or high blood sugar to emphasize the scent to the dog. Lindy gives off a fruity scent when she has high glucose levels and a chemical scent when she has low levels. She also says "good low" or "good high" and gives Alex a treat as part of his continued training. "He likes getting his treat," Lindy said with a laugh.

Alex, who cost the Mosers $4,000, has already alerted Lindy and her parents multiple times, which has resulted in better blood sugar levels and better health for the little girl. "He will not stop," Randy said, citing an instance where the dog laid on top of him. "He will pester us until we pay attention."

Crystal said Alex has given her peace of mind that she thought she would never regain. "These dogs are worth so much more than they cost," she said. "I'm just so grateful. He goes everywhere with her."

Fashionable best friends

Like best friends usually are, Lindy and Alex are inseparable. They can be spotted at the movies, stores, church or at a park. At night, they snuggle together in Lindy's bed where Alex will wrap his paws around her protectively. In the day, it's playtime. When Lindy takes off Alex's working dog vest, he is a canine transformed.

"We play ball and slide down the slides," Lindy said. "We do all kinds of stuff."

One of Alex's favorite games is "hall ball," where Lindy throws a fuzzy, yellow tennis ball into the hall of her home and Alex goes after it. Crystal said the pair can typically be found watching television with Alex as a pillow or sliding on tiled floors. Fashion comes first in the Moser household. Lindy has bandanas in just about every color imaginable to match Alex to her outfit.

Lindy said her life is better because of her diabetic alert dog. "I feel safer," she said, as Alex runs by with a tennis ball in his mouth.

As for Lindy, she isn't giving up Alex anytime soon. For as long as he lives he will be her dog, and he seems to understand. Crystal hopes the two will go to college some day, but for Lindy that is a long way off, especially when there's playing to do.

A few seconds later Alex is out the door, once again bouncing and running. Lindy laughs, watching his silly games, and joins her companion. She is grateful for him and he is grateful for her. "Yep," she says, "he's my best friend."




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