“The next thing I knew was that Gypsy
had jumped on the bed and was standing
over me — she has never done that before.
I felt so tired, but she wouldn’t let me go
back to sleep and sat on me to make sure
I woke up. I’ve had hypos in the past when
my blood sugar level has been too low, but
I’ve never been in a diabetic coma before
— if Gypsy hadn’t woken me up, there’s
no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be
here now.”
Unable to think straight at i rst, let alone
move, Pam eventually managed to reach
across to her bedside cabinet and fumble
around for the half bar of chocolate she
keeps in there for emergencies such as this.
“It was a horrible sensation and I felt
dreadful,” continued Pam, who started
feeling a little better after eating the
chocolate and perked up further while
drinking a cup of cof ee containing four
spoonfuls of sugar.
Still trembling, Pam did a i nger prick
test and discovered her reading was very
low — 2 mmol/L, when a normal person’s
blood glucose range is 3.5 – 5.5 mmol/L
before meals. Gypsy remained by Pam’s sidethroughout, sticking to her like glue.
“There’s no reason I can think of why
my blood sugar level was so low — maybe
I’d not eaten enough the day before — but
it took me four hours to get over it,” added
Pam, who normally manages her condition
ef ectively with a daily injection and
six tablets.FRIGHTENING EPISODE
A vet has since told her that Gypsy
would have been able to smell ketones
— a harmful substance created if the body
does not get enough glucose — on her
breath, which has an odour similar to that
of pear drops.
Experiencing such a frightening episode
has prompted Pam to think back to another
time when her intuitive dog’s behaviour
was out of character.
“About three years ago, I’d suf ered
a hypo at the top of the stairs and Gypsy
had stood in front of me refusing to budge.She wouldn’t let me go downstairs, and
thinking about it now, I realise she must
have sensed that I was unsteady on my
feet and was at risk of falling. Perhaps she
detected the same smell then, too?”
Pam is so proud of her “one in a million”
dog, and says that she is convinced Gypsy is
training her 18-month-old Labrador, Layla,
to follow in her paw prints.
“Since my hypo, it seems like they are
now taking it in turns to look after me,” she
said. “Gypsy will sleep in the bedroom one
night and the landing the next, swapping
with Layla, who then guards me.
“In this day and age when so many things
seem miserable, it’s lovely to have a story
like this with a happy ending,
“Gypsy is my life — I idolise her. We’ve
always had a strong bond but her actions
have dei nitely brought us even closer
together. She’s so perceptive and intelligent
and knows me inside out — she’ll do
anything for me.”
In fact, it’s hard to believe that six years
ago Pam didn’t want a German Shepherd,
but on seeing a three-week-old litter in
a stable, her heart melted. When one of the
pups made a wobbly beeline for her, sat
on her knee and licked her face, she knew
Gypsy would be coming home with her.
“She’s such a beautiful-looking dog and
loves everyone — she’s as soft as grease
and hasn’t got a nasty bone in her body,”
concluded Pam.
“I’ve never had a dog like her and I’m so
glad she picked me — it was meant to be.”http://www.yourdog.co.uk 53“...thinking about
it now, I realise she
must have sensed
that I was unsteady
on my feet and was
at risk of falling.”
Gypsy lives at an
exotic pet refuge
and regularly rubs
shoulders with
dif erent species.Pam with her “one in
a million” dog, Gypsy.52-53 YD Me and My Dog Mar20 CS(SW)ok.indd 53 27/01/2020 16:38