Traveling with a Diabetic Handler
Does a service dog ever get a vacation?
Thanks for asking.
Traveling with Christy is always an adventure. She has to pack not only for herself but also for my needs. That makes for extra-heavy luggage because I need my food, special treats, vitamins, toys, bed, parkas for cold weather, rain slicker for wet weather and booties for hot and cold weather. I get exhausted just thinking about it.
When Christy packs for herself, she includes all her diabetic supplies, and food and juice for low blood sugars (enough to last longer than our stay just in case – she’s prepared).
I’m not mentioning all the other stuff she packs for herself. She packs everything like we’re moving or something. Before flying, she had to remove a lot of stuff because the airline only allows a checked bag to be fifty pounds. That’s how over-prepared she is.
However, a diabetic always has to be prepared.
Traveling across two times zones to the East messed up her blood sugars. Our schedule changed from day to day, so she was without a regular eating routine – something that is very important to a diabetic.
Going to Minnesota really wasn’t a vacation for me. Mom had two-to-three low blood sugars a day, so I worked a lot. But I’m always on duty, 24/7. In fact, I like my job so much, I never take vacations.
What does vacation mean to a dog, anyway?
Read more about our book tour to Minnesota here.