Max Domi and His Dog, Orion, Share a Special Connection Due to Domi's Health Condition

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Sam Walker
October 7, 2023 (11:24 PM)

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Max Domi's dog, Orion, has one of the most important jobs in the world: keeping Max healthy.

Thanks to an article from the Chicago Sun-Times, we have learned of a new heartfelt story of Chicago's newest center.

Domi is a fierce competitor, and by the way he plays on the ice, you would never know that he has battled with Type 1 Diabetes ever since he was 12.

Domi credits his love for animals to him being able to flip the switch on any bad day.

«I try to live every day like it's your last,» Domi said. «But everyone is going to go through tough spells, whether it's with your work or relationships or family or you got cut off on the highway. But when you go back to the front door and see your dog, all that stuff doesn't mean anything."

Orion helps to manage Domi's glucose levels. He has been trained to detect high and low glucose levels, so that Domi can manage it before symptoms get bad enough for him to notice.

Dogs are becoming used more and more to assist with medical conditions, and Domi explained a little about the situation:

«I would take cotton swabs of my mouth if [my blood sugar] was low or high,» Domi explained. «It gives off distinct smells for dogs; it's totally different if it's low or high in range. He was trained from the time he was a puppy, after he got all his obedience stuff done, to retrieve that scent. He would know something's off. When he would get that scent, he would do something to alert me or whoever [was around].»

Domi has a strong love for pets, and Orion isn't his only one. Back in the spring of 2021, Domi got Leo, a bengal cat that he met on vacation.

«We were staying at this beautiful resort, and this cat was just part of the resort in the lobby,» Domi explained.« He kept coming up to me the whole trip. And I just thought, �Oh, I'm the cat whisperer! This is pretty cool. This cat's awesome.'

Pets are sometimes underappreciated, but this story from the Sun-Times is a great. Check out the full article here:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2022/10/29/23423550/blackhawks-max-domi-dog-orion-type-1-diabetes-glucose-smelling-cat-leo?fbclid=IwAR3Zb0HRSaeGUQh4BaVXy3d1dviLShBvojGyw0DyCzbA9bFdwfECoeR6_Zw