They’ve got funny names for cancer researchers, like Captain Jennings and Tibbs. They’re also a little furry and have a tendency to lick their white-coated colleagues. But these canine lab assistants may one day make it possible to detect cancers early enough to keep them from becoming fatal.
The Pine Street Foundation, a cancer education and research center in San Anselmo, Calif., is hoping one day to train these dogs to sniff out, literally, early-stage ovarian cancer—a disease that kills two-thirds of the 22,000 women diagnosed with it each year, according to the American Cancer Society, because it is often caught only after it has spread beyond the ovaries.
In 2006 the foundation published a study showing it was possible to train dogs to identify, based on breath samples, which patients had lung and breast cancer. Now the organization is recruiting ovarian cancer patients and dogs for a new study.
Nicholas Broffman, executive director of the foundation, says the dogs are helping to answer an important question that may one day lead to earlier detection of diseases like ovarian and pancreatic cancers, which are often caught only in very late stages: Does cancer have a smell?
Next page: How dogs detect cancer, diabetes
Comments (120)
wow,that is amazing i watched a show on dogs who can detect before a person has a seizure as well.my little min pin max always knows when i am sick with a sinus infection he snuggles me,tries licking at my nose and kinda sneezes when i blow out my nose.
Ah, thanks for posting that article! That cleared up all my previous questions. :D
so u think it is possbile that dogs have the ablity to smeel if so that would me that they can or human get infected that means pepole are like virus so how can u stop that??
???
that is a very interesting and well though comment
nate, use spell check
yes, it is true women can smell better than men and dogs have a keen smell also.
so next time your feeling fuzzy she knows.
Me no spell reigt sory
WHAT???
I had a friend who died this year from pancreatic cancer. Two years ago, her dog (a miniature Doberman pincher) kept laying by her side where the pancreas was – even before she was diagnosed.
So I do believe there is much more to be learned from our dogs.
yes i think dogs do have more ability than we think my mom was diagnosed with colenary cancer (only 99 pepole have had it) and my dog cried the hole time she had it and she would lay next to her but at first she wasnt sure what was wrong and then when she saw my mom sick in bed she cried for 15 min
my mom hade cancer and i really think her dog knew it because it would not leave her side i lost my mom a year ago to cancer she was a very special lady and she loved her dogs they was spoiled.but to lose a mom with cancer really sucks,im still trying vey hard to deal with it
A dog definitely has an endless amount of love for its owners and can detect right away when they are sick. My mother in fact died of pancreatic cancer two years ago and the dog was always by her bedside. If she was kicked out of my mother’s room for being in the way she would lay by the door of her room and wait. After my mother passed the dog still laid by her bed and whined for her. The dog was in serious distress, two months later it passed away also. I believe it was from the depression and despair the death of my mother had brought upon it.
hi i think thats true i was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when i was 27 yrs old , i practically called to my parents house every day.My dads dog used to lean into me and sit sit beside me alot, and even stare at me alot,it did make me think is there something he knows that i dont..im 35 now and had two operations he dosent do it anymore!
I believe it is true. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 9 years ago with sucessful surgery and treatment. Our dog, Charlie, many months before that would lay his head on my lap with his nose at my right lower of my stomach. If I was standing, his nose would be there and he would nudge me and whimper. At the time I thought sometimes he was annoying. I didn’t think anything important of his actions until after my surgery and he no longer did that; when before he was constantly at my side. If I had paid attention to the suttle warning signs of ovarian cancer AND my dog’s signals (both of which I was unaware of what they were at the time), it might have been caught in stage one instead of stage 2+. I am now 60 years old and am very grateful to both my doctors and my dog. My daughter has been tested for this cancer gene and she tested positive and the specialist has said that she stands a good chance of having OC also. Because she is still young (29) I highly recommended to her that she have a dog and be very aware of what attention the dog is paying to her. AND to also be aware of the warning signs of OC. Congratulations Gina on also being an OC survivor!! :)
This may sound hard to believe but i can “smell” cancer. I think after taking care of cancer patients you get to know that very specific odor – almost more of an aura, but definitely a smell too. It’s hard to explain, but you know how when you smell something and it brings back a memory? It’s that kind of a sensation.
Sandi,
I agree with you. I was away at college when my mother became ill. I told her she had cancer, I could smell it. The doctors at a SPECIAL CANCER INSTITUTE,thought I was crazy because every cancer test they did came back negative. It took over nine months before the tests came back positive. It was to late for any kind of treatment. She died six months(Thanksgiving Day) after their diagnosis. She was in severe agony everyday. Please consider your ability as a GIFT and continue to share it regardless whom might think you are crazy. Those with the cancer will appreciate it.
Could you describe to me the smell alittle bit better. Is it a foul smell?
Does pneumonia have a foul smell too?
Just hope you can shed some light on this for me.
Nate makes no sense!
Dogs do not understand cancer (thou they can tell if a person is “down”) and the researchers did not imply that.
What was actually shown was that dogs’ noses were sensitive enough to detect the chemical signature of a tumour. In essence the dogs were trained to respond if they smelt an unusual smell. The smell related to chemicals over expressed (made in excess) in tumour cells.
Mass spectrometers can also do this and at a lot lower concentrations than dogs. However the idea of using dogs is quite novel and possibly the most pleasant test ever. However I fear the rate of false positives will be high. Also it is likely that early detection will be impossible as a tumour will need be well established. Before this the distinct signature from the over expressed chemicals will be masked by the signal from normal cells. As these also make the same chemicals but in smaller amounts .
Sandi humans can not smell cancer. What you are insinuating is insulting and has been proven false, often.
Honest Chap, It is comforting to know we have people, like you, who know everything
I agree. Humans cannot smell cancer. But usually when you have cancer patients you care for them and get to know them well. Maybe that “thing” that Sandi is experiencing with her patients is more of a bond. So I guess the other nurse became offended when you stated that Sandi’s views were an insult. It was merely a comment. I take care of pediatric hem/onc patients. I am a RN but that has nothing to do with anything. Dogs mean so much to humans and boy what a feeling if one could assist in a life saving measure. And you know what? False positives happen unfortunately. So there is always room for improvement. That is the underlying cause for research
My poodle would lay beside me.nose at my neck area.when my mother came near me,he would show teeth like he was going to bite.a few weeks later they discovered a malignant tumor on my thyroid gland.when it was removed he stopped his weird behavior and back to his sweet self.I know with no doubt he was telling me and my Mother ,If we would just get it,and we did.I think it is a smell.
Dear Honest Chap
Are you a nurse? Are you able to even slightly empathize with what Sandi is saying? I think it’s pretty safe to say that you’re just overopinionated and inexperienced (a bad combination). There is also a smell of death, though I’m sure you think I’m just saying that.
Don’t you think that if “mass spectrometers” could do a better job, than the researchers at San Anselmo would go down that route first?
Get off your high horse.
Thank you, Kelley RN. It is already a proven fact that dogs can detect seizures due to the scent changes brought about by the chemistry involved in the body prior to a seizure. If a mass spectrometer were so valuable and accurate, why bother to even investigate the possibility of training cancer detection dogs?
I say YEAH to Kelly, RN. I also worked in a hospital, and there are smells. Blood has an odor, and yes, death also has an odor. Cancer, I can very well believe it. My brother passed away of final stage liver failure, and this condition had an odor also. If you are always around cancer, I am sure you would recognize the smell.
she has no clue until she has to go threw it i worked in a nursing home you can smell cancer i smelt it when i stayed with my mom you can smell it when you walk threw the door i went to see her in pa
she’s never been close like we have
silly person… you do realize that YOUNG people get cancer? and, yes, as someone who went through it with a fiance…there was a “smell”…our golden retriever reacted to it every time he was home from the hospital.
that is great how they can sniff out cancer. How do they do that?
Thanks for posting a very interesting article. Dogs also care deeply as much as dog owners care about them. I also read an interesting article on http://www.englishbulldogpuppyblog.com that tells why we shouldn’t feed our dogs with chocolate, raisins and grapes.
well i think it would e good if dogs could smell cancer.
it would save millions of lives.
This gives a wonderful new meaning to the term “lab test”.
By the way, Nate may be forgiven for his unintelligible note above. Sadly, he is the product of a school system which accepts mediocrity (or less) in both teachers and students.
This is really amazing, but what I have seen with my own eyes was, that our dog licked and cared for my husband, every time he came home from chemo. We called him Doctor at the time because of his behaviour. They can sniff sadness, pain, anything!! This is why I am not that surprised. I can rely on him, he feels the sighns way before we and the doctors do. My husband is okay now, but I always worry.
I made a few spelling errors in my prev. comment, I hope you don’t mind that much :)) Sorry!!
And I know of a cat that was a nursing home pet; a day or two before a resident would die, this cat would want to sleep with them. or at least. spend most of its days in their room. Sadly, the home’s administrator was allergic to cats so a new home had to be found for it.
My friend at work, who had cancer 25 years ago, was two years ago, again diagnosed with cancer. She tells me, that her ferrets were congregating around the side of her abdomen an her neck, and that is where she discovered the small masses, and then went to the doctor. She is currently being treated, thanks to the ferret’s!
I think they can smell it.I’m a little person and I have a lot of pain in my hips and knees.I have two yellow labs and a black lab and they are always sniffing my legs at the same spot where the pain is.So I believe they can detect it.
People cannot smell cancer. Dogs…I believe. People smelling patients with cancer are smelling just that, not the cancer itself. We are talking about detection…that is different from people in a hospital or clinic being treated with the cancer. I am sure that a nurse might be able to recognize the odor of a patient that has cancer, but that is not the same as detecting cancer. RN’s do a great job and are definitely life savers. Without them, there would be a lot more deaths daily.
Excuse my typing errors please. :)
All animals have a much greater sense of detecting danger and so forth so it don’t surprise me at all.
I am an oncology nurse. I have heard many stories from my patients about how they find their dogs acting differently prior to a cancer diagnosis, such as “sniffing out the area” or licking specific spots. I believe that dogs are very connected to their owners and can indeed detect when there is an abnormality. Unless you have experienced something like this at a personal level you may not understand what is being recognized in this article.
well i think that god have created animals with special gifts … people was supposed to have an abundant life before adam and eve sinned… there would’ve been no dieing and no sickness and disease…but since they sinned its not like dat…
but the animals didnt sin.. it was humans who sinned.. so maybe that is why animals have special gifts like that… and i am not saying that because adam and eve sinned all humans will not have special gifts…because of jesus humans can have life more abundantly.. no i dont mean to be all holy and stuff cause im a sinner too!!!
A mass spectrometer is not very sensitive unless you have certain elements present like chlorine that give a strong signal with certain detectors. It doesn’t surprise me that a dog (who can track the scent of lost children) can detect volatile cancer metabolites. Retarded children have a specific smell–a nurse working in the ward told me this, and later I saw an article in Science identifying the compound responsible.
I have 2 family members who have dogs and they dogs would always lay on them and nudge them with thier nose,one time the dog jumped on my niece and clawed at her chest area so it was bruised and swollen and she felt a lump a few days later so she went to the doctor and they found she had breast cancer. She would have never known if it wasn’t for Max,cause she was 28 and never thought it would happen to her at her age. Strange,but true and I have heard of others who have had this happen.
My cocker-spaniel found my breast cancer before it had been diagnosed, if I’d only noted just what she was doing when she pointedly placed her nose on my breast at the cleavage. She did this more than once. The cancer was caught at Stage 1. If I had known earlier, say at Stage 0 radiation treatments would not have been necessary.
When my daughter was pregnant her female lab knew when my daughter was pregnant. We talked about this and my daughter said she thought it was because of the blood and general body changes taking place in her abdomen. Neither animal had been trained to hunt, but both had natural instincts. We need to take better care of our animals, they may be blessed with more than loving us. Donna
I totally believe this can happen. My dog (a lab) is VERY sensitive to breathing, and if she sticks to me like glue any particular day, I know I need to keep my inhaler close by. Also when my parents werent yet diagnosed with sleep apnia, she would stick her face right up to theirs and whine, poke, or even bark until they woke up. After they were diagnosed and now wear breathing masks, she doesnt do it. (Thinking I need a test, she’s started doing it to me recently!)
There is more to the heavens and the earth than meets the eye. Animals can be man’s best friend.
When these dogs begin their help of saving cancer paients, one of my prayers will be answered.
I lost my mother,brother, sister and father in a 7 year period. All from cancer. I keep my faith and pray for all of you and all of YOUR loved ones.
I look forward to hearing more on this subject.
Dogs Rule !! Keep the faith !
im really sorry to hear that!!! keep faith
This all makes perfect sense to me. I personally can smell a cold in other people way before it happens. My nose is particularly attuned to the smell of mucous. And consider dogs sense of smell….
My Sister-in-laws Lab grabs her arm with her mouth and makes her sit down right before a seisure. She fell to the floor one time after getting the dog and the Lab has seated her ever since.
If a cat has this ability they don`t care enough to want to help you.
Cats do care. I am a breast caner survivor and if it hadn’t been for my cat clawing at my chest constantly for a couple of weeks I probably would not have found it in time. I was second stage at that point. Another friend of mine had a cat who started sleeping wrapped around her head and she was at that time diagnosed with brain tumors.
Oh dear….I have an 11 year old cat who has slept on my pillow, wrapped around my head every night since I brought him home!
Thats simply amazing my dog Mac i think can tell when I have an infection cuz he alwayz follows me around and tries to lick me where evr the infecton is
I have worked Hospice and yes the Tinge of cancer in the air is soon unmistakeable. I have even told friends to git oncology test to find they indeed have cancer. An Ex Gf had the ketone smell of Diabetic. I told her and she was diagnosed positive. I am not unusual there are a lot of health services ppl out here thay know what we deal with daily.Doctors only deal with it 8 minuets in an average office visit.As for Dog’s ,they make only correct decisions based on the same thing thak makes them travel 800 miles to get home when they are lost. though all won’t do it some will. I have seen dog’s find bodies in the water of a river 64 days old.
ok, so I think all this stuff is soooooooooo cool. Sometimes I believe that dogs are magic, can you believe that they can sense all this stuff! They must be magic, kind of like god. and there was this one time when my dog was sniffing me, in my crotch! He also sniffed my legs and my arms and my neck and my stomach. He also jumped and hit me in my chest! I went into the doctor bc i was pretty sure I had cancer, and guess what! I didn’t!!!! It turns out that dogs just go around and sniff people and jump on them all the time!!!!!
Dogs cant smell a specific cancerous organ through your skin, they are able to detect chemicals that are released through your breath and body fluids, meaning your whole body smells like cancer to them, not your specific cancerous organ.
After reading Nate’s comment, I think I have figured out what he was asking/commenting about.
I believe he was wondering “If dogs can smell cancer viruses, in humans, can they themselves(the dogs) become infected from smelling the virus samples?”
Ok ,if that wasn’t what he was trying to say,it is a good question I have pondered myself anyway.
Are these dogs in danger of becoming infected from sniffing these samples,is there something in teh involved cells that can be transfered to the dog and make them infected?
Having owned and loved dogs all my life,I would not like to think of them as a medical “tool” to be disposed of if they become infected with cancer.
I have a question to those who work with cancer patients.
I noticed that my brother and sister’s color seemed kind of yellowed for a few months before their cancers were found.
Have you noticed that before? It has kind of spooked me. I would feel the urge to say something if I ever saw this again in someone. They were fine in ever other way at the time I noticed the difference. Well, I should say that they had no other symptoms showing at the time.
I had a squamous cell carcinoma on my hand.I did not pay attention to it at first-my hands were always getting dinged up-the first creatures to notice were my donkeys. They licked and tried to bite at it-at this time it was very small, hardly noticeable. the donkeys behaved in a very uncharachteristic fashion about it.My dogs began to notice it, and one of the cats, a very shy one, cmae forward and grabbed my hand and tried to bite at it. This is all before it ever seemed to be anything. However I do know that squamous cell cancer does have a smell, which I learned when it got bigger,just that all these animals noticed it and more to the point, hated it and tried to lick or bite it off me. It would indeed be difficult to make this into some kind of precise tool, but surely any kind of early warning is helpful, even of we don`t understand how they do it, if we can study animal`s reactions enough to be able to use what they are trying to tell us.
Just another reason to be thankful I have 8 dogs. And if anyone wants one I rescue Chow Chows, just let me know!!
the smartest dog I ever had was a short hair, black chow and I’d be very interested in getting another one. let me know where you’re at and how to get toget
I am a believer. I am a diabetic and have had my little dog and my cat wake me up at night just before I crash from low blood sugars. They are very insistant that I get up. After I get up and get something to eat and my sugars level out they go back to sleep. They never wake me if everything is okay.
My parents had a lab/border collie mix named Debbie that cought both their cancers. She wouldnt leave my moms birthmark on her leg alone. Sniffing it and sitting down next to it. Then my mom found out it was skin cancer. Then one day Debbie climbed up on my dads chest and did the same thing. He was later diagnosed with single cell lung cancer.
My Mom passed away from lung cancer. A few months before it was diagnosed, her cat kept crawling on her chest and scratching at her…. not the normal kneading way that cats do. It was in a more frantic, digging way. A couple of months later she was diagnosed with state IV lung cancer… I believe the cat sensed or smelled it. It was very abnormal behaviour for her… Wish we would have put it together sooner…
Using dogs to sniff out cancer is nothing new. It has been done before to early detect skin cancer.
For those of you who are skeptics, animals have abilities that far supercede that of the human capability. in fact, animals without condition have a higher sense and if we would actually take heed of their remarkable presences we would all learn a thing or two. so for those who are ready to make blanket statements, here is a thought to ponder: “Animals are reliable,full of love,true in their affections,predictable in their actions,grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for humans to live up to.”
Kelly, RN: I know what you mean. I am also a nurse, and was a hospice nurse for two years. there is a definate odor a patient gets when he is dying. Its a smell you dont forget too quickly. Also, the cancer smell is also very real, however, I wont forget it because I have cared for cancer patients. Its rotting flesh…diseased flesh, and its a smell you dont forget. An Honest Chap, you sound as though you know quite alot about cells. I will give you the benefit of that, but dont wave others off as fools, because WE have experienced things first hand, as you obviously have not.
This is maily for the other chap! I have bone cancer and have never been a animal person, but in last couple of year my aunts two dogs licks my foot every chance they get, she lives out of town and when one of the dogs lick my foot she made the coment that he will not associate with anyone but her husband, so the dogs new before she did. She made a long distant call to her daughter and told her and by that time the one that was antisocial was lying in my lap. Their family was socked because they had him for years and he had never ever did that to anyone else in or out of the family,so we should not judge if we have not walked in that cancer patients shoe….god bless …we learn something new everyday. Cancer Chap.
In response to “an honest chap”: First of all the theme of this discussion is not based on dogs “understanding” cancer, which is ridiculous. My dog can understand sit, come, belly, etc. We are talking about using one of their heightened senses, smell, to help detect cancer. We are not trying to replace doctors with dogs. I for one find it amazing that we are able to use our furry friends for the gifts they truly possess. If they can aid in detecting the smell of decomposition than why not cancer? Trust me anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer will agree than any additional help is appreciated. Unless you are God or have Einstein-like abilities try to be supportive…
I have a scottie. Almost 5 years ago my dog started acting strange at night.My dog always slept on my bed. 5 years ago my dog began having what we thought, panic attacks. He would sit at the end of the bed and stare at me. Sometimes he would pace back and forth.The vet put him on medication for awhile which seemed to help. Long story short. A few months later I was diagnosed with uterine cancer.
i agree with you .. ur mature 4 a thirteen year old.. im 16 btw
“Funny” that “joke” wasn’t “funny” at all. It was immature and stupid. Anyway, I think that dogs are certainly capable of detecting cancer and other sicknesses/diseases. Their noses are so many times stronger than our own sense of scent. And, Honest Chap, you may think you’re smarter than everyone, but, however, your ignoracy is blinding you. Dogs may not UNDERSTAND cancer, but they know it is hurting their “best man friend”. Stop acting like you’re smarter than everyone else, because obviously you aren’t. Just remember, dogs have the 6th sense.
i have 5 miniture pinchurs and i just relized that wenever my blood sugars go low….my dogs sit around me.
In 2006 we picked up a stray black lab that wandered to our house. At first I did’nt want to keep him., but soon became really attached to him. He would always smell at my mouth and would not leave my side. I always thought it was strange how he was acting. In 2007 I was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. Every where I went he went. Every time I laid down, tired fron chemo or radiation treatments he would to. always smelling my mouth. The past June I had a CAT Scan and was told that there is no longer a mass on my pancreas. Although that in itself is a miracle, I sort of had a hunch that was what the Doctor was going to say. My dog, Jeep, has not been smelling my mouth lately and he does not hover on me and have to be in bed by my side anymore. I truly believe he knew I had cancer before any of us or the doctors.
Yeah i agree with another comment. You obviously have insight but dont wave off other’s experiences as insignificant and insulting.
yes i really do … i wish i had a dog but my mom says know .. i am going to convince her why we should get one.. wow gods creations are awesome!!!!
I visited a friend once and her dog (Borderline Collie) would not leave me alone. He kept sniffing my backside and almost knocked me down a flight of stairs following close (literally) behind me. My friend was embarrassed and put him out in the yard until I left.
About a month or two later I was having some trouble urinating and went to sea a Urologist to discover I was in the early stages of Bladder Cancer.
Hmmmm…I wonder?
Do you think that maybe one day dogs could smell people with HIV and AIDS and some chemical in an animals body can make our imune system work again?
Some diseases (conditions) are easy to ’smell’ even for humans. Those with diabetes have a ‘fruity’ smell, very distinctive. Often people with certain types of infections have a noticeable smell. I wouldn’t rule out smelling cancer if you were around it enough to recognize the odor. We just don’t encounter these things often enough nor do we pay attention carefully even when we do. I have a family member with diabetes and am very familiar with the smell. There is also a disease that has an odor like maple syrup. I can’t recall it just now but the nurse will know.
i told my son that i keep smelling death on my skin and even though i was healthy i knew something was wrong,he laughed,said your crazy.i wasn’t crazy,i had lung cancer.glad i followed my instincts.i disagree with anyone who says you can’t smell disease.
This is true. My lab came and laid his head on my left breast, started whimpering and big tears rolling out of his eyes. The next week, I started leaking. I got a mammogram, found out I had 1st stage breast cancer. Had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation. A year later, our other lab went between my husband’s legs and started doing the same thing. We both looked at each other and he said I’ll call the doctor. He had 1st stage prostrate cancer and had radiation pellets implanted. We both owe our lives to our labradors, our best friends.
animals in general are very special creatures.they provide many things for the uncaring human race, food ,clothing,companionship,enjoyment. long after humanity is gone animals will exist on this planet in some form or another. If humans ever make their way back after their demise ,hopefully we can appreciate all this earth has to offer us and not destroy it the 2nd times around.
Has the medicine gone to the dogs!
HI,MY GIRLFREIND HAS A BOXER DOG AND HE KEPT SNIFFING HER CHEST AREA, COME TO FIND OUT , SHE HAS BREAST CANCER..SO YE , I THINK DOGS KNOW.. THANKS..
god bless that dog!
thats not a laughing matter hope fully nothing ever happens to you like that ever cancer is nothing to laugh about your a big fool
My grandmother and aunt both had brain tumor. Whenever they would come over to the house my old dog Max would jump on them and never leave them alone. He was always a super happy dog that liked to jump on people, but he would calm down eventually. Not with them though. He would remain excited and really close to them. My grandmother ended up dying from the bran tumor she’d been fighting for years. We always knew it was there. But not my aunt. My dog knew before any of us did that something was going on with her.
That’s nothing new there have been cancer sniffing dogs for years
i totally believe with a lot of you dogs just understand if somethings wrong with their best friends. i have 13 dogs at my house & they can tell if youve had a bad day or if you are sick. usually the day before i gets sick or something every dog will sleep in my room & one of them is always awake as if they were watching me, once on came up & s lept by my throat, turns out the next day, i had phemonia or (however you say it ) sry for my spelling)< & i was so sick i had to go to the hospital. but i agree animals have a 6th sense & its incredible that they have the ability to detect such things. :))
I use to be someone with seizure disorder & had dogs at the time that let parents know I was getting ready to have seizure. Then little over 3 yrs ago I grew out of the seizure disorder & found out I was type 1 diabetic…shortly after this I got another dog & he always went nuts everytime my sugar went nuts on me be low or high. So yes dogs big or small can detect these things especially if they are close to their owner. None of these dogs were trained to detect these things…it’s like they just knew something wasn’t right with me. So I am strong believer that dogs can be a benefit for people with major health issues & I am living proof of this.
Two evenings ago, we lost a dear friend to renal cancer. Our friend had this big beautiful lab that would not leave his side while our friend (his master) was transioning (death rattle). Once Our friend finally expired, at that very momemt “Lou” looked up and looked towards the window and started barking/whining. I truely believe that Lou saw his master leaving us and going to a better place.
I had a border collie that was 9yo and still hyper and crazy. She would jump on anyone that came through my door, and not stop the entire time they were there. My parents would come to my house while I was on vacation to feed/exercise/care for her. Well, out of the blue I noticed that whem my mother came to the door to visit, the dog didn’t once jump on her. After 9 years, this dog sat at her feet and stared up at her. It was almost creepy. My mother said she had ‘trained’ her the last time we were away. I rolled my eyes because I knew that wasn’t going to happen after all these years–no one could train this dog. Anyway, time and time again my mother would enter the house and the dog wouldn’t jump (but would jump on everyone else still). Needless to say, a few months later, my mother was dx with ovarian/PMP cancer and died within a few months of that. As this was happening, it all hit me as to why the dog stopped jumping on my mother. It was like she knew she was ill and didn’t want to hurt her. You decide for yourself, but I am convinced that dog’s can sense cancer. I hope this study can save lives. My mother’s life was way too short.
of course cancer has a smell, i have been able to smell it for many years, just going around a person with cancer, whether they know it or not, i can smell it.
I recently was dog sitting and the dog kept sniffing out the bottom of my foot. It turned out to be a blister that became an infection. It was kind of weird how he noticed when I was wearing a sock.
Animals are great, but many people do not deserve them because they treat them as “inferior”. I read an article that named us “Human Animals” and they, “No Human Animals”. It is very raisonable. I hope we were as true, loyal, and kind as they are. They are are angels. If angels exist they must be aniamlas.
I hope one day No Human Animals are not treat as medical tools and being sacrifice. They are not inferior at all. We are Human Animals. Human Beings is a ridiculous and no sense euphemism created to scorn on No Human Animals. We should learn from them what love, loyality, tenderness, and goodness mean.
My husband had a dog for 14 years. They were best of friends and the dog never left his side. Slept at the foot of the bed and followed him everywhere he went. After my husband got lung cancer and was in the last stages we brought him home from the hospital. We put the dog up in the bed for him to see and she sniffed him on the chest and wanted nothing to do with him. We are talking about a dog that cried for her master when he was not at home. I know that she had to of smelled the cancer that was attacking his body and knew that he was dying.
My husband was diagnosed with lung cancer,July,7,this yearand will start chemo and radiation both next week. We have a Shih Tzu ( Nikki Jo)and he knew that something was up a long time before we did. he is a constant companion.We love our dogs.and they know it.
My dog, Eddie, could always detect when the ovarian cancer came back. I have been fighting the diease for 10 years. He was my “meter” until he passed away 2 years ago. Now, my son’s dog does the same thing that Eddie did. Besides, dog spelled backwards is “God”!
Why not take advantage of the remarkable scent recognition of dogs to snoop out hidden explosives (IED’s) in Afghanistan and Iraque? The explosives, I believe are the leading cause of serious casualties suffered by our brave troops.Dogs are helpers, rescuers, lovable family members and aids for the blind an disabled. Why not also recruit them as soldiers? They have fought in other wars, and have bravely acquited themselves. Now is the time to draft their marvelous noses and save even more lives.
I have to say dogs are so into the human bodyit isn’t funny! My sister in law’s dog knew she was pregnant and she has had more illneses!
This is nothing new. A doctor on one program years ago had a dog that was 100% on skin cancer.
Yes I have read all the comments,its very interesting indeed,I am also a breast cancer patient.I have had chemo,and radiotherapy,health is good know,I dont have a dog but I have a cat who always licks my toes .
When my brother had throat cancer, my dog a boxer always smelled him. He was so intense over smelling my brother, and always near the throat or mouth area. I do believe they can smell cancer.
anyone have any experiences with yorkies smelling cancer or anything? just curious because i have a yorkie
German Shepherds are the best… IF you have a dog sniffing you, then go to the health food store and get some Essiac Tea ( made in Canada only ) or Cams Praire Tea.. Follow the directions in making the tea and taking the tea.. In a short time period you will notice a big difference… Don’t believe me then google Essaic tea and read almost 90 year history of this natural remedy…
your not a very smart person are you
Yah dogs most likley smell cancer i wish i had a dog last year that wood have saved my family thousands of bucks. ps. im a kid hint hint
My dog, Eddie, always knew when the cancer came back before I did. He would lay across my belly and whine. I have been fighting ovarian cancer for 10 years. Eddie oassed away 2 years ago, but now now our son’s dog does the same thing! Remember, Dog spelled backwards is “God”!
We have a dog. When one of us is away the dog will pace the floors till he/she comes home. Yet the dog stays by my side allllll the time. cooking sleeping,playing WII in back bedroom dog always with me. I have a history of cancer in family. Mother’s mother,Mom’s sister, Mom’s sister’s two daughter and now mom. Should I be more worried than others. Is our dog trying to tell me something?
Phyllis, dogs have a long and noble history in war. Sadly, they haven’t always been recognized for their use over the years. Just do a search online.
I had a Siberian that trained himself to be a seizure alert dog for my niece after she came to live with me. He also could detect migraine headaches. He was an amazing animal.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 months ago, my mini poodle would do the strangest thing, he would wake me up by sitting on my shoulder and putting his nose right to my mouth. I hadnt been feeling well. after the diagnosis he sat at my breast until the surgery and still he sits or lays there as if hes protecting the incisions. so I believe my dog new something I didnt.
Just last Wednesday at my friends house her Terrier/doodle came to me and was sniffing my arm and immediately backed off and sat down. I have several skin cancer spots very visible and the dog reacted to them. It is the first time I have seen this in person. This is an untrained dog. Amazing.
We adopted a boxer from the local humane society for my son who has Neurofibromatosis 1 (causes non malignant tumors). When there is a change in his tumor the dog licks and nibbles the area where the tumors are changing. We always go for a checkup when this happens and every time the dog has been right. MRI’s show the tumor has grown. The tumor Doctor thinks this is great, it allows us to stay on top of any changes and we are better able to deal with anything that may occur out ot the ordainary.
We have a black lab that has woke my husband up several times at night. He has diabeties and every time he was having a low blood sugar attack with very dangerous lows. Our Dr. told my husband that dogs can smell things like that. Thing is that our dog has never been trained so in my opinion it is a natural ability in some dogs. I say some because we have 4 different dogs and our lab is the only one that does this.
Everyone needs to realize how important dogs really are, not to mention all the animals on this earth. A dogs love is so unconditional. And now they can sniff out cancer and diabetes.Just more reasons why they are mans best friend.
There so many reason why I love dogs. I owned dogs for over 20 years. They bring love, joy, humor with all their little quirks. They will love you unconditionally. Studies have shown that their presence also has a calming effect on us and adds 20 years to our lives in longevity. But whats sad today there are still people who treat them with cruelty. Animals should be respected and treated as well as humans if not more.
Every week, I would bring my yellow lab Nugget to my mother’s house to spend the day while I went to work. He would stay with her all day unleashed and sometimes lay next to my mom’s chair so she could pet him which would help lower her blood pressure. After a while, mom would tell me “Nugget went down the basement and stayed there all day and wouldn’t come upstairs until you came home”. Then he would start refusing to get out of the car and didn’t want to go into her house anymore. Even when the family spent holidays at mom’s house, Nugget would sit outside all day, avoiding my mom. I never understood until it was too late that he was trying to tell me something was terribly wrong. Now I am certain he smelled the cancer throughout her house. When she finally got diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer, it was too late. I missed every sign my beautiful boy was trying to show me something was wrong with my beloved mother. Now he sniffs my husband and my breath whenever we bend down to pet him and gives us the all clear. They are truly remarkable animals.
My friend had thyroid problems and had to take radiation pills. Since taking the first pill, her dog bares his teeth at her and growls. Is it possible the dog is sensing the radiation in her?
LAST YEAR ONE OF MY YORKIES KEPT DIGGING AT MY LOWER LEFT ABDOMEN. i THOUGHT SHE WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE A BED TO LAY DOWN, BUT SHE KEPT DOING IT ON MY CLOTHES AND THEN MY SKIN. IT WAS WIERD. SHE KEPT IT UP FOR ABOUT 20 MIN. SHE DID IT SEVERAL TIMES FOR A FEW WEEKS. NOW A YEAR LATER SHE STARTED IT AGAIN. IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT. AFTER READING ALL THIS, MAYBE I SHOULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE THE DOCTOR.
My dog Ramie an English Springer Spaniel smelled my tumor. I have triple negative breast cancer and he came over to me in a period of 2 months and would sniff my left breast area and whine and look me. Then he started ignoring me and spent the majority of his time with my boyfriend which he had never done before. It hurt my feelings! But shortly after all of this I felt a lump, went to doctor and found out I had breast cancer! I now know he knew I was very ill! After 1 year of treatment he comes near me again and things are back to normal. He saved my life!