Dogs have amazing senses of smell, but did you know that some dogs can smell diseases?
When we think of dogs used for their olfactory prowess, we think drug-sniffing dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs, even cadaver dogs!
Today, we’re going to talk about real life superhero dogs that save lives and alert people to life-threatening illnesses.
Can Dogs Smell Cancer in Humans?
Yes!
Dogs can smell cancer humans. Not all dogs, of course, but there are some extraordinary dogs that can be trained to detect cancer.
We’ll look more at the research in the next section, but here’s what you need to know about how a dog smells cancer.
First, certain diseases or cancers leave traces, or odors behind. These are excreted through the skin and other places. Cancer cells, to a dog, smell different.
Depending on the type of cancer, dogs can smell it on a person’s breath, skin, in urine, feces and even sweat. When a dog smells this, they may alert their owners to the problem with excessive attention-grabbing behaviors.
The Science Works Out
In 1989, the first report of dogs who can detect cancer was reported in the medical journal, The Lancet. Then a letter was written to the editor of the journal from two dermatologists that detailed how one woman’s dog sniffed at their owner’s thigh and even tried to bite the lesion off when the patient wore shorts. The lesion turned out to be malignant melanoma.
A dog’s nose can detect particles in the parts per trillion. That’s over 50,000 times better than a human, and dogs have over 220 million smell receptors.
Could we use dogs to sniff out patient samples to detect cancer?
Well, we’re not sure how feasible that is. Here’s what LiveScience has to say about it: “Dogs do well in engaging situations, such as helping law enforcement track scents or guiding search-and-rescue teams in disaster areas. But sniffing thousands of samples in which only a handful may be cancerous is challenging work with little positive reinforcement. Moreover, it takes time and energy to train these pups, who, despite extensive preparation, still might miss a diagnosis if they’re having a bad day.”
One Superhero Dog’s Story
One woman in England suffered from a heart arrhythmia that she had for her whole life. This woman, Emilie Clark, was medicated for this possibly life-threatening illness.
As an adult, she rescued a dog with the intention of getting assistance from her pet for alerting her to things like phone calls and possibly to call attention to her heart racing. When the dog, Mia, was two she became a qualified assistance dog.
As reported by The Guardian, Emilie states “Mia learned to alert me just before my arrhythmia starts by making a horrible screeching noise and jumping up at me. She ferrets in my handbag and brings me my heart medicine.”
One day, Mia began jumping and alerting Emilie to an area on her breast.
Emilie, in trusting Mia, took herself to the doctor. An ultrasound revealed a lump that was stage 2a breast cancer.
In time, Emilie got her radiation therapies and was given the all-clear, but for this 24-year-old, her life wouldn’t have played out as well if it wasn’t for her cancer-sniffing furry friend.
Other Animals that Sniff Out Diseases
Dogs aren’t the only animals that can sniff out diseases! Here are some other superhero animals and what they can detect:
- Mice: Believe it or not, mice can be trained to detect the bird flu! By smelling the feces of infected ducks and fed when identifying the disease, they were easily trained.
- Pigeons: Pigeons can detect breast cancer when trained. In a laboratory environment, pigeons are able to detect the difference between malignant and benign cancer cells.
- Rats: Rats have been known to detect tuberculosis, which killed over 1.1 million people in 2014. Giant African pouched rats have been known to successfully detect TB.
- Fruit Flies: Like dogs, fruit flies can detect cancer using their sense of smell! How? They can detect cancer cells with their antenna.
The animal kingdom never fails to astound and surprise us! Join us in celebrating the wonderful, natural abilities of our furry friends.