Can dogs

[Homicidalheathen]

I remember reading an article in Cosmo where this gal's dog kept chewing and whining at a mole she had on her thigh...turns out it was cancerous.

Stories of animals with startling abilities aren't rare. Tales have long existed of dogs detecting various types of cancer with their sense of smell. A study later proved that dogs could sense evidence of bladder cancer by smelling it in urine. Some people who suffer from serious epilepsy use specially trained dogs provided by charities. These dogs warn their owners of impending seizures by licking or some other signal. One woman said that her dog regularly gives her a 40-minute warning, allowing her to get to a safe place so as not to worry about the seizures putting her in danger [source: BBC News].

The seizure-sensing dogs look for subtle smells and changes in features of their owners (such as dilated pupils). Their training, which takes at least a year, teaches them to warn their owners. While we're used to hearing about dogs learning to help the blind or search out injured people, Oscar's case is more puzzling. Cats, unlike dogs or even elephants, aren't associated with altruistic, empathic behavior. Scientists believe that dogs can sense disease in others because of their evolutionary origin as wolves, who needed to be able to detect when someone in the pack was hurt or sick.

http://www.cupofdog.com/2008/07/30/dogs-pr...ee-dead-people/

stuff all over the internet about this subject...

[Rev.Reverence]

..yes, I heard about this...I would not doubt it.

[StormKnight (1)]

There is a certain odor with certain cancers. The cadaver I worked with in medical school, which died of pancreatic cancer, definitely had an odor so distinct that it cut through the formalin smell and was the most noticeable trait of our cadaver (aside from the whopping huge chevron incision for the attempted surgery.) Occasionally, I can smell the exact same smell in people with really extensive cancers.

It is a strange smell. A bit of something necrotic (most cancers are aggressive enough to outgrow thier blood supply, causing a central necrosis,) and of something, well, wrong. It evokes a deep sense of dread.

It doesn't surprise me that animals with acute senses can pick that up.

[dragonluv]

I think dogs have special gifts in so many ways. The author Dean Koontz talks about the greatness of dogs a lot in many of his books. Koontz mention in one novel about dogs being the best therapy. I remember awhile ago reading in the news about a women going through Chemotherapy and how her two dogs were taken away from her because they (can not remember who they were) felt she could not take care of the dogs in her condition. She got her dogs back and she started healing better so much, it was amazing the doctors.

I also remember reading from amnial recuse web site, about a cat owner who stated that her cat saved her life. If I remember correctly, she pass out and the cat nudge her awaked. She was able to get to a phone. I was amazed to hear that one.

I don't know to explain this. But I believe that there are folks who have a special connection with an animal that helps them. That is getting off the topic in hand.

As Pedigree states; "Dogs Rules"

Edited April 25, 2009 by dragonluv

[Homicidalheathen]

Interesting. I had a friend who said his mom died of cancer and that it stank and that led to her drinking heavy in the end there...guess I would to. Smelling your own death. Yuk

Maybe doctors should use cancer smelling dogs...?

There is a certain odor with certain cancers. The cadaver I worked with in medical school, which died of pancreatic cancer, definitely had an odor so distinct that it cut through the formalin smell and was the most noticeable trait of our cadaver (aside from the whopping huge chevron incision for the attempted surgery.) Occasionally, I can smell the exact same smell in people with really extensive cancers.

It is a strange smell. A bit of something necrotic (most cancers are aggressive enough to outgrow thier blood supply, causing a central necrosis,) and of something, well, wrong. It evokes a deep sense of dread.

It doesn't surprise me that animals with acute senses can pick that up.

[TitsMcGee]

Dogs have a very good sense of smell, that is why they are used for smelling out bombs, drugs, cadavers..so on and so forth. I have heard of many cases where a dog can spell something medically wrong with a person. As SK said, people can sometimes pick up on the smells too. If a diabetics blood sugar is getting to low, they get a fruity smell in their breath.

[Soulrev]

My dogs always know when I'm sick and they comfort me. I'll be laying on the couch watching TV and my dogs will come up to me and won't leave my side no matter what. They don't typically give me that kind of attention out of the blue like that.

[Homicidalheathen]

I remember once I was real depressed and I was only like, 12....things were not going well at all in my life, and I wanted to die. My cat wouldn't leave me alone, she kept licking me...and mewing, and cuddling me...got me through it.

Another time I was stuck on the ice and it was breaking all around me...I thought I would drown. I weigh like 100 lbs or less usually...this dog only weighed 50-60 lbs...but she ran back to me, ran away looking back at me a few x as if to say come this way...and led me off the ice in the only direction that was safe. I don't know how she gauged my weight difference from hers! She would have been ok going off in 2 other directions...but she chose the right one for me, it was amazing. And after I looked back and there was a big water hole where I was standing.

It was a husky. I love huskies now, and German Sheppard’s.