INCREDIBLY SENSITIVE DOG SNOUT. CAN IT DETECT CANCER?

It is a well-known fact that dogs have very sensitive noses and that they can sniff out anything. Just open the ham and the dog, which was in a deep sleep at the other end of the apartment, wakes up and is with you in no time. According to research, dogs have up to ten thousand times better sense of smell than humans. This allows him not only to sniff out goodies, but mainly to use his nose, for example, when searching for people, drugs or explosives. Dogs can even detect a woman's pregnancy before a pregnancy test reveals it, and some research claims they can even detect cancer. Possible?

Stories about dogs recognizing cancer appeared as early as 1989. For example, a labrador and German shepherd hybrid detected lung cancer, a husky alerted its owner to ovarian cancer, and a book with the title was also published Doctor Dogs , for a few more cases.

According to Medical News Today research shows that with training, dogs can detect various types of cancer in humans – even in the early stages. Like many other diseases, cancer leaves specific odor traces in the body and bodily secretions. The dogs that participated in the research were able to smell the disease from the skin, breath, sweat and subsequently draw attention to it.

Therefore, proper training is important . This is what he does in the US In Situ Foundation , which teaches dogs how to detect even the early stages of cancer in humans. German, Belgian and Australian shepherds and beagles are mainly trained here. Occasionally other breeds, their temperament is key .

HOW DOES A DOG SENSE CANCER BEHAVIOR?

Dogs' reactions to the discovery of cancer vary. When said female husky first smelled her owner's ovarian cancer, it manifested itself in extreme sniffing and subsequent running away. “She put her nose on my stomach, sniffing so intensely and intently that I thought I spilled something on my T-shirt. She did this three times. The third time she left and hid," says the owner.

A German shepherd who discovered lung cancer allegedly buried his snout in his owner's chest and anxiously dug there.

These stories show that there is no single behavior that signals that a dog senses something unusual. In most cases, the response is based on nature and training. But all dogs had one sign in common, at first sight there was an obvious change in behavior , which indicated to their masters, that something is happening . If your dog starts behaving differently, there is no need to worry right away. But if with him repeats a certain pattern of behavior , he should be seen by the vet and if the dog appears to be healthy but the behavior persists, perhaps you should schedule a visit to the doctor just to be sure.

So can dogs smell cancer? Believe it or not, research are increasingly confirming that it is possible . It's no wonder dogs' highly sensitive senses can pick up a lot about their owners, and it's just further proof of how an incredibly strong bond can be between a person and his four-legged friend .