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Dogs’ sixth sense: BBC video highlights canines’ ability to detect cancer

A remarkable story from BBC Earth’s The Secret Life of Dogs highlights how Max, a red collie cross, detected cancer in his owner, Maureen Burns. This life-saving bond showcases dogs’ extraordinary ability to sense illnesses in their owners.

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A remarkable story from the BBC Earth series The Secret Life of Dogs highlights the extraordinary ability of dogs to detect illnesses in their owners.

The clip features Max, a red collie cross, who detected cancer in his owner, Maureen Burns, even before medical tests confirmed it.

In 2008, Maureen noticed a significant change in Max’s behaviour. Once energetic and enthusiastic, the nine-and-a-half-year-old dog became unusually sad and distant.

Maureen initially thought Max was ageing and began preparing for the possibility of losing him.

However, Max’s peculiar behaviour began to raise concerns.

He avoided sitting with her, shunned her lap, and often touched her breast with his nose before backing off with a sad expression.

At the time, Maureen had a small lump in her breast, but a recent mammogram had been clear, so she dismissed it as a benign condition.

One day, while looking in the mirror, Maureen noticed Max’s reflection and felt an overwhelming sense that something was wrong.

“I knew it was cancer,” she recalled.

Determined to investigate further, Maureen underwent a surgical biopsy after scans and mammograms returned negative results.

The biopsy confirmed the presence of cancer, and the tumour was subsequently removed. The change in Max’s behaviour was immediate.

“The day I was picked up from the hospital, he was his old hyperactive self again,” Maureen shared.

“He put his nose across my breast to check where the operation had been, and he was wagging his tail and his eyes were happy. ”

“It was unbelievable, the change in him, instant. I love Max so much, and I owe him so much.”

Experts explain that dogs like Max can detect volatile chemicals released by cancerous tumours.

While most dogs can naturally do this, training can refine their ability to accurately identify cancerous patients, even from a selection of urine samples.

Additionally, dogs are transforming lives by helping individuals with other medical conditions.

They can detect low blood sugar levels in diabetics, warn about severe allergic reactions, and sense early signs of epileptic fits and narcolepsy.

Max’s story is a testament to the extraordinary bond between humans and dogs, as well as their life-saving abilities.

Heartfelt Viewer Stories

The video resonated with audiences, amassing over 1,100 comments on Facebook. Many viewers shared personal experiences of their dogs detecting illnesses.

One user recounted how their dog persistently pointed to a mole on the back of their knee, which was later found to be cancerous.

Another wrote, “I’ve had two dogs that have diagnosed cancer. If a dog acts strangely, trust the dog and go for tests.”

Other stories revealed similar life-saving encounters.

A Great Dane named Dutchess detected its owner’s breast cancer.

“I am 7 years in remission this September,” the owner commented. “She will be 9 in two weeks, and I’m alive because of her.”

Another user credited their Blue Heeler, Charlie, for poking at their stomach in 2020, prompting medical tests that revealed early-stage pancreatic cancer.

“It was discovered so early that I’m one of the rare 3% who will survive,” they said.

One user recalled how their cocker spaniel became clingy and constantly lay across their upper body, specifically near the left breast.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2009. After my operation, the dog just went back to normal. At the time, it never occurred to me, but then it clicked into place. Dogs are wonderful, and sometimes we don’t give them enough credit,” they said.

Other stories included a Pit Bull named Thor, who stayed by a young girl’s side until she was diagnosed with leukemia in 2020. Thankfully, she has been cancer-free since 2023.

Another commenter mentioned their English Springer Spaniel scratching at a spot on their face, prompting a dermatologist visit that confirmed it was cancer.

These stories underscore the unique bond between humans and dogs and their remarkable ability to detect illnesses.

As one commenter aptly put it, “This is a powerful reminder of the special bond between humans and animals.”

Medical Research on Canine Detection Abilities

According to a report from Medical News Today, due to their extraordinary sense of smell, researchers have discovered that dogs can detect cancer by identifying the unique odor signatures left by various types, including breast, colorectal, and lung cancer.

Throughout history, humans have harnessed dogs’ keen noses to detect explosives, narcotics, and even viruses and bacteria.

More recently, dogs have been trained to sense signs of cancer in a person’s body or bodily fluids.

It is believed that cancer, like other diseases, leaves specific odor traces, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), in the body.

These VOCs are released by either cancer cells or healthy cells affected by cancer, and depending on the type, dogs can detect these compounds in substances like skin, breath, urine, feces, and sweat.

Trained medical detection dogs are capable of identifying these cancer markers at incredibly low concentrations, sometimes as small as parts per trillion, making them highly sensitive and able to alert people to the presence of cancer in their breath, urine, or blood.

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