Cancer sniffing Dogs

Moopy23

GreeneyedGirl said:

Thanks for sharing
Jackie, I have a "tootsie" too! If you click on my post and go into expressions you can see a pic of her. I know pets are so sensitive to what we go thru, my little tootsie never left my side thru my recoveries. they do have a special sense about them, in many ways. What was the name of the movie??
Melanie

Green-Eyed Girl
Melanie, I visited your Expresions page and enjoyed the photos. You are so pretty! And Hawaii after radiation--what a wonderful trip that must have been. As I mentioned somewhere else, I would love to visit there someday. (Maybe I will be one of those 70something ladies letting it all hang out, God willing.) Not to mention your little Tootsie. She is so cute. She looks like a miniature dachsund? Joe and I have a beagle/dachsund mix.

Christmas Girl

Sorry for the double post here...
My computer's acting funny. (And maybe I don't know what I'm doing here yet!)

Sorry, again.

Kind regards, Susan

melissa jo

Cindy54 said:

A Believer
I am right there with believing that our pets can sense if something is not quite right. I am a first time dog owner. A friend gave me Joey, a jack russell terrier, a month after my Mom passed away. She thought it would help if I was not alone. The pup and I got used to each other. He is just a bit too smart at times.

Before I even knew about my breast cancer, Joey would always sniff at my right breast. It did not matter if I were cuddling him or bending over. He would just poke his nose there and look up at me. This went on almost a year before they found the cancer.

Then being a boy dog, Joey took to always coming up behind me as we were going down the stairs and giving me a poke in the butt, trying to sniff. I thought it was just boy dog behavior. Well 7 months later came the ovarian cancer.

Since my surgeries, Joey does not sniff in those areas at all. He does stay close to me and follows me from room to room. Always watching, always ready for a snuggle.

And as for the sniffing. Well, 2 months ago he started sniffing at my right knee and licking at it. Well, that has been my bad knee for 2 years now, and it will eventually need surgery to repair it. He seems to know when it is bothering me as he eases up a little when we go out walking.

And no, I am not making this stuff up. I really think our animals are here as a gift to us. And I think if we pay more attention sometimes, they will "tell" us things we need to know. I know I would miss my little guy if he weren't here with me. Cindy

Also a believer...but a scared one
I know that dogs can sense 'sickness' in some way. My Jack Russell Terrier has been sniffing my left breast for nearly a year now. I have not been diagnosed with cancer, but have just lost my grandmother to lung cancer six months ago, and my aunt to 'crest syndrome' (or scleroderma) two weeks ago. I just don't want to take any chances with my own life. My husband tells me I'm paranoid, and my doctor has found nothing so far, aside from fibroid cysts, but I think that you can just sense when something is not right. My dog actually really worries me when he does this, and what's even stranger is that my husband's dog has begun to do the same thing...same breast. I am going to demand more than a physical exam of my breast. Something is definitely wrong, but I don't want to go to the doctor telling him how my dogs are sniffing my breast and demanding a biopsy for this reason alone.

I do believe that dogs can detect cancer, and was relieved to find that I am not the only one who has experienced something like this.

Christmas Girl

melissa jo said:

Also a believer...but a scared one
I know that dogs can sense 'sickness' in some way. My Jack Russell Terrier has been sniffing my left breast for nearly a year now. I have not been diagnosed with cancer, but have just lost my grandmother to lung cancer six months ago, and my aunt to 'crest syndrome' (or scleroderma) two weeks ago. I just don't want to take any chances with my own life. My husband tells me I'm paranoid, and my doctor has found nothing so far, aside from fibroid cysts, but I think that you can just sense when something is not right. My dog actually really worries me when he does this, and what's even stranger is that my husband's dog has begun to do the same thing...same breast. I am going to demand more than a physical exam of my breast. Something is definitely wrong, but I don't want to go to the doctor telling him how my dogs are sniffing my breast and demanding a biopsy for this reason alone.

I do believe that dogs can detect cancer, and was relieved to find that I am not the only one who has experienced something like this.

Warm welcome, melissa jo...
...though sorry for the reason.

You are obviously worried. When you state that your doctor has found "nothing so far, aside from fibroid cysts" - what do you mean by "found"? Via a mammogram? Have you had an ultrasound, to get a better picture of those fibroid cysts? Have you really only had a "physical exam" of your breast? Please know I'm not intending to frighten you further. But, sincerely, this is unacceptable in terms of modern medicine. Yes, please follow your own instincts - and demand further testing. If your doctor won't comply, find another one!

Honestly, when I found the lump within my own breast - I first contacted my ob/gyne. After a physical exam (on a Friday afternoon) - he predicted a fibroid cyst. Then, scheduled an appointment for me to see a surgeon on the following Tuesday. I was horrified, and asked - if "just" a fibroid, why do I need to see a surgeon? His answer was that fibroids can become cancerous - and modern medical thinking doesn't allow them to remain in the body, growing larger, and potentially dangerous.

So, please - be proactive. You need better answers, even if they're scary. I'll be sincerely hoping that your doctor IS correct AFTER further testing. A physical exam and a "guess" is simply not good enough. Please, don't wait. Early detection makes a huge difference.

I am an almost six year BC survivor. There are many within this amazing group who count more years than me. Even some who've survived recurrence. Breast cancer is very survivable - but, only if it is treated.

Best wishes to you, for the best possible outcome.

Kind regards, Susan