Dogs' Super Sense: Detecting Diseases and Aiding Human Health

Many dogs possess an extraordinary ability to sense when their owners are unwell, even saving lives with their keen perception. They persistently alert their humans to potential problems, focusing attention on areas of concern. Dogs primarily use their sense of smell as a diagnostic tool. While the exact mechanism remains unclear, researchers believe dogs can detect subtle odors emitted by the human body during various abnormalities and illnesses. Pay attention when your dog is trying to communicate something urgently. They can be life-savers in situations involving cancer (breast, prostate, bladder, lung, and skin), migraines, diabetes, epilepsy and narcolepsy. In 2019, a study demonstrated that dogs could identify blood samples from cancer patients with 97% accuracy. Furthermore, dogs can detect the specific scent of migraines, providing early warnings to sufferers. They can also monitor blood sugar levels in diabetics, alerting them to dangerous highs and lows. Some dogs can even sense impending epileptic seizures, allowing individuals to take precautions. For those with narcolepsy, dogs can detect the onset of an attack, providing a warning to sit down or seek safety and even help to wake them up by licking their face.