We have plenty of reasons to love dogs. They offer loyalty, comfort, service and companionship. Therapy dogs, like those at Roswell Park, provide a welcome distraction and emotional support to patients and their families on stressful days. Thanks to their amazing sense of smell and their trainability, dogs can learn to detect hidden drugs, bombs or cadavers and sense some medical conditions in humans, such as diabetes distress and oncoming seizures.
Now, mounting evidence suggests that dogs can also play a part, directly or indirectly, in detecting cancer in humans.
Have you ever noticed your dog acting strangely around another dog that later turned out to be sick? Maybe your pup was extra attentive, whining, or constantly sniffing at a specific area on their furry friend? If so, you’re not alone! Many pet parents have observed this fascinating behavior and wondered if their dogs possess some kind of sixth sense when it comes to detecting illness in other canines
As a longtime dog owner myself, I’ve witnessed this phenomenon firsthand. My German Shepherd would often become unusually gentle around my neighbor’s aging Labrador weeks before they discovered he had cancer This got me wondering can a dog sense illness in another dog? Let’s dive into this fascinating topic!
The Remarkable Canine Sense of Smell
Dogs have an incredible sense of smell that far surpasses our human abilities. While humans have about 6 million olfactory receptors in our noses, dogs have up to 300 million! Plus, the part of a dog’s brain devoted to analyzing smells is proportionally 40 times greater than ours.
This extraordinary sense gives them the ability to detect odors at concentrations as low as parts per trillion. That’s like detecting a teaspoon of sugar dissolved in two Olympic-sized swimming pools! This incredible ability means dogs can detect subtle changes in scent that might indicate illness in another dog, even before any visible symptoms appear.
How Dogs Detect Illness in Other Dogs
Dogs rely on several methods to sense when another dog is sick:
1. Scent Detection
The most powerful tool in a dog’s illness-detecting arsenal is their nose. When a dog is sick, their body chemistry changes, producing different:
- Hormones
- Pheromones
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
These chemical changes alter the dog’s natural scent in ways that are imperceptible to humans but obvious to other dogs. In fact, some studies suggest dogs can smell these changes even at the cellular level, potentially detecting diseases like cancer in very early stages.
2. Behavioral Cues
Dogs are experts at reading body language and can pick up on subtle changes in behavior that might indicate illness:
- Changes in posture or gait
- Decreased energy levels
- Different sleeping patterns
- Altered social interactions
A normally playful dog that suddenly becomes withdrawn or lethargic sends clear signals to other dogs that something isn’t right.
3. Pack Mentality
Dogs evolved as pack animals, and their survival depended on cooperation and communication. This evolutionary history has given them an innate ability to sense when a pack member is vulnerable or unwell.
As one animal behavior expert quoted in Vet Explains Pets states: “Dogs have a remarkable ability to pick up on subtle changes in their environment, including the health of other animals. Their keen sense of smell and their instinctual drive to protect their pack members make them highly attuned to any signs of illness or distress in their fellow dogs.”
Signs Your Dog May Be Detecting Illness in Another Dog
If your dog is sensing illness in another canine companion, they might display these behaviors:
- Intense sniffing: Particularly focused on a specific area of the other dog’s body
- Licking: Your dog may repeatedly lick a particular spot on the sick dog
- Increased attention: Following the ill dog around more than usual
- Unusual behaviors: Staring, whining, head tilting, or pawing at the other dog
- Protective behavior: Staying close to the ill dog or showing concern
- Changes in interaction: Becoming more gentle or cautious around the sick dog
One time, my friend’s Border Collie kept sniffing and gently pawing at her other dog’s abdomen. She took her to the vet based on this behavior alone, and they discovered a tumor that needed immediate attention. The early detection likely saved her dog’s life!
Scientific Evidence Supporting This Ability
While there’s still much to learn about how dogs detect illness in other dogs, growing scientific evidence supports this remarkable ability:
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Cancer detection studies: Research has shown that dogs can be trained to detect certain cancers in humans with impressive accuracy. The same mechanisms likely apply to detecting cancer in other dogs.
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Medical alert dog training: Organizations now train dogs to detect changes in blood sugar, impending seizures, and other medical conditions in humans. This demonstrates their ability to detect subtle physiological changes.
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Veterinary observations: Many veterinarians report cases where one dog’s behavior toward another led to early disease detection.
According to Wag!, “dogs that are used to detect illnesses in humans go through rigorous training to familiarize them with the signs and smells associated with particular illnesses. However, even without training, their keen sense of smell means they can pick up on changes and problems in both humans and other animals.”
Common Health Conditions Dogs May Detect
Dogs appear particularly adept at sensing certain health conditions in other dogs:
- Cancer: They often show interest in tumors or affected areas
- Infections: Bacterial or viral infections change a dog’s scent
- Hormonal imbalances: Conditions like Cushing’s disease alter body chemistry
- Pain or inflammation: Dogs may be gentle around painful areas
- Neurological issues: Changes in brain chemistry can be detected
Can All Dogs Do This or Only Some Breeds?
While all dogs have superior scenting abilities compared to humans, some breeds may be more naturally inclined to detect illness due to their more developed olfactory systems. Breeds traditionally used for scent work like Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds, Beagles, and German Shepherds might have an edge.
However, any dog can potentially sense illness in another dog. It’s more about individual personality and attentiveness than breed-specific traits. Some dogs are simply more observant and responsive to changes in their environment.
How This Ability Helps in Multi-Dog Households
If you have multiple dogs, this natural ability can be incredibly valuable. Your healthy dog might alert you to problems with another dog before symptoms become obvious to you. This early warning system can lead to faster veterinary intervention and potentially better outcomes.
As a veterinarian quoted in Vet Explains Pets notes: “While there is still much that we don’t know about how dogs are able to sense when another dog is sick, it is clear that they have a unique ability to detect subtle changes in their fellow canine companions.”
What to Do If Your Dog Seems to Detect Illness
If you notice your dog paying unusual attention to another dog, here’s what you should do:
- Observe the area of interest: Take note of where your dog is focusing their attention
- Monitor both dogs: Watch for any changes in behavior, appetite, or energy
- Look for physical symptoms: Check for any visible signs of illness
- Consult your veterinarian: When in doubt, seek professional advice
- Trust your dog’s instincts: They may be picking up on something you can’t detect
Can Dogs Be Trained to Detect Specific Illnesses?
Absolutely! Just as dogs are trained to detect specific illnesses in humans, they can be trained to alert to certain conditions in other dogs. According to Wag!, “there are now institutions and studies that focus on the training of dogs to sniff out and identify diseases such as cancer in other dogs, which could prove invaluable to the veterinary field.”
This specialized training typically involves:
- Exposure to samples from dogs with specific conditions
- Reward-based training to alert when they detect the target scent
- Ongoing reinforcement of the behavior
Is It Empathy or Just Scent Detection?
An interesting question is whether dogs are simply reacting to scent changes or if they’re displaying genuine empathy for an ill companion. Research suggests it might be a bit of both.
Dogs are remarkably empathetic animals. Studies have shown they respond to human emotions, and many pet owners report their dogs providing comfort when they’re upset or ill. It’s not a stretch to believe they extend this same empathy to other dogs.
A professional in animal psychology quoted by Vet Explains Pets states: “Dogs are incredibly empathetic animals that are highly attuned to the emotions and well-being of those around them. It is not surprising that they may be able to sense when another dog is sick and in need of assistance, as this fits with their natural instinct to provide care and support to their pack members.”
Final Thoughts: Our Amazing Canine Companions
The ability of dogs to sense illness in other dogs is just one more reason to be amazed by our furry friends. Their incredible sensory abilities combined with their social nature make them naturally attuned to changes in their canine companions.
While science is still exploring the full extent of this ability, the evidence—both scientific and anecdotal—strongly suggests that dogs can indeed sense when another dog is sick. This remarkable skill is yet another reminder of how much we can learn from our four-legged friends and the special bond we share with them.
So next time your dog shows unusual interest in another dog, pay attention! They might be trying to tell you something important that your human senses just can’t detect.
Have you ever noticed your dog detecting illness in another dog? I’d love to hear your stories and experiences with this fascinating canine ability!
How Do Dogs Act When They Smell Cancer?
“The ability of dogs to detect melanoma, a potentially fatal skin cancer, has been formally studied and confirmed,” says Ashley Stenzel, PhD, a Roswell Park postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Stenzel notes that in case studies, dogs persistently sniffed, licked and nipped at melanoma lesions on their owners’ skin, even through clothing, prompting the owners to identify the cancerous sites and seek care from clinicians. “Given that melanoma is a cancer presenting with lesions on the skin, it would be logical for dogs to be able to detect a lesion,” Dr. Stenzel says. “However, the use of canine olfactory detection has also been studied in other examples of cancer.”
Lauren credits her dog, Victoria, for calling attention to a bump on her nose, which turned out to be basal cell carcinoma.
In one widely noted anecdotal case, Lauren Gauthier, founder of Magics Mission hound rescue organization, reported that Victoria, her adopted Treeing Walker Hound, “persistently sniffed and stared at what seemed like a pimple on my right nostril. It was so odd and she was so persistent that I finally decided to have it checked out.” The “bump” ended up being basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer. “As soon as I had Mohs surgery to remove the cancer, Victoria’s strange behavior stopped.”
Claire Guest, MSc, DHP, BCAh, CEO of Medical Detection Dogs, recalls that Daisy, her Fox Red Labrador, who is trained to sniff out cancer in the lab, kept staring and pawing at her chest. While trying to decipher Daisy’s behavior, Dr. Guest discovered a lump that turned out to be a malignant tumor deep in her breast.
In Being a Dog, Horowitz describes a Dachshund puppy that repeatedly sniffed her owner’s armpit. Eventually the woman found a lump in her armpit, leading to a breast cancer diagnosis.
The Science Behind a Dog’s Sniffer
In her book Nose of a Dog, research scientist Alexandra Horowitz notes that “most of what the dog sees and knows comes through his nose.” Depending on the breed, a dog’s nose has around 125 million to 300 million scent glands, while a human’s nose has around five million scent glands. That means that a dog’s sense of smell is around 1,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than a human’s.
Research indicates that dogs are capable of detecting tiny traces of odors created by different diseases. How tiny? Around one part per trillion, or the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Scientists Confirm Dogs Can Detect 8 Diseases
FAQ
How do dogs act when they smell illness?
Do pets know when other pets are sick?
Yes, dogs can often sense when another dog is sick. They have an extraordinary sense of smell, which allows them to detect changes in scent that may indicate illness. Dogs can pick up on various chemical changes in a sick dog’s body, such as those related to infections or other health issues.
How long do dogs sense the death of another dog?
How do dogs behave when they smell cancer?