Man’s Best Friend: Yet Another Medical Service From Your Beloved Dog?

Man’s Best Friend: Yet Another Medical Service From Your Beloved Dog?

Article
Brain & Nerve
Current Medical News
+1
Contributed byMaulik P. Purohit MD MPHMay 13, 2019

Animals are driven by instinct. By default, they are extremely sensitive to changes in their immediate environment. Subtle physical and biological changes in their surroundings alert them way before a human being realizes danger. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that animals are able to sense an impending storm or change in weather. When areas of low pressure move in, prey animals are reported to become highly excitable.

Of all the domesticated animals, dogs have mostly been employed to be of service to humans. Canines used by police and military to sniff bombs, landmines, and cadavers are legendary. Service dogs are trained to fulfill various requirements to improve the quality of our lives. Dogs guide blind people in their day-to-day activities and provide company to terminally ill patients. However, there are some animals that either inherently or by training are able to provide a health warning to humans. An example of this would be “Seizure Alert Dogs,” warning their owners of an epileptic attack, anywhere between 30 sec to 45 minutes before it actually occurs; thus helping the owner to avoid injury, and even death. It has also been reported that the presence of a dog actually reduced the seizure frequency.

By virtue of their superior sense of smell and trainability, dogs are ideal for differentiating smells. Bearing this uniqueness in mind, some dogs are being trained to sniff out cancer. The number of smell receptors in a dog’s nose is 10 times that of a human nose. When cells turn cancerous, the volatile organic chemicals released by these malformed cells are apparently distinctly different from those of normal cells. Previously, it was reported that researchers at the University of Pennsylvania initiated a study to use dogs for detecting early stage ovarian cancer. Recently, a team from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has tapped the difference in odor between normal and cancerous cells to train Frankie, a German Shepard, to sniff thyroid cancer in urine samples of patients coming in for conventional diagnosis. Frankie’s diagnosis was accurate in 30 out of the 34 patients tested. 

Although this experiment seemed successful, there are some arguments against using dogs for sniffing out diseases like cancer. Some scientists doubt the accuracy of such diagnosis and also the practicality of such an approach. Alternatively, researchers are trying to figure out the chemical composition of the odor that is sensed by these dogs. The ultimate aim is to use the information gained from a dog’s nose to develop an “electronic nose” that could be a diagnostic tool for cancers.

We might have to wait a few years for this diagnostic tool. Meanwhile, let us thank man’s best friend for yet another service.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

Roger Caras (photographer and writer)

Written by Mangala Sarkar Ph.D.

Was this article helpful

On the Article

Maulik P. Purohit MD MPH picture
Approved by

Maulik P. Purohit MD MPH

Assistant Medical Director, Medical Editorial Board, DoveMed Team

0 Comments

Please log in to post a comment.

Related Articles

Test Your Knowledge

Asked by users

Related Centers

Loading

Related Specialties

Loading card

Related Physicians

Related Procedures

Related Resources

Join DoveHubs

and connect with fellow professionals

Related Directories

Who we are

At DoveMed, our utmost priority is your well-being. We are an online medical resource dedicated to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information on a wide range of medical topics. But we're more than just an information hub - we genuinely care about your health journey. That's why we offer a variety of products tailored for both healthcare consumers and professionals, because we believe in empowering everyone involved in the care process.
Our mission is to create a user-friendly healthcare technology portal that helps you make better decisions about your overall health and well-being. We understand that navigating the complexities of healthcare can be overwhelming, so we strive to be a reliable and compassionate companion on your path to wellness.
As an impartial and trusted online resource, we connect healthcare seekers, physicians, and hospitals in a marketplace that promotes a higher quality, easy-to-use healthcare experience. You can trust that our content is unbiased and impartial, as it is trusted by physicians, researchers, and university professors around the globe. Importantly, we are not influenced or owned by any pharmaceutical, medical, or media companies. At DoveMed, we are a group of passionate individuals who deeply care about improving health and wellness for people everywhere. Your well-being is at the heart of everything we do.

© 2023 DoveMed. All rights reserved. It is not the intention of DoveMed to provide specific medical advice. DoveMed urges its users to consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and answers to their personal medical questions. Always call 911 (or your local emergency number) if you have a medical emergency!