.
With formal training. 
Posted on 05/26/2019 3:35:28 AM PDT by Kaslin
It’s no secret that some dogs can detect illness in humans. However, researchers are still figuring out how dogs might help with cancer diagnosis since studies are mixed. Then, there are dogs like Sierra who are naturals at detecting cancer.
Sierra is a Siberian Husky who sniffed out the disease multiple times in her owner, Stephanie Herfel, without any formal training.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the then-9-month-old puppy came to live with Herfel when her son was deployed for the Air Force. But one day, Sierra started acting strange around her owner.
The Husky reportedly sniffed Herfel’s abdomen so intently that Herfel thought she had spilled something there. The dog repeated the strange behavior before going to hide in the closet as if something had frightened her, reports the Journal Sentinel.
The ordeal “spooked” Herfel enough that she went to the emergency room, where she was told she had an ovarian cyst.
But Herfel’s beloved dog kept hiding in the closet, prompting her to make another appointment—this time with her gynecologist. Herfel had already been dealing with abdominal pain, which also highlighted the potential for a problem.
The former Marine said she was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and was undergoing treatment within a matter of weeks. Her trusty pup had been right to be concerned.
But smart Sierra didn’t stop protecting her owner with just that occurrence. The dog sniffed out returned bouts of cancer two more times, well before doctors confirmed each case.
Sierra even detected the same cancer in a friend who knew she had the disease, reports the Journal Sentinel.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
maybe this will be what the doc means by expensive lab tests.
Without formal training? What kind of formal training would that be?
Pre-med at a minumum? Some basic biology and chemistry?
It's a dog with a gift fer crying out loud.
For dogs, the formal training consists of training them to identify and react to specific scents. I’m not sure how a dog could be trained to detect cancer, since I do not know what odor a person would emit if they have cancer. I’m not saying cancer does or does not cause a person to emit an odor that is detectable by dogs, just that I don’t know what it would be.
sometimes people who have cancer emit enough of an odor to be noticed by humans,,dogs noses are about substantially more sensitive than humans
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/dogs-sense-of-smell/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/heal-the-mind-heal-the-body/201809/can-humans-smell-cancer
People can detect cancer too.
When I feel it, it feels like prickly cactus in me wherever the person has cancer. When I had colon cancer I showed the Dr exactly where the tumor was located as I felt it. I feel the same in others.
This is true of brain tumors also.
.
With formal training.
Doggy Houser MD /s
It’s a dog with a gift fer crying out loud.
I need a dog! Single guy here. 50. Married once, divorced once. NK. Aint in me to do it again apparently. This story is awesome. Thanks.
ROTF!!!
But I’m afraid you just gave some idjit in Hollyweird an idea...
I’ve never seen a two headed dog before. Incredible!
LOL!
There’s a reason why they call dogs man’s best friend. Cats not so much. I would love to get a cat but my husband is allergic.
All I know is my dog can sense when I’m upset and she’ll come over and put her head in my lap they’re very loving. She’s a black lab by the way.
It is a great story. As I mentioned before dogs are truly man’s best friend. They work they love they’re always there for you. As I mentioned, my dog can sense when I’m sad or happy or excited. They truly are amazing
Get yourself a dog! Best companion in the world.
I formerly worked in a hospital, and in the mornings I made rounds collecting blood samples for analysis. I was a Medical Technologist [now called Clinical Laboratory Scientist]. I can assure you that some cancer patients do have an odor which is different from other odors I have ever smelled.
I would notice it when I entered the room. I wish I knew what type of cancer these people had - was it always a cancer of a specific type? I do not know the answer.
Being an animal lover, I completely agree with that. Plus some of those gifts have very special talents/gifts of their own.
My brother had cancer and a dog the only thing the dumb dog did was bark at the mail man,sounds like a fish story.
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