Dogs seem to possess a unique ability to sense the presence of cancer in the breath of people with this horrible disease.
Namely, the new study shows that canines just might be the light at the end of the tunnel as far as early detection of cancer is concerned.
The results of the preliminary research suggest a fascinating ability among dogs to literally smell the presence of cancer much earlier and with higher rate of success than any other modern detection method.
Scientists used 120 samples of breath which were then presented to the canines. The European researchers discovered that the dogs were successful in detecting 70 percent of cancers, which clearly portrays their amazing ability.
This investigation was a result of earlier hypotheses on dogs being able to detect other sorts of diseases simply by being near people who had them. This result also backs up an earlier research from 2011 which identified their ability to detect bowel cancer in its early stage.
This is exactly what the researchers in Austria are trying to discover through their research. By discovering the secret of this mysterious mechanism in dogs’ noses, scientist will be able to detect cancer themselves.
“The ultimate aim is to identify what scents the dogs are actually detecting,” added Michael Mueller from Otto Wagner Hospital in Vienna to AFP.
With this information discovered, the researchers can then develop some type of “artificial dog nose” that can detect cancer in a clinical setting, without the need for actual dogs in hospitals and clinics.
So, not only is your precious ball of fur cute and cuddly, he can also be a crucial element in our battle with the most vicious disease out there. Another reason to love them even more.