Kelly Andrew, a writer from Boston, tells a story about how her four-legged friend Henry saved the life of her 9-month-old daughter
Her story went viral and many users started tweeting similar experiences
The question is, how do our pets know that there might be something wrong with us? Well, dogs are known for their sense of smell and people have taken advantage of this ability for hundreds of years—from hunting, detecting drugs and explosives to tracking down diseases. According to science writer Mia Rozenbaum, "Dogs’ sense of smell is so subtle that they can notice the slightest change in human scent caused by disease."
Dogs are already known for detecting cancer, malaria, Parkinson’s disease, COVID-19 and more. For example, "Canines proved to be able to correctly pick out the scent of children infected with malaria parasites 70 percent of the time, from socks they had worn all night," she wrote.
Apparently, they are able to sniff out signs of illness even before a person gets sick. Rozenbaum said there’s been research where dogs were able to pick up biochemical changes in the body that would lead to a narcoleptic moment. They notified the humans in advance so that they would get to a safe place and avoid getting injured. Also, when it comes to people who have diabetes, dogs can assist with knowing when the blood sugar level is spiking or dropping.
Even though there’s been plenty of research showing that dogs are able to bring different diseases to light, it will take a while for them to be used in the clinics. "Researchers mostly still don't know exactly what chemical compounds dogs detect to alert to the presence of the disease," Rozenbaum explained.
"Knowing more precisely what the dogs are noticing would allow their training to be standardized, but even then the skepticism of the medical community might prevail. Not all doctors would want to rely on a dog to make a diagnosis."
Since it might take some time before we see our furry friends dressed in lab coats and writing down their conclusions, we can enjoy their company at home. Such friendship definitely has its perks, because it appears that canines keep you in good health.
Dog owners have a lower risk of heart disease and are more resilient to stress because having one running around your house means you have to make some lifestyle changes. When you get a dog, you have to take it for a walk at least twice a day, and there’s no way of avoiding it. Increased physical activity strengthens your body and spending more time outside makes you calmer and generally happier.
Our four-legged friends are truly one of the greatest things that happened to humankind. Our pets not only improve our well-being and protect us from different dangers but also spread joy in the whole house. So while we might "not deserve them", we are sure lucky to have them.
