Dogs that are specially trained can help diagnose and monitor certain health conditions. Medical detection dogs have an extraordinary ability to find and alert their human partners to the presence of certain serious conditions. The difference these dogs can make in people's lives is no less than transformative. Some of the diseases the dogs have been trained to find include cancer, diabetes, and certain conditions that make a person smell different—like that person has an infection. Dogs with a nose for justice can do good for society too.
Take cancer, for example. These dogs serve as highly sensitive canaries in the coal mine. They are trained to detect the kinds of smell a healthy person cannot; specifically, the kinds of smells related to the unnatural growth of a tumor. They detect it at a safe distance and without direct contact. They can identify the chemicals involved, distinguish them from other smells (like those of other humans), and do it with a speed and cleanliness that no human nose could hope to achieve.
For individuals with chronic illnesses, medical detection dogs afford a level of comfort that’s hard to match, even in the era of modern medicine. They sense when something is amiss and signal that it's time for the human to take action. If a human can live with a disease in a way that isn't particularly noticeable to anyone else, then how can that disease possibly be diagnosed—let alone managed—when the human essentially comes across as healthy?
These pets that can save your life aren't just pets. They're crucial healthcare partners, helping to save lives and make the world a better place for a lot of people. Their skills as service animals really shine through when you think about "deep medical assistance."
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