Dogs Can Smell Cancer Before Symptoms Appear
Tanisha Kumari | Oct 22, 2025, 18:55 IST
Dogs can smell cancer
( Image credit : Freepik )
Dogs can detect cancer before symptoms appear using their powerful sense of smell. With 300 million scent receptors, they identify volatile compounds from cancer cells in sweat, breath or urine. Real-life cases show dogs alerting owners to skin and breast cancer. Their bond with humans continues to save lives.
Dogs are amazing creatures as they have always been helpful for humankind. Be it guarding homes or guiding the blind, dogs are known to have strong senses. One more skill that adds up to their good books is their strong sense of smell. Studies have proved that dogs can smell cancer and other diseases even before the symptoms show. Dogs have 300 million scent receptors which is a small number compared to humans who have only 5 million receptors.
How Do Dogs Detect Cancer?
Dogs’ scent receptors give them the ability to detect volatile organic compounds released by cancer through a person’s sweat or breath. Dogs notice even the smallest changes in our bodies.
Dogs are sometimes trained by scientists to work for medical detection. They are made to sniff samples of urine and blood to pick up any signs of cancer. In some cases, dogs have been able to detect cancer even before the medical equipment could.
There are many stories that show dogs have sniffed out cancer symptoms even before a human has realised. Such as:
Why dogs do it
Dogs use their nose to explore places and when they come across cancer patients they detect anxiety or unusual behavior. So they start licking or nudging specific areas of a person's body. As the dog detects cancer, they start following the person more than usual. They become more protective while showing signs of distress or anxiety. They get restless if some unknown guy reaches the individuals by growling or barking.
It is true that dogs have good cancer detection skills but for a right diagnosis it is better to consult with your doctor. Strange behavior dogs show like sniffing a particular body part cannot be trusted all the time. Sometimes it is due to a change in hormonal balance. Doctors have extensively studied cancer so their word can be trusted more than a dog's.
A dog’s nose is more powerful than you think, they are capable of detecting illnesses we do not notice. Whether trained or not, their instincts remind us of the deep, intuitive bond between humans and dogs.
Celebrate the bond with your pets, explore Health & Nutrition, discover Breeds, master Training Tips, Behavior Decoder, and set out on exciting Travel Tails with Times Pets!
How Do Dogs Detect Cancer?
volatile organic compounds
( Image credit : Unsplash )
Dogs’ scent receptors give them the ability to detect volatile organic compounds released by cancer through a person’s sweat or breath. Dogs notice even the smallest changes in our bodies.
Example Cases of Dogs Detecting Cancer
- Lauren Gauthier the founder of Magic Mission Hound Rescue Organisation who had adopted a Treeing Walker Coonhound dog noticed a strange behaviour in her said "persistently sniffed and stared at what seemed like a pimple on my right nostril. It was so odd and she was so persistent that I finally decided to have it checked out.” That pimple ended up a common type of skin cancer.
- In Being a Dog, Alexandra Horowitz’s bestselling book talked about a Dachshund puppy who repeatedly smelled her owner’s armpit. Eventually when it was checked by the hospital, they found a lump in her armpit, signaling breast cancer.
Why dogs do it
Reason
( Image credit : Freepik )
Dogs use their nose to explore places and when they come across cancer patients they detect anxiety or unusual behavior. So they start licking or nudging specific areas of a person's body. As the dog detects cancer, they start following the person more than usual. They become more protective while showing signs of distress or anxiety. They get restless if some unknown guy reaches the individuals by growling or barking.
Should You Rely on a Dog Alone?
Dogs detect cancer
( Image credit : Freepik )
It is true that dogs have good cancer detection skills but for a right diagnosis it is better to consult with your doctor. Strange behavior dogs show like sniffing a particular body part cannot be trusted all the time. Sometimes it is due to a change in hormonal balance. Doctors have extensively studied cancer so their word can be trusted more than a dog's.
A dog’s nose is more powerful than you think, they are capable of detecting illnesses we do not notice. Whether trained or not, their instincts remind us of the deep, intuitive bond between humans and dogs.
Celebrate the bond with your pets, explore Health & Nutrition, discover Breeds, master Training Tips, Behavior Decoder, and set out on exciting Travel Tails with Times Pets!