Dogs have a remarkable sense of smell. They've been trained to detect all sorts of things, from drugs to explosives.
Now, new research shows that they might also be able to detect bladder cancer in other dogs by sniffing their urine, according to Videnskab.
A recent study published in the journal Veterinary and Comparative Oncology suggests that dogs can identify bladder cancer in other dogs based on the smell of their urine.
Researchers trained three dogs, who were already skilled at detecting bladder and prostate cancer in humans, to identify the scent of bladder cancer in dogs.
The results were impressive. The dogs were able to detect bladder cancer in 90% of the cases they tested. They ignored 95% of samples that didn't have cancer, showing they could focus on the right ones.
Bladder cancer in dogs is difficult to diagnose. Normally, it requires a tissue sample, which can be expensive and invasive.
But the new research shows that dogs could help detect the disease much earlier. This would make diagnosis faster, cheaper, and less invasive for dogs in the future.
Up to 25% of dogs may develop cancer during their lifetime, and bladder cancer can be particularly hard to catch early.
Claire Guest, the CEO of Medical Detection Dogs, praised the success of the dogs in detecting the cancer.
She explained that the dogs' ability to find the smell of bladder cancer could be a game-changer for diagnosing this hard-to-detect disease.
Medical Detection Dogs played a key role in this study by training the dogs used in the research.
Guest hopes that this breakthrough could lead to more accessible and less invasive ways to diagnose cancer in dogs.
In the future, the ability to detect bladder cancer through scent could make a big difference for both dogs and their owners.
