Astounding study shows dogs can smell bladder cancer in other dogs

Dogs tend to have a sharp sense of smell and hearing and can detect a lot of things that humans can't catch. A new study shows that dogs might be able to detect bladder cancer in other dogs. The study results share that dogs could detect the disease in other dogs by smelling their urine with great accuracy. Currently, it is quite hard to diagnose the disease, and hence, it could be very helpful if the research is successful, as per Medical Detection Dogs.

Three dogs had been trained by the organization to detect prostate and bladder cancer in humans and have been trained to detect canine urothelial carcinoma in dogs through the difference in odour in the urine. The results showed that bladder cancer in dogs has a distinct smell and it can be diagnosed by trained dogs. The test is non-invasive and quick and has as much as 90 percent sensitivity (the accuracy in identifying positive samples) and 95 percent specificity (the accuracy in identifying negative samples). Around one in four dogs will develop cancer in their lifetime, and UC is the most common type of bladder cancer in dogs. It makes up 2% of all cancers detected in dogs.

The symptoms of the disease are quite similar to other problems like UTIs and bladder stones and the vet might not think that the dog could have cancer. It has also been hard to detect because the use of needles for tests is not advised, as they can cause the tumor to seed. A histopathology of a biopsy sample is done to get an accurate diagnosis and it can be invasive, expensive and time-consuming, delaying a canine's treatment. Three dogs, a Working Cocker Spaniel called Kizzy, a Cocker Spaniel called Jobi and a black Labrador called Marlow were trained to do the tests by smelling a urine sample attached to a metal stand. They use a sit, stare or stand indication to show positive cancerous results and do nothing otherwise.

They are rewarded with food for every positive or negative result they are able to identify. The urine samples to conduct the experiment were collected from patient urine samples from Davies Veterinary Specialists and from the healthy dogs at the charity as well as from staff and volunteers at the place. Claire Guest, CEO, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Medical Detection Dogs, pointed out, "We have proven many times that dogs can detect cancer in human samples, so we're confident that they would also be able to smell it in those from other canines." She added, "We are delighted that they were so successful at finding the odour of bladder cancer as it is a difficult disease to diagnose using traditional methods and is unpleasant and intrusive for canine patients."

"When they do get diagnosed, the disease is often advanced, so there is great potential value in a new, early, cheap, rapid and non-invasive diagnostic test which could lead to opportunities for earlier intervention than is possible at present," Guest revealed. Mark Goodfellow, the head of Oncology at Davies Veterinary Specialists, noted, "My colleagues and I at Davies Veterinary Specialists are delighted that this study, which was devised, planned and undertaken in partnership with Medical Detection Dogs, has been published. Showing that trained detection dogs can aid in the identification of this, often hidden disease, adds an extra tool in the diagnosis of urothelial cancer in dogs." According to Veterinary Oncology, dogs also have a higher likelihood of developing cancer as they grow older, just like humans and the probability of the disease increases in dogs over 10 years of age.