In England, the owner of a dog is convinced that her animal alerted her to her breast cancer several weeks before she perceived the tumor.
- Breast cancer usually develops in the outer parts of the mammary gland, near the armpit.
- According to the Federation of Food Producers for Dogs, Cats, Birds, Fish and Small Mammals (Facco), 50.5% of French households own at least one animal.
Nearly 60,000 breast cancers were screened in 2018, according to theNational Cancer Institute, which is most common in women. Between 2010 and 2018, the number of deaths linked to this disease fell by 1.6% per year, in particular thanks to screening campaigns. Indeed, according to the website of theHealth Insurance, there would be 99% five-year survival for breast cancer detected at an early stage compared to only 26% when diagnosed at a late stage. Screening therefore remains a major public health issue because it increases the chances of recovery…
Hugs to warn his mistress
Far from the classic screenings carried out by health professionals, an English patient is convinced that it was her dog who discovered her pathology! In 2018, Tanya Hibberd and her husband returned from vacation. From then on, Sapphire, his husky, gave him lots of hugs and regularly put his paw on his mistress’ chest.
“I thought it was a cyst”
Not particularly trying to interpret her dog’s attitude, it was only four weeks later that Tanya understood… When she discovered a lump in one of her breasts. “I thought it was a cyst at first, she explained to DailyMirror. I asked my husband to feel me and he told me to go see a doctor”
Tanya had triple negative breast cancer
She consults and the diagnosis falls quickly: she has triple negative breast cancer, that is to say one of the most aggressive forms. She starts the chemotherapy sessions… After five weeks, the volume of the tumor had decreased. She then underwent twenty sessions of radiotherapy. Finally, in July 2019, she was cured.
“What a smart female dog”
During treatment,Sapphire would continue to lay by my side and if I was really bad she would get under the covers with me, which is unusual for a husky.” says Tanya. We tell everyone she smelled my cancer. When I found out about my size, I thought “What a smart female dog!” Maybe I would have detected it myself but I don’t know. I had already checked three or four weeks before and probably would have checked again a few weeks after. But given the type of cancer I had, it might have been too late. (…) Sapphire is truly special and she will always be in my heart. I think she saved my life”.
Animals improve mental health
This is not the first time that the crucial role of animals has been highlighted. According to a study published in the journal PLOS One in December 2021, having a dog would improve the mental health of their owners, especially during confinements due to Covid-19. Other works, published in the journal Anthrozoosexplained that cuddling your pet contributed to psychological well-being by reducing stress. So many arguments that could convince you to soon adopt a little ball of fur!
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