Your dog alerting you to health problem....

[Amstaffer]

Yesterday I was getting ready for work and both Athena and Sal were following me around and more closely than usual. Sal follows me but Athena rarely does. When I sat down to put my shoes on Athena started smelling my "bathing suit area" like if I had a had a strange dog sitting in my lap (which I hadn't).

Anyway..I finished getting ready, took the dogs out for the last time (niether dog wanted to leave my side) and left for work. This whole time I had a discomfort in my lower stomach area (right side) but since I have some stomach problems I didn't pay it much notice.

About an hour after I got to work this "discomfort" became an unbearable pain and I left work and barely made if home. I called my wife to take me to the emergency room. While I waited the dogs both laid nearly on top of me by the back door. Sal was in noticable distress.

To make a long story shorter...I went to the hospital and was treated for kidney stones (Passed two.. two more to go) and I am fine today.

My question is have you ever had a health problem that you think your dog was aware of and tried to tell you. Kidney stones would be easy for a dog to detect because of the blood in your urine but still I was really amazed after it was all over and I thought about how the dogs acted. I have heard cases of dogs alerting to seizures and cancer and all that but to me it is still amazing.

 

[bubbatd]

My Golden , Bushwacker , kept sniffy and licking the back of my leg years a go. Carsonoma.

 

[Renee750il]

Shiva pokes me in the belly with her snout when it's about to be that "time"

 

[TroyF]

The only person my pitter ever growled at was my dad. We consider him to be a cancer of the family. I'm not sure if that pertains .

PS: Amstaffer, ouch dude.

 

[justarottengirl]

I saw a documentary on service dogs one time and it showed a young girl that had uncontrolable seizures, they got her a trained Black lab (I believe) service dog and the dog would predict the siezures and then they could ready the girl, ie: lay her down, prop pillows around her etc. The dog would lay close by her and watch until the seizure was over. I thought that was pretty amazing.

It also showed a Doctor around the Baltimore Md area that had Parkinsons who lost his balance easily. He had a service dog that "sensed" when he was about to fall and the dog would lean against him and support him.

It was a great show but I cannot remember where I saw it or what the name of it was...had to be on the Animal Planet or National Geographic channel.

I think it is pretty cool that your dog tried to alert you!

 

[bubbatd]

A friend of mine was alerted by her GS .....the was a diabetic and was passing out !

 

[lpollockandrsn]

I have never known a dog to do this but I just continue to be amazed by these animals who love us so.

 

[Amstaffer]

The only person my pitter ever growled at was my dad. We consider him to be a cancer of the family. I'm not sure if that pertains .

Lol....I guess it does in a way.

 

[Zoom]

Wow, that's amazing! I'm glad it's nothing 'more' serious than kidney stones (though I'm sure it doesn't feel like it). I was worried your appendix had ruptured from the sound of it at the beginning.

My boss said she had trained a service dog a few years back for a Parkinson's patient, who would be walking along and sudden get stuck. He could not move from that spot or position unless someone/something touched him and 'reset' his system. His dog was trained to put a paw on his shoe and lean slightly against his leg when that happened.

 

[Amstaffer]

Wow, that's amazing! I'm glad it's nothing 'more' serious than kidney stones (though I'm sure it doesn't feel like it)..

Actually the doctor said that Kidney Stones was about the best thing compared to the other things it could have been. They are very painful but rarely life threatening.

 

[MyDogsLoveMe]

I saw the one about the girl with seizures also that was an amazing story. Dogs have a keen sense about them and they are very tuned into their families habits and lifestyles. I am glad it wasnt anything more serious, but can only imagine the stones were painful.

 

[PixieSticksandTricks]

It has never happened to me. But I have heard of dogs alerting their owners to breast cancer and such. I think its pretty amazing what dogs can sense.

 

[mojozen]

The closest I've come to this is when I'm sleeping and in the beginnings of an asthma attack. Mojo has woken me up before so I can take care of myself. I never thought much of it... I have noticed however if i am having asthma problems he's a lot less needy of my attention and time.

 

[Dreeza]

My Golden , Bushwacker , kept sniffy and licking the back of my leg years a go. Carsonoma.

wow...

and wow to Amstaffer too...

i always knew they could sense seizures - but i didnt realize they could sense these things too!!

that is so amazing...

Im always curious if all dogs can sense it, but they choose not to act on it (which of course makes sense that they would be more likely to detect it, and react to it on their owner than a random person)...i guess what i am trying to get across is if they would sense it and not act on it for other reasons - like not as strong of a bond, etc - or if some dogs simply cannot detect it (or if they learn to detect a difference in their owners, and therefore wouldnt be able to detect it on a random, etc etc)

i am sooo fasinated by these things!

 

[bubbatd]

Years ago it wasn't noticed like today. I saw a documentry on Goldens find cancer cells. This happened to me about 30 years ago... it was summer and I always had shorts on. Would sit on a stool in the kitchen and Bush just kept after me. I checked the back of my knee as few days later and there was an area that was " different ". I had been very badly sunburned about 25 years before ... I was lucky as it was where I needed a mirror to check. My doctor was amazed I saw it...then I told him about Bush. BTW...he bought one of my pups !

 

[MayasMom]

The woman who trained my parents dog was the founder of the Canine Seizure Assist Society of North Carolina. My dad served on the board at one time. I actually did my senior project in high school on seizures and how these dogs helped. The dogs were trained to dial 911 and stay near their person and help them as best they could. The first dog she trained was a yellow lab, but at least a couple that she helped people pick out were shelter dogs. The lab's owner had children, so he was trained to turn off the water in the bath in case the kids were in there. When she was going to have a seizure, he would not let her leave the house and usually make her sit down. She knew to trust his behavior. He was a big english lab, so if she had a seizure he would get in her way so she would fall on him instead of straight to the floor. Some of the dogs that were trained for seizure assist never alerted to a seizure. They are not sure why some dogs will and some won't. The organization was fairly new at the time though, so it may be that the dogs just learn to tune into slight differences in their owner. Unfortunately I have lost touch with this woman, so I'm not sure if they were able to determine that over time or not. These dogs were some of the most amazing dogs I've ever met though.

 

[sparks19]

First off, sorry to hear about the kidney stones. I have been there and done that and my mother tells me it is far more painful than child birth (and I was 10lbs) so I guess I am all set for kids now lol.

Second, A couple of weeks ago I was really ill. I just kept throwing up and I don't know why. But the night before Teddy slept in the bed right beside me (which he never does he always sleeps in his chair) He did not bug me to gett up and take him out which i did anyway lol and then he slept on the couch beside me all day and then back in bed with me again that night.

 

[TheWonderPuppies]

The giirls will come and get someone in the house if my mom has seizure and stay next to her on the days she doesnt feel well and i have realy bad asthma all my life and when im realy not feeling well and cant breath the are unuaualy calm and will lay on the floor next to me and give me occasional kisses especially comet will lay next to me and non of them were ever trained they just started doing it on there own

 

[CanadianK9]

One day I was working and it was scorching hot, and I was doing some heavy work, moving alot of gravel; well my pup started to nudge and lean against me I didnt think anything of it at the time. But then I passed out, and woke up to find a friend giving me water and talking to me.