At our recent Standard Schnauzer Club National Specialty, we had an educational program given by Drs. Jim and Dianne Walker of Florida State. They are working on the ability of dogs to detect cancer, and also, the level at which dogs can discern odors. Their Std. Schnauzer "Stormy" is a protege of the famous cancer-sniffing SS "George".

Their reserach has found that dogs can detect odors at tremendously low concentrations, in the parts per trillion range, and have olfactory sensitivities 10,000x or more better than ours.

They have worked on melanoma but are now studying bladder and breast cancer detection. Bladder is detected from urine but breast cancer is detected in the breath! Thus some factor (what it is has not yet been identified) makes it from the cancer to the bloodstream to the lungs and out. They are not sure if the dog actually detects the cancer, per se, or some by-product of cellular breakdown, metabolism or even immune reaction. This is all being studied. They gave us a very impressive demo and also, showed video clips.

"George" famously detected residual melanoma in a patient who had been declared cancer-free -- complete excision of the target skin area and thin-sectioning revealed microscopic cancer. But the dog knew it was there.

So it is not at all unlikely that your dog smelled "something wrong" -- there are many anecdotes about this.

Gail