Publication Date: February 21, 2013
[easyazon-image align=”left” asin=”B00BJC5M7E” locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513GrawzKZL._SL160_.jpg” width=”120″]Can dogs smell cancer in their owners? We know that working dogs use their keen sense of smell in their daily jobs, but did you know that dogs can smell certain maladies including cancer in their owners.
Before beginning this review, I’d like to share a personal story with my readers which will illustrate why I went into this novel already pre-disposed to buying the supposition that dogs have abilities as of yet untapped. When my daughter was a year old, her airway closed in the middle of the night as a result of an onset of croup. Our black lab, Shiloh, woke my husband and me and urgently led us to the crib where our daughter was unable to breathe. We immediately scooped her up and took her outside into the cold air to open her airway and her life was saved.
Avis gives us in [easyazon-link asin=”B00BJC5M7E” locale=”us”]Dogs Sniff Cancer (& Other Groundbreaking Cancer News)[/easyazon-link] an extensive example base for dogs saving their owner’s life. From the dog who ate the “sugar toe” keeping his owner from going into a diabetic coma to the dog who licked a mole incessantly even through his owner’s pants that turned out to be cancerous, Avis presents us with story examples of the unique abilities of the canine. Along with lifesaving dogs, Avis briefly profiles the varied jobs a working dog might have. Sniffing for drugs, dead bodies or biological material, dogs protect us and our eco system. One job that really surprised me because I’d never thought of it was the role of dogs in detecting phones in prison. Lives are saved by dogs who prohibit inmates from getting access to phones.
Of course, a story of great canine abilities wouldn’t be complete without the science. Avis outlines for us the physical structure that enables the working dog to be effective. When you’re baking a casserole you may smell outstanding ingredients working together, but your dog smells every ingredient in the dish individually. The author also outlines the common cancers, their symptoms and the necessity of early detection. She also introduces readers who haven’t heard of the technology to a bra that detects cancer.
Avis presents in [easyazon-link asin=”B00BJC5M7E” locale=”us”]Dogs Sniff Cancer (& Other Groundbreaking Cancer News)[/easyazon-link] a well-written and well-researched treatise on the value of our canine partners. As she says in her narrative dogs are indeed, “furry angels”. If you like nonfiction books especially in praise of our favorite furry partners and ones that really examine their potential positive impact to humanity; [easyazon-link asin=”B00BJC5M7E” locale=”us”]Dogs Sniff Cancer (& Other Groundbreaking Cancer News)[/easyazon-link] is the book for you.
If this sounds like a book for you, you can order it through Amazon.com by clicking on the image or book title anywhere in this review. Links for Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk appear below.
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Jennifer Avis is an investigative reporter/writer who lives in the Washington, D.C. area.
For more information about Jennifer Avis as her work, visit her website. You can connect with her on GoodReads and Twitter @JenniferAvis5.