Do Dogs Know When You’re Sick? The Interesting Answer!

Dogs are considered man’s best friend for various reasons. They are incredibly loyal and entertaining, and they’re good at keeping their human companions company when nobody else is around. Dogs also happen to be highly observant. So, does your dog know when you are sick? It turns out that they might be able to tell when you're sick! Here’s how.

A Dog’s Nose Can Tell Them About Your Health

A dog’s nose has about 300 million olfactory receptors1, which is over 6 million more than humans have. Dogs can also process smells better than we can. So, while we can’t smell someone's odor changes due to a change in volatile organic compounds within the body, a dog likely can.

For instance, a diabetic human’s bodily compounds change when their blood sugar levels rise or fall. A dog trained to do so can smell the change in compounds and alert their companion to the blood sugar irregularities2. Some dogs also seem to be able to detect cancer by smelling a human's breath, skin tissue, or urine3.

So, it makes sense that a dog can detect when you are sick, even with a cold, as your organic compounds will change and produce a different smell than would be produced when you are in good health. However, a dog must know how a person normally smells to detect a change in their body chemistry.

Therefore, your dog might be able to detect when you are sick, but chances are that they would not be able to detect an illness in someone they have never met or don’t know well. The exception is the dogs trained to detect the specific scents of cancer or other illnesses. In that case, they should be able to detect cancer or illness in anyone’s saliva or urine sample that they sniff.

It’s Not Just About a Dog’s Nose

Most dogs are good at understanding their companion’s body language and changes in behavior. They also know every aspect of their owner's daily routine and use that routine to give themselves confidence that everything is going smoothly.

If you are not feeling well, you might rest or blow your nose more than usual. You may groan when getting up to make food or complete other tasks. You might even be a bit grumpy with everyone around you. You might drink more liquids to stay hydrated. Whatever the changes in your behavior, your dog will notice and understand that something is wrong.

How Dogs Might Respond If They Realize That Their Companion Is Sick

All dogs are different, so their response to detecting illness in their pet parents can vary. Most dogs will stick closer to their companion’s side throughout the day as if watching over them. They might pace back and forth nearby during a nap or movie-watching session. Your dog’s reaction might be subtle and hard to identify if they are already naturally cuddly and interactive with you.

A Quick Recap

Research shows that dogs can detect when their human companions are sick. Trained dogs do a better job of doing so; however, untrained dogs may not react to their detection of an illness. It depends on the dog, their instincts, and their ability to communicate their concerns with those around them. It’s not a good idea to rely on a dog to detect when you are ill, as they may not alert you. Whenever you feel sick, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor.

Featured Image Credit: Aleksey Boyko, Shutterstock