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There's a Spot on the horizon of medical care because health science is going to the dogs. While it has long been known that dogs make great companions to the elderly and infirm, dogs are making their mark in the field of diagnostics and treatment. Research is now being conducted by heath care professionals that may someday make dogs an indispensable part of the medical team.

STUDY OF DOGS HELPING ALZHEIMERS PATIENTS

Early research by Barb McCabe, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing, UNMC College of Nursing Lincoln Division, evolved around therapy dogs in nursing homes. She found that patients, "reach out to dogs" even when they aren't communicating with staff or people.

Ongoing studies by Dr. McCabe, and Mara Baun, DNSc., are finding that dogs can also be beneficial in the care of Alzheimers patients. These new studies show that dogs are helpful in keeping Alzheimers patient's focused, thereby deceasing relapses in behavior that are caused by confusion.

STUDY OF DOGS LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE AND ANXIETY

The American Heart Association (AHA) is also getting dogs to heal. AHA research revealed that just a 12 minute visit with doggie doctor improved heart and lung function by lowering blood pressure and anxiety in patients with heart conditions.

STUDY OF BREAST CANCER IN DOGS COMPARED TO HUMANS

Sulma Mohammed, an associate professor of cancer biology in Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine is conducting a study on the similarities between pre-malignant lesions in dogs and humans. This research hopes to provide a better understanding of risks, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in humans and dogs.

STUDY OF DOGS DECTECTING DISEASE

In the field of diagnostics, dogs are ahead by a nose. Testimonies of dogs detecting ailments in their owners and saving their lives prompted researchers to find out if cancer sniffed out.

In a study done by Amersham Hospital in the UK, dogs were right on target in detecting the urine of bladder cancer patients.

Another study led by Michael McCulloc , LAc, MPH of the Pine Street Foundation, Ca, showed that in just a matter of weeks ordinary household dogs could be trained to accurately distinguish breath samples of lung and breast cancer patients from those of healthy individuals.

STUDY OF DOGS DETECTING DROPS IN BLOOD SUGAR

Sheila Hakel, the mother of three children with insulin dependent diabetes, has a special pet. The Hankel family dog, Meadow has been trained to smell the body chemicals that accompany low blood sugar levels. Since Meadow joined the family, Ms. Hankel has been alerted several times to drops in her children's blood sugar.

While research is still underway to determine the accuracy of diabetes detecting dogs it's only a matter of time before these dogs prove their worthiness as diagnosticians.

How's that for some dog gone great news!

Bib: http://www.deltasociety.org http://app1.unmc.edu/publicaff airs/newsarchive/view_art.cfm? article_id=931 http://www.nbc11.com/news/1068 3426/detail.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/ health/293770_pettherapy27.htm l http://www.americanheart.org/p resenter.jhtml?identifier=3035 327 http://www.mindfully.org/Healt h/2006/Canine-Cancer-Detection 1mar06.htm http://www.psmerg.org/articles /ICT.pdf http://www.diabetes.ca/Section _About/type1.asp

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