16 replies to this topic

[Maelinde]

I was reading in a recent copy of Diabetes Forecast that some dogs are being trained to sense hypoglycemia (extremely LOW blood sugar in diabetics).

I know for fact that both of my cats sense extreme high blood sugar in me. Yes, I have type 2 diabetes.

My cats will literally pounce on me and start whining until I check my blood sugar. Each time they've done this, my blood sugar was quite high 225 or higher. It's normally below 125. They ONLY do this when I'm having a high.

I've also heard of dogs sensing epilepsy and other medical issues.

Anyone have experience with this or know of any other studies?

[Little_Bear]

I had a bloodhound that was a sezuire dog, could always tell when someone or another animal was going to have one. Plus have a cat that whenever I start yelling goes out of his way to calm me down. Makes me wonder if he knows something about my blood pressure or heart, trying to keep me from dropping dead or something.

[Redhead]

Moving this to Real Life.

[GiaCat21]

My cat and dog can tell when my blood pressure is crashing and I'm going to faint or go into an anoxic seizure (convulse due to low O2). Harry and Stella actually follow me to the bathroom (I'm the only one in the family)... They sit by the shower when I'm in the there... There have been many times when I've fainted and Harry (our jack russelll, Stella is a siamese) has gone to get someone... A couple of weks ago I fell off the couch and hit my head on the edge of the slate table and when I came to the dog was licking me. On my especially bad days, the both of them will "get along" (they like to try to eat each other) and come snuggle with me at the same time. Otherwise they make sure that I'm not alone (at least that's what it seems like to me). I've gotten up (I'm not supposed to except to go to the bathroom due to fainting) and Harry's barked at me and nipped at my heels...

My point, yes animals can definately tell...

[Axman]

I have often heard of using dogs to detect tumors.

[Seeker]

My dog and cats will all stick with us if one of us is sick.

[Maelinde]

This is so fascinating at how our animals can sense when we're not ok.

Thanks for participating in this thread. Let's keep this one going strong.

[Puti]

We live with a calico cat who sleeps with me. While I'm laying on my side, she would get on my hip and knead for a few minutes before settling on the bed somewhere. A couple of years ago, I'm laying on my left side, and instead of just kneading up on my hip, she started to reach down to the bottom part of my belly. A balancing act for her, and I had no idea what she thought she was doing. People who live with cats can understand that I just let her have her way because, afterall she'd be done with it in a couple of minutes. We also hold doors open for our cats too!

Anyhow, went to the doc's for a checkup and to make a long story a little shorter, it was discovered that I had a tennis ball size tumor on my left ovary.
She never did that behavior again. Do I think she knew? Yes.

[Laurie Ann]

~We lost my step-mom this past October due to complications from Diabetes (She was only 50, but looked late 70's). Her & my dad have these 2 cats, but only one of them would jump on her chest & start licking her mouth when her sugar was either high or low (can't remember). I read somewhere that cats will lick the sugar-secretion off of your mouth.
My Dad moved in with me & my family shortly after Christmas & the other cat (Tigger) will follow him around all day long when my Dad has episodes with his heart. We have to give him a Nitris (sp?) pill under his tongue, then wait 15 minutes & give him another one. Tigger will follow him around all day, so we keep an extra eye out for Dad when Tigger plays like a "little shadow".

[GiaCat21]

One theory I have for why the animals follow me around is because my body goes into "fight or flight" thanks to my faulty ANS... I know that causes a major catecholemine dump (epinephrine, norepinephrine, metanephrine....)... I wonder if I give off some kind of "scent" that only they can smell... Kinda like phermones? I'm sure that the body must go into some sort of fight or flight mode with other illnesses as well as your body becomes stressed....

Last night I was battling the insomnia monster and I gave up trying to fall asleep and resorted to Solitare on my laptop.... Around 3:30 am Stella came up from behind my lap top and actually CLOSED it... Then meowed and head butted me in the face, until I rolled over on my sleeping side with the body pillow to snuggle. Then she gave me her "message" (kneaded my shoulded and trachea...) and spooned and purred till we both fell asleep. But I thought that was cute that she cut me off of Solitare....

[Seer]

My friend has a golden lab (Jack) that is an absoulute angel. Jack started jumping up and kept trying to bite her in the breast. He kept doing that for months. She went for a mamogram and they found a lump which was cancer. Since having it removed and treatments he no longer does this to her.

A few months ago, Jack jumped up on her brother-in-law and kept going to his chest. It was diagnosed a month later that the man had lung cancer.

Animals are so in tune with our energy they can feel the shift. We just have to be observant when they start behaving differently. It could save our lives.

Seer

[Maelinde]

Well, today my cats had both proven they could sense LOW blood sugar...

I didn't eat enough carbohydrates today, and went to the Renaissance Faire. My activity level increased 100%, yet I didn't eat enough to compensate.

Needless to say I got ill and had to be escorted to First Aid - right in front of all my friends... When they released me to go home (and I had to promise to go straight home), as soon as I got into comfy clothes, my cats both jumped on me and started grooming my face and hair. They were quite agitated. I checked my blood sugar and it was 65... Scary stuff - and that was AFTER eating hard candy, a banana and a glass of gatorade.

It's now up to 106, and I'm doing better. They decided that my sleeping husband makes for a more comfortable bed than my lap.

Animals really do have a keener sense of smell than we do, and I think that the illnesses they pick up on do carry a particular scent they find disturbing enough to warn us about.

Thanks everyone for contributing to this thread. I'm really enjoying reading about your experiences.

[amymyers1973]

It's really interesting to read everyone's stories about their pets. Animals are amazing creatures and more intuitive than we could imagine.

In my experience, cats are especially in tune with the human bio-energy field and healing energies. At the house where our Reiki group practiced, the cats would not stay away from the massage table. The cats would sleep under the table or climb on us and go to spots on a person's body that needed healing.

My bratzilla cat knows when my guts are messed up with "phantom appendix" pain. (Seriously, internal scar tissue hurts). She very lovingly, sadistically, climbs on my belly, turns in a circle to get comfy, and knits, knits, knits her front paws right on the most pianful spot until the rebound pain makes me mad and I throw her out of bed.

You gotta love cats.

[eppie]

I am so loving the kitty stories!!

[Maelinde]

I love my kitties as they are my "fur babies". I don't have any "human" kids yet, so my kitties get spoiled rotten.

I used to joke with my oldest cat, Cuddlebug that she's so spoiled that there must be an expiration date on one of her legs somewhere. Well, sadly last February that expiration date came. I do see her often, usually up to the same antics when she was alive. She also sensed when my blood sugar went high. She took care of me when I was sick, often becoming a pillow for me - allowing me to lie down on her belly and fall asleep to the rhythmic purring. I miss that old girl.

I'm so glad this thread struck a chord with so many others here in the village. Animals of all kind are awesome, especially those who willingly come to us as pets. I don't think they're with us by accident. I think we're all meant to share our lives with these amazing creatures for a reason. What that reason is exactly, I don't know. I'm just glad to have them in my life.