Winter is the time of flu, ARVI and other respiratory diseases. Try to remember if illness put you to bed for a week or two? Now let's remember what your beloved dog was doing all this time. Something tells us: your four-legged friend was constantly near you, sympathizing and empathizing. Just a coincidence? Or did he actually guess about your painful condition? 
Traditionally, the short answer is: yes, dogs feel everything. And they are also in perfect order with empathy. Let's say more: thanks to their hypersensitive sense of smell, dogs are able to “sniff out” dozens of different diseases, including cancer in the early stages.
What does science tell us? Let's not speak in the language of feelings and emotions, but trust the facts. We touched on the topic of a dog’s hypersensitive sense of smell quite recently. It has long been known that dogs’ sense of smell is approximately 100,000 times greater than that of humans. When a person gets sick, the “chemistry” of his body changes, he smells completely different. And these changes do not go unnoticed by our shaggy pets.
Scientists are trying to put extraordinary canine talents at the service of people. It is logical to assume that if a person gets sick, for example, with ARVI, then his smell changes. What if, God forbid, a cancerous tumor develops? Cancer is insidious in that its early stages are mostly asymptomatic. Does “body chemistry” change in this case? The first experiments are impressive: with a probability of up to 90%, the dogs made correct diagnoses, finding prostate cancer, breast cancer and even lung cancer in people. Fiction: dogs are diagnosed with lung cancer by the smell of human breath. Prostate or bladder cancer - by the smell of urine. The dogs also learned to “sniff out” spikes in blood sugar—a very valuable quality for diabetic owners. What else? Pets can sense the approach of an epileptic seizure in sick people and even run for help. 
But that's not all. Do you suffer from migraine attacks? Then you are familiar with the general rule: you need to take the pill on time, don’t wait until your headache is “complete.” A faithful dog will sense the approach of a migraine attack and whine quietly. All you have to do is go and take the medicine - isn’t it a miracle!
The four-legged friend is always next to the owner. In both good and difficult times. The dog is always on guard of its owner. Hand on heart, let’s admit: a dog always knows and “anticipates” more than his owner.
Over the years of living under one roof, the dog learns everything about the owner, including his smells, habits, emotions and daily routine. In addition, four-legged friends subtly respond to surges in oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine in their owner’s body. When we get sick, the level of these hormones in the body drops sharply, and dogs feel it. But close communication with a pet, his presence, signs of attention shown to him, on the contrary, increase the level of hormones, and we begin to subjectively feel better. How happy the smart dog is when he sees that his beloved owner is on the mend!
Almost nothing escapes the attention of dogs. We worry, worry, get nervous - our body reacts with bursts of adrenaline and cortisol. And again the dog comes to the rescue: don’t be sad, master! Just sit quietly for a few minutes, take a few deep breaths, clear your thoughts. I'm here, I'll always help.
Why do dogs do this? We completely agree with our colleagues who call dogs examples of selflessness and self-sacrifice in the name of the owner’s happiness and health. Please note: the dog is deprived of the opportunity to utter words of consolation. But in this case, everything is clear and so, without unnecessary words. The pet considers itself an extension of its owner; it accepts him as he is. He will never judge or betray. So it is not an exaggeration to say that dogs “comfort” their owners according to the dictates of their hearts.
Now let's ask all dog lovers: tell me, how has your life changed with the advent of a furry friend? Did you feel happier than before? Perhaps there is no point in conducting a survey - the answer is already very clear.
Dear friends, appreciate every minute spent with your pets. Enjoy each other's company. Call your pet right now, hug and pet him. No matter how hard your day may be, as soon as you look at the dog waving its tail cordially, you immediately feel better. Did we guess right? 
Original: Does My Dog Know When I'm Sick? Author: Kylie Ora Lobell. Source: cuteness.com Photo: pri.org (from open sources).
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