Baltimore Woman Says Dog 'Sniffed Out' Her Lung Cancer And Saved Her Life
A Baltimore woman believes that her dog, Heidi, sniffed out her lung cancer and saved her life, according to ABC News. Anne Wills, 53, said that her dog would "literally not let me get up."
"She would scratch my arm, and she was very panic-stricken and panting a lot," Wills said. "[She] started taking her nose and stuffing it in my chest and keeping it there and breathing in really deeply."
The 9-year-old German Shepherd-Labrador mix had the same behavior for weeks, according to Wills, and since her behavior became more insistent, the next logical step was to take Heidi to the veterinarian.
After the vet gave Heidi a clean bill of health, Wills sensed that Heidi knew there was something wrong with her, so she went to her own doctor.
"I was sent for a CAT scan, and 9 a.m. the next morning, I get a call saying that I have three spots of cancer in my lungs and that I have to get it taken care of right away," Wills said. "And so the journey begins."
Dr. Enser Cole, Will's oncologist and chief of medical oncology at Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, said that if the dog had not been so persistent, the cancer in Wills might have spread to the point of no return.
"I had no symptoms, no way of knowing I had cancer, and that it was this bad," Wills said. "I absolutely believe Heidi saved my life. If it wasn’t for what she did, I'd probably be making funeral arrangements, from what doctors told me."
