Question:
I have two dogs. The older female had a growth removed from her leg, and the other one (male) checks that spot every morning when they get up. They sleep on the sofa together. It seems like he's checking up on her because he knows she's had a problem.
Do animals play doctor, or is it just curiosity because she may smell different?
R.E., Culpeper, Va Sep 27, 2011
Answer:
Animals do indeed "play doctor," caring for one of their own kind when ill, injured or in need of help. Members of the pack have been observed in the wild bringing food to an injured wolf until their pack mate made a full recovery. Chimpanzees and other primates have been seen consuming certain herbs when they are ill, clearly passing this knowledge from one generation to the next. Elephants and dolphins will protect an injured member of their group, and some serve as midwives and baby sitters. There are countless other reports of animals "playing doctor," all indicative of a degree of awareness/consciousness and empathic concern that should radically change how people regard and treat them.
Some dogs are more adept or motivated than others to be attentive caregivers. Just like your dog, our male dog Batman vets our dog Lizzie every morning before they go out, carefully sniffing several places on her body where various growths were removed surgically months ago. He shows evident concern and was actually the first to spot a small growth on her ankle.
Researchers are using this sensitive ability of dogs, with their highly developed sense of smell, to facilitate early diagnosis of various cancers in humans.
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