Dr Susan Dunnett, a volunteer with the charity Medical Detection Dogs, told Warwick Rotarians about their work this week.
The charity was established in 2008 and trains and supports Bio Detection Dogs which identify people who may have a disease; and Medical Alert Assistance Dogs who live with people with life threatening conditions and alert them to its onset.
Sue was a doctor working in the field of cancer and was fascinated to hear about a dog sniffing out a melanoma on a young person who was then diagnosed. A study in BMJ in 2004 showed dogs to be successful in detecting Bladder cancer and a centre was established in Milton Keynes to explore their potential for other diseases.
Dogs are trained there to help early diagnosis of cancer and other diseases by sniffing samples to detect the odour of human disease and develop faster, more efficient and less invasive diagnostics leading to better patient outcomes. These include Prostate Cancer; Covid 19, Parkinsons and Malaria. They can take 18 months to 2 years to train, and dogs such as spaniels, labradors and other hunting dogs are best suited, although dogs of 16 different breeds have been trained so far..
Medical Alert Assistance dogs can cost £29,000 to train, and support individuals with complex health conditions who have limited awareness of an impending life-threatening medical event. Using their amazing sense of smell dogs can identify minute odour changes emitted prior to an emergency and alert the person to take preventative action. This reduces 999 calls and hospital admissions and gives people and their families/carers greater confidence and independence.
Currently there are dogs working for people with: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS); Addison’s disease; Severe allergies; Type 1 diabetes; other endocrine disorders; and episodes of sudden health deterioration.
The charity needs £2.5 million a year to continue their work and you can find out more at www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk where they have a magazine appropriately titled “Sniff”, as well as how you can help or make a donation.
Sue recounted a recent visit to Clarence House to celebrate the charities 15th anniversary where she met the Queen who is to continue as Patron and loves to meet the dogs and hear about their work. Thanking Sue for his presentation President Alan Bailey said that we had found her talk fascinating and as dog lovers we appreciated the bond they formed with their families. Club will be making a donation.
President Alan Bailey and Dr Susan Dunnett 
Spring has completed his final assessment