Pets that detect illnesses

Meet Dr. Rocky.

I am sure you have heard at least one story about how a dog or cat detected cancer or another health issue in their owners.  I have three cats, and only one of them believes he has the power to heal me or point out where the source of pain is located.  Here is his story…

In the beginning, when my hands would hurt so badly that I couldn’t make a fist or hold a fork, Dr. Rocky would lay across them.  If I would try to move them, he would stomp on them and force me to allow him to plop his belly on them.  I was amazed by how therapeutic the warmth of his belly and his purring were.  Later, when I was suffering from the pain we later learned was caused by ovarian cysts, he would lie on my belly.  He would become physically ill himself when my pain was unbearably high.

While over twenty specialists couldn’t find the source of my pain after my botched hysterectomy, Dr. Rocky knew precisely where the source of my pain was.  I was careful not to sound insane by telling my doctors that my cat insisted on the area in question, but I tried hard to convince them that they needed to be looking in that area.  The pain was too intense for Dr. Rocky; instead of laying on it, he would rest a paw or two on the exact area that later revealed the source.  When Psoriatic Arthritis increased the pain in my back, Dr. Rocky began to curl up next to my spine.  He would plop his body on my head when suffering from a migraine.

Now that I am suffering from pain in my entire abdomen, he wants to lie across my belly or, at the very least, be pushed up against my left side.  When my pain is too intense for him, he will keep a few inches distance while remaining near where he feels the source is.  It will be interesting to see what my real doctors end up finding.  So far, Dr. Rocky has never been wrong.  

Have you ever had a pet point out a health issue?  How did they do it, and what was the source of your pain?  I love my fur babies.  I can’t imagine not having them to comfort me or to keep me company while stuck in bed.  But I am intrigued by Dr. Rocky and how intuitive he is when it concerns my body.  One of the other two won’t let me hold him, nor will he lie on me, and the other one hates me.  I used to think the one that hated me was just evil, but now I am beginning to think she may sense my pain and wants nothing to do with it.  I have noticed that she will come near me when my pain level is lower, so I may be on to something…

Now that I sound like a crazy cat lady, it is your turn!!  Did your pet figure out the source of pain before your doctor?  How do your fur babies comfort you when you are having a rough day?

Gentle hugs,

The Disabled Diva