Insights from dogs

Nurses General Nursing

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The "smell of death" thread brought this question back to my mind, or made me think that maybe someone here might have some insights... My mother is soon to be 95 and has pulmonary fibrosis is on O2 all the time, so she frequently has a soft cough, and clears her throat etc, lately my dog has taken to running behind my recliner when she coughs. They get along great (he loves her especailly because when she doesn't want to finish her meal she hands the dog the left overs). I or other people can cough and cough and he won't budge, but let Mom even clear her throat and he's up from a deep sleep and looking for cover. I should also perhaps explain that he is an adopted shelter dog so he's always been a bit skitish about loud nosies (people yelling, fireworks, etc)...but really mom just has that soft little ole lady cough.

Do you think he hears something high pitched? Or does he know something more?

(This is not a request for medical advice mom has a good dr's and for that matter the dog has a good vet...I'm just curious what this may mean)

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

Really I have no idea if it means anything or not. Interesting though.

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Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Never seen any of mine do that, and I have had several. Dogs have really keen ears, though, my Lab will start to howling, and that's how I know an ambulance or fire truck is coming, before I hear the sirens (and I have ears like a bat, Daddy calls me bionic ear). It may not be so much the volume of the cough, may be the pitch? You know how humans can't hear a dog whistle, but it drives dogs crazy? Maybe it's something like that.

New one on me though, but dogs (and cats, too) can baffle the heck out of you at times.

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Animals have special "powers" and senses. I cared for my grandmother with COPD & Emphysema for many years. My guess is the dog is sensitive to the pitch of the cough. Watch their behavior though they often are more aware of when the time is than we are. Both my animals behaved very differently nearly two weeks prior to my grandmother's passing. Good luck I know how unsettling it is to have your animals act strangely. BTW all my animals are rescues.

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Since we are energy, we vibrate just like other elements of energy do (solid, liquid, gas). Even though this laptop im using is "solid" its still little particles smushed together vibrating. Im sure its just a matter of a different level of vibrations....?

That said, since animals can have senses greater than ours, such as a stronger sense of smell, sight, hearing etc...im CERTAIN they know more of vibrational energy levels than we do. I'm sorry your mother is ill, but i'm sure the dog can sense its a sick cough, and not a regular couch even though its a cute little quiet one. Just as dogs can sense seizures and earthquakes before they happen. Also, think of the concept of healers (and one child i saw on Psychic Kids)...they are able to harness their energy and sense the energies of others. Kind of using that to find where a tumor may be....so think of that human ability of some gifted people, and in thinking of how much of a higher sensing ability dogs have....apply that to doggies.

Remember the scene from the book, Marley and Me when Marley was being...well...such a sh*t and when the wife came home after her first miscarriage, Marley quietly walked up to her and placed his head in her lap quietly consoling her. Ive had my animals do that to me (not after anything so traumatic, thank goodnesS) But my cats, ferret, and dog have all known when i was sad, when my mother had breast cancer, when i had a seizure. ITs just something that we as humans don't have an ability to understand, since its a quality we lack.

For more insight, google "Echo the Elephant". Enjoy being amazed even further on the insightfulness (sp?) of animals!

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It could be something really simple. Maybe she ran behind the furniture for some other reason once, and someone gave a reaction at the same time (didn't even have to be about what she did) and she connected her action and their reaction to the cough. I've heard quite a few such things, not connected with health care, just odd connections dogs have made. I accidently taught my dog to give a big stretch when I ask her if she wants to "go outside" if she does need to go out. I think it would be similar to teaching seizure alert dogs or drug sniffing dogs... some of them indicate a certain stimulous by sitting or bumping with a nose or going to a person or place.

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

I know my little weinie dog always knows when my rheumatoid arthritis is hurting. She will jump in my lap and go straight to my hand where it is the worst and start licking. A few weeks ago I caught a bug and both cats and dog would not leave me alone. DH took a picture of me and three pets piled in a heap asleep. I am a firm believer of pets knowing when something is wrong

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
Since we are energy, we vibrate just like other elements of energy do (solid, liquid, gas). Even though this laptop im using is "solid" its still little particles smushed together vibrating. Im sure its just a matter of a different level of vibrations....?

Just as dogs can sense seizures and earthquakes before they happen. Also, think of the concept of healers (and one child i saw on Psychic Kids)...they are able to harness their energy and sense the energies of others. Kind of using that to find where a tumor may be....so think of that human ability of some gifted people, and in thinking of how much of a higher sensing ability dogs have....apply that to doggies.

I concur with this. I don't have any scientific evidence for it, but I have seen my own dog over and over respond to my son when he has seizures. He doesn't really warn us before hand, but he is ready to "lick him back to health" afterward.:redpinkhe The really weird thing is, if Christian has a seizure you can bet the dog will have on within 48hrs. If the dog has a sezure, Christian will have one within 2 days. It took us a long time to get Christian's seizures under good control--his seizures were always at least 5 minutes and have on occasion gone 24 minutes.:eek: The medical doctors all thought I was crazy, except for this one older ER doc who suspected that there was some kind of electro-psychic connection between the two of them. The vet agreed with that assessment and agreed to medicate the dog in an effort to help reduce my son's seizures. It took awhile, but eventually we got both of them under control. DS still has a seizure now and then(he's going through a rapid growth spurt now), but the dog hasn't had one in several months.

My dog also alerts me to when Christian is in trouble. DS is very mentally hanidcapped, on the level of a 1yo. He walks but he's an escape artist. He has gotten away from school twice and home 3-4 times, one time at 11pm. The dog was going crazy whining, scratching the door, barking off and on. I was ready to punish the dog when I thought, maybe there's a burglar out there. Nope, not a burglar. My son was walking up and down the road in the dark in the middle of the night.:eek: Now when the dog carries on like that I assume that "Timmy's in the well!" and run like the wind~

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My dogs and cat are really cuddly when I am sick. They stay near me all day.

When my sister was pregnant her in-laws bassett hound would follow her everywhere. If she got up he was was up following her, if she went out side he was right behind her, continued until the baby came. After that the dog never followed her again. Four years later with her second pregnancy he was at it again following her. He sinced something and was protecting her.

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One of our dogs does the same thing when my husband coughs. She totally freaks and comes over to me like she is scared/worried. She ignores everyone else when they cough. The other dog has no reaction.

Both dogs adore my husband and neither one has any reason to be scared of a cough. Also, my husband is in generally good health. The source of the cough @ night is lisinopril - although she reacts to a simple throat clearing the same way. His blood pressure is well controlled and I in no way think she is indicating any problem with him. My guess is that she perceives him as the alpha and does not know how to interpret the noise - ie: is he upset about something.

Oddly, the same dog that is scared of my husband's coughs is more reliable than the weather service for warnings about heavy lightning and tornadoes.

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