The dogtor will see you now...
Claire with her team of medical detection dogs
Dogs could lead the way sniffing out patients with Parkinson’s after a daughter began training her pups when her dad was diagnosed. Claire Guest began the experiment when John, 79, discovered he had the disease two years ago.
He lost his sense of smell in his 40s then had trouble balancing and walking.
Claire, 54, said: “Dad was very active, enjoying walking with my mum Maureen and their dogs, and it came on slowly, over three or four years, to where he struggled on a short walk. When he was diagnosed I was devastated.”
Claire has first-hand experience of dogs sniffing out diseases as her labrador Daisy detected her breast cancer six years ago. She later set up charity Medical Detection Dogs while her dad helped her recover.
She said: “While dad was nursing me through cancer, he had Parkinson’s and the damage was taking place. Once that happens, you can’t reverse it.”
Parkinson’s affects one in 500 people. Signs include tremors, rigid muscles and poor balance and speech. Parkinson’s UK says by that stage, up to 50 per cent of cells in the brain are beyond repair.
In a study with Manchester University, Claire’s other dogs – Peanut, Bumper, Zen and Rumba – diagnosed it in 400 samples.
Dogs, who have 300million scent receptors, sniff a swab from the neck or forehead on a stand, which they press with their nose if they detect it.
In June, Claire’s charity was given £11,000 from food brand Purina to further her work. She hopes it could lead to better treatment, improve quality of life and help patients live longer.
PASSIONATE
Claire, from Milton Keynes, said: “Dad thinks it is incredible. The time it could have helped him is passed but he thinks to the future and people it will help.
“He’s passionate about what we’re doing and the fact we will hopefully make a difference to millions of people.”
Clare Bale, from Parkinson’s UK, said: “Working with dogs is a really interesting avenue to explore and could be part of identifying people at a very early stage.
“There’s a long period people spend in terrible uncertainty where they are going through many medical tests we know that is tremendously stressful.
“If we could take away that process that would be a phenomenal thing. We don’t have treatments to slow or stop it but we’re working towards them.”