Woman shared her dog’s strange habit of sniffing her belly button – then doctor called her to the hospital to reveal a shocking diagnosis
Pets often display quirky behaviors that leave us puzzled, but some of these odd habits can have unexpected outcomes. A Reddit post from a user under the handle u/Remote-Physics6980, shared a year ago, tells the incredible story of how her dog’s unusual fascination with her belly button ultimately saved her life. When the pet owner visited her doctor because she had been feeling unwell, she had no idea that mentioning her dog's odd behavior would lead to a serious medical discovery.
In her post, the woman explained how she got Apollo, a Collie, in early 2018 to help her with mobility issues. While he settled in well, Apollo developed a curious habit; he became obsessed with sniffing and even nudging at her belly button. "He would even move my clothing to get to my belly button," she recalled. At first, she thought it was just a strange quirk, but her health had been declining, and she had been visiting doctors at St. Joseph's Hospital in Eureka to address her symptoms. One day, while discussing her ongoing illness with her doctor, she casually mentioned Apollo’s unusual actions.
That comment changed everything. As she mentioned the dog’s fascination, the doctor, who was in the middle of writing her a prescription, suddenly stopped and asked if she could visit the hospital the following day. He explained that they would need to scope both ends to figure out what was causing her illness. With little hesitation, she agreed, not knowing how crucial that moment would be.
What followed was a week of hospital tests, morphine, and worrying results. After seven long days of procedures, her doctor and the nurses came to her room. The doctor looked at Apollo, sitting by her bed, and said, "Where is that dog? You be nice to that dog." She responded, “I’m always nice to this dog.” The doctor then dropped the bombshell, “That's good, because that dog saved your life.” The tests revealed that she had sessile, stalked polyps in her colon. If they hadn’t been caught early, the outcome could have been far worse. Thanks to Apollo’s persistent behavior, the condition was discovered in time, saving her life.
Reflecting on the experience, she wrote that she could never fully explain to Apollo just how much he meant to her. “I can never make my dog understand how much he matters to me, but I'm gonna spend every day of my life trying to do it anyway,” she said. The story immediately caught the attention of numerous Reddit users, who made sure to leave some warm messages in the comment section. u/fauviste wrote, "Great dog, and great doctor! Not a lot of them would make that connection. So glad for you. Apollo is a cutie." u/Fantastic_Permit_525 exclaimed, "I'm glad it ended well for you! You have such a good dog!" The owner later also shared a photo of herself on the hospital bed, with her beloved dog lying at her feet.