This Dog's Odd Behavior Led His Owner to Her Cancer Diagnosis & She's Sharing the Incredible Story
A woman isn’t sure that she’d be alive right now if it weren’t for her dog.
Chase Johnson, 36, revealed how her dog Ceto helped her receive a devastating medical diagnosis that might have been fatal had she waited too much longer.
She explained that her dog, a Labrador retriever, began acting strangely around her in January 2021.
After a few weeks of trying to make sense of what Ceto was trying to tell her and her husband, Johnson finally figured things out and rushed to make what might have been a life-saving doctor’s appointment.
Keep reading to find out more…
Speaking to SWNS, Johnson explained that her dog was normally very calm. However, suddenly she said he “followed me around the house, would pace the room, whimpering and became really anxious” whenever she was around.
This wasn’t the first time that Ceto had acted strangely with her and her 48-year-old husband, Ben Byrn. Their beloved pet had previously displayed similar behavior with Byrn, which led to him being diagnosed with colon cancer.
“So when he started feeling anxious again, we knew he was warning one of us, and my husband just had a clear scan, so we knew it was me,” she said.
They finally got their answer when a “worked up” Ceto “poked his nose to my breast.”
Johnson said that he repeated the action a second time. His hints led to her discovering a lump in her breast.
Doctor’s tried to hold off on bringing her into the office, saying that she was too young to have cancer. However, she persisted, and an appointment scheduled in May was moved up.
She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as being rare and more challenging to treat, in February 2021.
After receiving the diagnosis, Johnson immediately began undergoing treatment, including “chemotherapy, radiotherapy, a lumpectomy and lymph node removal.”
SWNS noted that she was currently cancer-free in February 2026.
However, Johnson knows that she might not still be alive if not for Ceto‘s guidance.
“After my diagnosis, I met with my oncologist, she said if I had waited till May, that we would be having a very different conversation, and I may not have survived,” she shared, adding, “If I didn’t have Ceto, and if I didn’t have that past experience with my husband, I might not be here.”
Earlier this year, a senior dog was miraculously reunited with his family after a very long time away from home.
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