Dog saves man's life because he was constantly sniffing his mouth

Mar 15, 2024

Tom Sweeney said he might not be here if not for his beloved dog Dug

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A man has credited his dog with saving his life after his beloved pet kept sniffing around his mouth for weeks - and it turned out there was a very serious reason why.

Tom Sweeney, 55, from Blaengwynfi in Neath Port Talbot, noticed his voice had been affected after he suffered from a bad cold and a sore throat before Christmas last year. However, what he noticed even more was that his five-year-old lurcher bull mastiff cross, Dug, would not leave a certain part of him alone.

Dug kept sniffing at his owner’s mouth for weeks on end and Tom began to get worried that something might be wrong. He went down to his local surgery and was urgently referred for a biopsy at Morriston Hospital. When the results came back, the diagnosis shattered Tom. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.

“The biopsy results confirmed I had throat cancer,” he said. “A consultant otolaryngologist explained it was a smoking-related cancer. I had given up smoking five years ago, but as the cancer was caught early we were in a good position. If it wasn’t for Dug then I may not have gone on to make an appointment at that time. He was sniffing my mouth a lot over the course of two months – he does it with other family members too – but he just wouldn’t stop with me. He must have known something wasn’t right.”

Within six weeks of going to the doctor’s surgery, Tom was receiving radiotherapy treatment at the South West Wales Cancer Centre (SWWCC) in Singleton Hospital. His treatment was successful and has now finished, and he returns every two months for check-ups.

“The staff at the South West Wales Cancer Centre are all angels - they are truly incredible humans,” he added. “Nothing is too big or small. They go out of their way to help you with anything you need. They are always there for you with a smile on their face and you feel you are their only concern.”

To thank the staff and to give something back to those who helped him, Tom is competing in Jiffy’s Cancer 50 Challenge on August 20 - a 50-mile charity cycle ride that raises money for cancer services at Velindre and Singleton hospitals. Organised by former rugby union and league star Jonathan Davies - known as Jiffy - the event is now in its third year, and Tom will be taking it on for the second time.

“I think everyone experiences someone they love having cancer, or they get it themselves. I lost my mum to throat cancer 23 years ago,” he said. “Having experienced treatment at the South West Wales Cancer Centre, it is my mission to raise as much money as possible for this amazing centre.

"I’ve been able to get back to the fitness levels I’d been at before my diagnosis, so I’m looking forward to the cycle challenge. I am still experiencing a couple of side-effects linked to radiotherapy, but they will clear with time. I’ll have appointments for the next five years before I hopefully get the all clear. Otherwise, I am feeling very good and extremely thankful to the cancer centre - it is because of them I am able to do this ride again this year.

"I would not have been able to have got through this so positively without the support of my wife Sharon and mate Ryan Smith. They both played their roles in keeping me positive as well as the staff. My wife ensured I kept my weight up. She also recorded when I took pain relief, completed my mouthwash routines and applied the cream to my neck.

"She was my guardian angel throughout. Ryan was there when I needed him but didn’t realise that I did. He kept my spirits up. I’ve been lucky my employers, Renishaw, have given me a lot of support during my treatment too. It was so important to have this level of support around me. Now it’s time that I gave back by raising as much money as possible for the SWWCC.”

If you want to donate to Jiffy’s Cancer 50 Challenge 2023 you can do so here. On August 20, the 50-mile route starts from Cardiff City Stadium and finishes in Bracelet Bay restaurant, The Lighthouse, but there are also two shorter challenges available for people to take on.

There’s a 32-mile ride which will begin in The Star Inn in Wick, which takes out the main climb of the longer event, and there’s also a 10-mile course which will start at Port Talbot cafe Remo’s and head along the National Cycle Network, which is aimed at younger family members who want to join relatives who may have started the longer distances.