'I thought my dog was being clingy - but he saved me from cancer'

A woman thought her usually aloof sausage dog had just turned clingy - but her beloved per had actually 'realised' she had cancer. Meg Jones said she first started experiencing a 'blunt' pain in her left leg, which saw her being diagnosed with sciatica. At the time of her diagnosis, the 26-year-old noticed her miniature dachshund Samson being more needy than usual, and always wanting to lie on her stomach. Meg said the four-year-old pup was usually more detached, but always wanted to sit close to her leading up to her health struggle. When a rash appeared on Meg's left leg two months later, she rang 111 and was booked in for an appointment at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester . The ex-retail worker said she had a blood test and doctors told her the devastating news she had acute leukaemia. Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells, acute leukaemia means it progresses quickly and aggressively and usually requires immediate treatment. Meg was shocked by the diagnosis in June 2024, but said then everything 'clicked into place' and she realised why Samson had been acting out of character for two months. Meg had chemotherapy and went into remission in October 2024, but her cancer returned in July 2025. After undergoing a course of CAR T-cell therapy in November 2025, Meg is now cancer free. Meg, from Manchester, said: "It started as leg numbness and a really deep blunt pain. "The GP diagnosed sciatica but it kept getting worse and worse, all these random things were showing up and I thought something was off. I didn't pick it [Samson's behaviour] up at first until I was really in pain. He likes his space, he can be affectionate but only when he wants. "At all times he wanted to sit across from me or lie on my belly. If I was lying on the sofa, instead of lying next to me he had to be on me at all times. It got to the point my partner would have to pick him up off me because I was tired and needed space. It was obsessive. "As I had treatment it got to the point where he would sit by me and not on me anymore. Once we finally found what it was, everything started to click into place. It must have been something he could sense, [and was] very protective. "I just thought he was clingy, your mind never goes to something as extreme as cancer. When I told the nurse at the hospital, she said with tumours they find that cats and dogs sit near where the tumour is. But with blood cancer it is everywhere, 100% he could smell it. They assumed it was from around April when I first noticed leg pain." Meg experienced other symptoms including night sweats, eczema , and bad reactions to alcohol. Initially thinking she was simply a lightweight when it came to booze, getting 'drunk' from one-and-a-half drinks, Meg later discovered her reaction was due to the cancer. Meg said: "I could taste blood and had a rash on my elbow that was really itchy, but I thought it was just eczema. Night sweats were really bad too. I went to the GP a couple of times and when I came home from work, I saw a rash on my leg. We were going through a busy period in retail so we would all go for a drink afterwards. "I'm a bit of a lightweight but that was a different level of lightweight. It just made me feel really strange and the hangover the next day would be rough. I would think I haven't slept enough and tried really hard to find reasons for things. I would get drunk after one-and-a-half drinks. It wasn't a normal drunk, it just felt weird ." Meg said she now struggles socially as she often can't keep up with conversation due to her treatment. Now, she is urging others to get any unusual symptoms checked out through her online content. Meg said: "Initially I was shocked. I didn't cry until I called my mum, because I was in such disbelief. I didn't actually believe it was happening. "It was hard to take everything in, It's a massive switch to what life was. There is so much internal damage heavy treatment can do. I find it hard to adjust socially. I find it hard to keep up with conversations because I lose my train of thought or can't think of specific words. "I noticed things were wrong but excused it. If you think something is wrong, keep advocating for yourself."