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Shannen Doherty Says Her Dog Was First to Sense She Had Breast Cancer

Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty

Shannen Doherty revealed in a new interview that she believes her dog Bowie was the first to indicate that she had breast cancer.

"She would obsessively sniff right here on my right side for a long time before," the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, 45, told Entertainment Tonight in a segment airing on Tuesday, August 2. "So, it made sense when I got diagnosed."

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As previously reported, Doherty discovered that she had breast cancer in February 2015. She recently told ET that the disease has spread to her lymph nodes.

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The actress has received three rounds of chemotherapy (she will complete eight in total) and plans to begin radiation treatments in the near future. She underwent a single mastectomy back in May. After the surgery, Doherty explained that Bowie — who was named after late pop icon David Bowie — was supersensitive.

"When I got back from surgery, [Bowie] again was kind of right in this area," the Charmed star said as she pointed to her right side. "Then when I had my first chemo, she would sniff my entire body up and down. And she was always protective before, but she has become this crazy, protective dog. It's hard to get close to me when she's around."

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Doherty, who is married to film producer Kurt Iswarienko, said that she is hopeful that she will be able to beat cancer — although she used to have a less optimistic outlook on her diagnosis.

“[My husband and I] were at this Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, and I looked at him and I said, ‘You better enjoy every single second that you have with me … ’cause I’m going to be dead in five years.’ He burst out crying and was like, ‘You can’t say that,’” she recounted to ET. “That phase was short, thank God. That was a short, short phase that I think my family and friends got me through.”

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