Munchhausens in dogs?

• Munchhausens in dogs? Edie Posted : 8/21/2006 7:02:45 PM Does anyone think this exists? I mean,when owners make up illnesses/conditions so they can get attention through their dogs? There's this member on a forum i go to who is always posting questions that she already knows the answers to about her "sickly" dog,and then when she gets answers that dont sympathise with her she gets all offended and kicks up a big stink,so then other members will come in and post "there, there" posts,and she ends up getting 2/3 pages of attention and sympathy for her and her dog,which i think is her goal in the first place! There is a definate pattern there,and i have to wonder how she would cope if her dog was healthy,would she make up other afflictions so she could still get the attention? LIKE 10 REPLIES 389 VIEWS LAST POST EDIE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• fuzzy_dogs_mom Posted : 8/21/2006 7:45:34 PM Maybe.  I've heard of peope doing that with their kids - even going so far as to deliberately making the kids sick in a constant bid for attention and sympathy - so I don't know of any reason why the same type of person couldn't do it with their dogs, too. Joyce 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• jeano Posted : 8/22/2006 3:04:34 AM It's called Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy. The dog or the child is the proxy. If the person had Munchhausen Syndrome he or she would do stuff to themselves to make themselves sick and get sympathy. Both syndromes depend on the sick person actually making themselves or someone else sick. So, for instance, if you smother a child until it turns blue and then call 911, you have Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Or inject it with bacteria... If you inject yourself with bacteria, you have Munchausen Syndrome. In both cases it isn't a case of making things up. Though I would think that kind of person might develop Munchausen's if they aren't careful. Remember those TV ads a long time ago? The ones that said PRACTICE GOOD MENTAL HEALTH. Yep. They should have gone on to teach people HOW to do that! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• dyan Posted : 8/22/2006 7:59:49 AM THAT has been the illness that has scared me the most over the years.  I never thought about it but I guess there is no reason to think people wouldn't do it to their dogs,,,if they do to their children...or themselves.. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• mrstjohnson Posted : 8/22/2006 8:44:06 AM My friend's ex-wife had Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy using their son.    Their son was always sick, being rushed to the hospital, doctor's etc. with all of these symptoms for these strange ailments, but ironically she always knew what the ailment was.  They determined that she was finding these sicknesses online, looking at the symptoms and would give their 3 year old something that would mimic the symptoms.    After  a few years of treatment he ended up divorcing her and got custody of the son.  She ended up repeating the whole thing with her new husband and kid.    0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• dyan Posted : 8/22/2006 8:47:34 AM Unless one can get completely cured from this syndrome,,,, I cannot imagine living a life that is even partly normal or happy! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• dogslyfe Posted : 8/22/2006 8:58:52 AM If you guys like good thrillers and entertaining mystery, take a look at Jonathan Kellerman's "Devil's Waltz". I *believe* that's the one. It takes an interesting fictional (but fairly accurate) look into MSBP. Yes, I do believe its possible to do this with pets. This very topic came up recently on another board I belong to. Very interesting. The problem, as I see it, is figuring out if this is really what's going on. IIRC MSBP is not included in the DSM-IV, so technically isn't classified as a mental illness (but Munchausen Syndrome is). Particularly with pets, since the lines are rather blurry as far as where property begins and ends, I can see where it would be far more difficult to pinpoint. Scary stuff though. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• mudpuppy Posted : 8/22/2006 9:15:22 AM I suspect Hypochondriac-by-proxy is much more common with pets. Why bother actually making the dog sick when you can just make up symptoms? unlike a child the dog can't chime in and say "no I didn't vomit all night". 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• dogslyfe Posted : 8/22/2006 9:19:12 AM I suspect Hypochondriac-by-proxy is much more common with pets. Why bother actually making the dog sick when you can just make up symptoms? unlike a child the dog can't chime in and say "no I didn't vomit all night". [sm=clapping hands smiley.gif] Agreed. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Edie Posted : 8/24/2006 4:58:49 PM Hypochondriac-by-proxy Yes!! This is the perfect word to describe her,munchhausens was the wrong word,i think.Afterall,no-one knows her in person so she doesnt HAVE to MAKE her dog sick,she can just describe the symptoms.She just makes a big deal out of little things,and the annoying thing is that people fall for it and she gets all the sympathy that she obviously craves,so keeps coming back for more [8|] 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Edie Posted : 8/24/2006 8:37:38 PM Mudpuppy  is there anyway i can contact you privately? You dont have your e-mail or pm option activated. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login