Talking To Dogs And Cats Our Pet Hobby

[Kirty]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8351301

Talking to dogs and cats our pet hobby

More than 80 per cent of Australia's dog and cat owners believe they can understand what their pet's woof or miaow means, a survey has found.

The survey of 800 Australian pet owners found more than 95 per cent of dog owners talked to their pets, while just over 89 per cent spoke to their cats.

And 87 per cent said they understood what their pets were trying to say, according to the survey commissioned by an animal healthcare company.

Veterinarian Dr Alister Webster said the results raised concerns that we might think we know more then we actually do.

"Pets are important parts of our lives, and most of us believe they know their pet well - and can even communicate with them," Dr Webster, from Pure Animal Wellbeing, said in a statement on Friday.

"Particularly in winter periods I see pets that have been generally unwell or struggling with continued pain for extensive periods of time and their owners are not realising this.

"Their owners may not have picked up on the signs, or have read them wrong. It's not as easy to understand what pets are feeling as people think."

Of greatest concern, Dr Webster said, are owners' perceptions of what happens to their pets as they age.

The survey found 57 per cent of dog owners and just under half of cat owners thought their pets became grumpier as they aged.

"They rest this belief of seeing their pet being less inclined to go for a walk or play; they are maybe slowing down and experiencing more stiffness, becoming intolerant of people or no longer jumping up on the furniture.

"But these can be common signs of arthritis and joint pain, rather than grumpiness."

The survey, Read My PAW, was conducted by Empirica Research for Blackmores, of which Pure Animal Wellbeing is a division.

[Chris the Rebel Wolf]

Hmm, that's an interesting spin on it. I suppose it's far easier for an owner to understand what a type of park means than to pick behaviour that means their dog is in pain.

I certainly have no problem categorizing Zeke's range of barks. I know his alert bark for when he's heard something but doesn't know what yet, his more defensive bark if he thinks somebody walking by is too close to the fence, the bark he uses to tell my husband's shepherd puppy to back off and leave him alone, his welcome bark if somebody he knows is arriving... but I daresay most owners would be able to recognize that sort of thing. I can tell when his arthritis is bothering more from behaviour, his reluctance and multiple attempts to sit or lie down, or jump into the car. It's definitely something more subtle.

[sandgrubber]

"Of greatest concern, Dr Webster said, are owners' perceptions of what happens to their pets as they age.

The survey found 57 per cent of dog owners and just under half of cat owners thought their pets became grumpier as they aged."

I'm getting grumpier as I age . . . and part of it is cause I hurt. I think the owners got it right. The surveyor just didn't ask the right question.

[Dory the Doted One]

I'm actually never endingly AMAZED that a lot of pet owners are in complete denial that their pet may have

arthritis or pain.

They come in limping badly, stiff as heck and the owner say..."Oh, he's just a little bit slow. But I don't think he is

in any pain".

"He gets up a little bit stiff, hobbles around...but I think he is okay."

"Here's done something to his paw and limping...but I don't think he is in pain".

"He snaps when I try to touch him here....do you think he is in pain?"

etc etc etc....

You could ask the right question...but sometimes people don't want to see and will be quite

clever at rationalising it some how. Especially if they think it is going to cost them

extra dollars for pain meds or supplements on an ongoing basis.

[sandgrubber]

I'm actually never endingly AMAZED that a lot of pet owners are in complete denial that their pet may have

arthritis or pain.

You could ask the right question...but sometimes people don't want to see and will be quite

clever at rationalising it some how. Especially if they think it is going to cost them

extra dollars for pain meds or supplements on an ongoing basis.

Guilt trips are not a good way to change behaviour. I'd say building a link between grumpy and pain, based on human analogies, might lead to people owning the notion that their dog is in pain, rather than reacting to it as an unwanted obligation someone was trying to foist off on them.