Munchausen by proxy ....

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

I have to admit at times, over the past months, the cynic in me pops up and I cant help but wonder how many people on our planet make their pets ill on purpose to receive attention from friends, family, coworkers, and the vet.

It is good that we learn so much these days but I think it also leads to a transformation of our basic spirit. Once an innocent, take-everything-at-face-value type, I have learned of the wicked ways of our people and now I have become, in many ways, a jaded, mistrusting cynic.

Whenever I hear of people whose children get sick too often, especially if its more than just one child in the family, the munchausen by proxy thought pops up in my head. I quickly chastise myself for thinking this but unfortunately somewhere along the line I learned about this and now it is there.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

It happens more than you would think........Especially in the long term health care industry....I suspect that there are plenty of personality disordered pet owners that do the same and they may simultaneously use the forums to get attention as well.....

[Denice Caouette]

All I can say is....OMG...our society has absolutely gotten completely out of control..The thought of Muschausen's is so horrific when it pertains to a human..but the thought that someone would transfer this to an animal makes me so sad and sick inside. Now that you have brought this up, it would seem to be a very real concern. At least there are services in place to help catch this when humans are involved..who would watch for the poor animals. It constantly amazes me the ways in which the human race can conceive to harm other living beings. So very, very sad...

[F, Calla & Luca]

The people who do these sorts of things are not evil but sick. I have not heard of Munchausen's by proxy in terms of animals but it wouldn't surprise me. I think it's equally sad whether it involves a person or an animal. I hope that vets would be aware and able to spot something like this but it often takes a long time to recognize even in kids.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We used to have a family friend whom we privately called, "the depression" because everything bad always to happened to her and she was always so down with her sad stuff that we finally severed our friendship. I am sure glad tht she didn't have a pet!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I never thought of this. Has anyone heard of it actually happening with a pet?
I guess I really never thought of it with kids, either. I was aware of Munchausen's-by-proxy, but I thought it was extremely rare. I usually just think the parents aren't taking proper care of their kids, which is probably not fair.
With dogs, I can't think of anything a person could do to a pet that would cause one of those "mysterious" illnesses you hear about in kids whose parents have Munchausen's by proxy. And I don't think the amount of sympathy the average person gets from having a sick dog is anything like what they get if it's a child who's in and out of hospitals, etc. So it doesn't seem like there would be enough incentive for the syndrome to extend to pets... at least, I hope not.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Not to mention the vet bills. But I bet it happens.

As far as with people, it is a shame that it has happened as frequently as it has. It is to a point that the medical community will definitely take notes if it just seems too much unexplainable illness is happening to children. It is sad really because I have seen programs where parents were even falsely accused of it because they couldnt find a rational explanation for the ailments.

[Kathy Wilson]

I can't even imagine folk doing such a horrible thing to their kids OR dogs. It goes beyond what I can imagine. It's so soooo sick! Yikes!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

It's not just parents with their children..... it's caregivers with their patients.....and children with their elderly and/or sick parents....

http://www.mbpexpert.com/definition.html

FACTITIOUS DISORDER, (of which MUNCHAUSEN SYNDROME is a sub-type), (also called "Adult Munchausen", and "Adult Factitious Disorder") is a formal, DSM-IV mental health diagnosis in which people deliberately exaggerate and/or fabricate and/or induce physical and/or psychological-behavioral-mental health problems in themselves. The primary purpose of this behavior is to gain some form of internal gratification, such as attention, for themselves.

MUNCHAUSEN BY PROXY (MBP) (also called Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome, and Factitious Disorder by Proxy) is a label for a pattern of behavior in which caretakers deliberately exaggerate and/or fabricate and/or induce physical and/or psychological-behavioral-mental health problems in others.

This pattern of behavior constitutes a separate kind of maltreatment (abuse/neglect) that manifests as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, or a combination. The primary purpose of this behavior is to gain some form of internal gratification, such as attention, for the perpetrator.

[Adina P]

I've never heard or suspected a case of this with pets...but I think a lot of owners are far more worried and cautious than they need to be about some things. Then again, when you can't TALK with an animal...I guess it's easier since they can't tell you what they are experiencing.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy Described
In Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, a perpetrator assumes the sick role indirectly (i.e., by proxy) by feigning or producing illness in another person. Usually, the perpetrator is a mother who produces the symptoms or illness in her child of under six years of age (Kahan & Yorker, 1991).

However, cases have been reported with adults as both perpetrators and victims. The syndrome is well known to veterinarians. In such cases, a pet's owner fabricates signs and symptoms in the animal (Sigal et al., 1989).

http://earthops.org/munchausen.html

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Munchausen by Proxy With Pets


http://ezinearticles.com/?Munchausen-by-Proxy-With-Pets&id=2583586
As an herbalist with a special interest in natural health care for dogs and cats, I get to observe many different relationships between owners and their pets. Over the years I have seen a small number of pet owners exhibit a certain bizarre psychological behavior. This behavior follows the classic symptoms of Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome (MBPS). The only difference is that the syndrome I observe uses the family dog or cat as proxy and becomes a rare but devastating form of animal cruelty.

Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome involves a primary caregiver or guardian exaggerating or fabricating the symptoms of an illness, the illness itself, or multiple illnesses in the person (or pet) they care for. MBPS is a factitious (artificially produced) form of mental illness associated with severe mental difficulties. A caregiver will intentionally harm the child or pet - or describe non-existent symptoms of an illness - in order to get sympathy for bearing the burden, praise for such devotion, or a deeper relationship with a doctor, veterinarian or other health care provider.

Some time ago I received an email from a would-be customer that read, My dog has kidney disease, high blood pressure, Cushing's disease, pulmonary hypertension, bladder stones, diabetes and now a skin condition caused by the Cushing's where she blisters & peels like sunburn. Her antibiotic shampoo washes off the flea and tick medicine I was using. Is your TripleSure Natural Flea & Tick Spray ok to use on her skin? Also can I use your DentaSure All-Natural Oral Care Spray with all the medicines she is taking for her medical problems? I will be waiting for your reply.

Instead of a responsible dog lover she sounds more like the proud owner of a pity party with four legs and a tail. But a common trait among MBPS sufferers is the adamant denial that they have this dysfunction. Still, I could be wrong in my assumption and, if so, would not want to add to her unhappy situation.

I responded with, "While our natural products would work very well on your dog, it sounds like the last thing she needs is more medication. All too often we find that the interaction of multiple medications, especially prescription drugs, brings on more side effects and other conditions than they cure. My best advice to you is to find a responsible holistic veterinarian in your area who will treat your dog as a complete physiological system instead of a collection of symptoms to cover up. Please visit the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association at http://www.holisticvetlist.com and find a professional who is experienced in the use of healing herbs and whose real interest is to save your dog's life. I wish you all the best."

I'm still waiting for her reply.

Complicating the victim proxy's health problems even further is Big Pharma's prescription drugs that target only the symptoms and not the root cause of the illness. What's more, by zeroing in on the specific symptom that a single ingredient will alleviate, drug designers ignore the remaining spectrum of plant constituents that Nature so richly (and wisely) intends for our complete healing. The consequence of such pinpoint symptom-only targeting is a list of side effects like the ones in TV commercials that the friendly voiceover tosses off as practically harmless.

Even well-meaning doctors and veterinarians make debilitating mistakes with prescription drugs. Imagine the devastation a person afflicted with Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome can cause when her goal is to gather sympathy because of her "sick little dog."

The answer is to become more aware of MBPS and speak up when something doesn't seem right. Animal cruelty is a crime no matter how much or how little a person is aware of their actions. In the case of a defenseless dog or cat, it's always best to err on the side of caution.

Call your local SPCA, Humane Society or Animal Rescue. Put yourself in your best friend's position. If the person you depend on is also the person who hurts you the most, wouldn't you want somebody to speak up for you?

http://www.TripleSure.com Gary Le Mon's day job is in the insured financial services industry, but his evenings and weekends are spent crusading for animal rights and making the Earth a greener, friendlier place to live. See also http://www.Natural-Wonder-Pets.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Le_Mon

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Wow so it is more prevalent than I imagined. I think I knew one of these MBP years ago. (or am I just a cynic?) Scary! It seemed odd that so much could go wrong with one pet (and the constant continuous talk about it) but it always seemed extra strange to me because nothing concrete was ever diagnosed. The dog was an otherwise healthy dog except when it had mystery illnesses. I used to joke that she was neurotic enough to make her dog sick and the sheer stress of such a crackpot owner was making him ill. She was probably feeding it Ex-lax and Hoodia or something.