Question / Animal / Biopsychosocial

[Asa]

Not sure where to post this.... but was wondering if proponents of the biopsychosocial model ever advocate for it to be implemented into research within the (non-human) animal kingdom.

Also, if "medically-unexplained-symptoms" is allegedly valid for humans, why wouldn't it also be valid for the (non-human) animal kingdom?

 

[Keela Too]

Interesting question.

In the animal training world (or at least dogs and horses, the two areas I'm familiar with) the message is always to look for health issues if the animal is not performing as before. If anyone should suggest that the animal is faking lameness or illness to get out of doing something, then others on social media round on them.

It seems those who police social media are less kind when the individual in question is human.

 

[tinacarroll27]

I read this about 3 dogs with CFS, they were given drugs for their illness. The PACE authors could try CBT for false illness belief on the dog! Would love to see results!

http://www.priory.com/vet/cfsdogs.htm

 

[Esther12]

Some of it seems influenced by work on training animals - B.f. Skinner did lots of animals stuff. Also, I think that the 'learned helplessness' stuff came from torturing animals?

 

[Invisible Woman]

Well, unlike with humans, there are no financial incentives in stigmatizing, isolating and neglecting the patient....

 

[Invisible Woman]

Some of it seems influenced by work on training animals - B.f. Skinner did lots of animals stuff. Also, I think that the 'learned helplessness' stuff came from torturing animals?

Says it all. If they are the types who think torturing an animal is ok to try to prove some dodgy theory, do we really feel that these people should have any role in the care of the sick and vulnerable?

 

[wastwater]

My friend who has me/cfs ,her cat recently died of leukaemia,but it wasn't to do with feline leukaemia virus ( Felv)and considered a mystery,animals tend to try hide there illness,no one knew until the final stages

 

[Keela Too]

Here's another interesting way that people and animals are treated differently.

When my dog Finn was young, a jar of peanut butter was knocked to the floor when we were out of the kitchen. We came back in to see that he had eaten most of the contents, but more worryingly also a lot of the glass was missing!
I sought the help of Google (try this if you like )

Veterinary advice: Take him immediately to the nearest vet for observation and probable operation to surgically remove the offending glass shards.

Human advice (okay actually concerning your child eating glass): Feed bulky foods such as bread and pastato move the glass through the gut in a cushioned mass of food. Keep an eye on the child, but rest assured that probably the glass would pass without harm. Only if the child had abdominal pain should medical help be sought.

I decided Finn was like my child so followed that advice. Happily he passed the glass shards the next day and all was well (the event was 2 years ago now).

Interesting nonetheless how different the advice was.