I'm a dog expert – here's why treating your pet instead of letting it die is cruel | The Sun
AS a pet-loving nation some Brits treat their dogs and cats like their children – but it could be dangerous, senior vets have warned.
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human emotions and behaviour to animals but it is leading to serious problems.
Professor Eddie Clutton, who teaches veterinary anaesthesiology at Edinburgh University, said pet owners now introduce painful and unnecessary interventions when their animals become ill.
The professor attributes this to owners treating their animals the same way as a human family member.
As a co-founder of EthicsFirst, Clutton said: “Animals are capable of quite tremendous emotional experiences, but they will not experience them in the same way as human beings.
"They experience life in real time.
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"I have had people say, ‘Can you just keep them alive until Christmas?’ Do you think your dog understands Christmas?
“It is one thing for a grandfather to consent to chemotherapy because he knows its worth, and another to subject a dog to it which does not have the capacity to hope."
Some requests include prosthetic legs and intensive cancer treatments for elderly pets, rather than euthanasia or less invasive treatments, according to the professor.
Dr Polly Taylor, another member of EthicsFirst and on the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation, said: “People don’t take on board the fact that whatever happens, their dog is going to die before they do.
"Instead there is a tendency to treat them like a child and do their utmost to stop the animal dying.”
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The trend means your moggie or mut can now own pet cologne, shampoos, nappies and breath-freshening products, for whatever activities they may get up to at the park.
Dogs Trust revealed in a survery that over half of first time dog owners let their pet sleep in their bed and pet food brand Natures Menu discovered 73 per cent celebrate their animal's first birthday.
Researchers at the University of Pisa and the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico City said: “In extreme cases, human needs may be projected on to them [pets].
"Some are treated like children or surrogate friends.”
But clothes, vegan diets and even too many hugs for pups can lead to anxiety, overheating, obesity, malnutrition and joint pain in the animal, according to research.
Dressing dogs up in jumpers may make for a cute photo, but it couldlimit their ability to regulate their own temperature, leading to a rise skin moisture levels and increase rubbing and blisters.
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Academics also highlighted carrying pets for prolonged periods can cause obesity, inflammation of the joints and cause anxiety.
They also suggested hugging your pet could be viewed as ignoring the animal’s preferences when they can't tell you what they want.
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