Full Moon FEVER!

I firmly believe that in the unwritten rule of what I like to call “Full Moon Fever”:  Weird things happen on full moons.   The calls typically increase and overall the clinic (or house call service) is consistently busier.  Furthermore, usually there is an increase of oddities—including pet behavior and medical cases.  In fact, I plan my vacations around avoiding full moons!  I spoke with a fellow colleague in the animal industry and she said her friend, whom is a dispatcher with the local police, staffs heavier around full moons.  ALL of my friends and colleagues also agree that this is an epidemic phenomenon. 

There is a big, beautiful, full moon out tonight.  This week has been a very busy one, supporting my theory of “full moon fever”.  This got me thinking…is there any research supporting this? 

In 2007, an 11-year retrospective study by Colorado State University (1992-2002) Veterinary Medical Center supported an increase in veterinary visits on full moons: 23 percent higher for cats, and 28 percent higher for dogs.   Another study published in the British Medical Journal cites twice as many people visited emergency rooms with animal bites during full moons.

“Tawana (Animal caregiver and Medical Coordinator at the Oshkosh Humane Society, right lower) and her dog “Matilda” wear makeshift hats to reflect the full moon luminosity in hopes of avoiding any of it effects.”

Unfortunately, the exact reason why the “full moon effect” is still unknown.  Some researchers think pet behavior may be more precarious during a full moon because it is brighter outside and they are simply spending more time outside or awake at night when the moon is brighter.

Beyond out pets, nature and wild animals have demonstrated documented changes during full moons.  For example, a species of coral has a light-sensitive gene, becomes more active during full moons. A study done in 2006 discovered that prey animals are more apt to stay in a safe place during full moons because the increased amount of light makes it easier for predators to see them. Wild wolves are also less active during a full moon, probably because there are less prey animals moving around to hunt.

This leads to the question of “Why do animals act differently during a full moon?”  I believe this answer may have cross over to the human species as well.  Here are a few possible answers:  Increased Light, Activity, and communication by pet’s when there is a Full Moon: 

Many families acknowledge that their dogs’ bark more during a full moon—I suspect it is because there is more light. More light means they see more aware in general, of their surroundings—and your pet may notice more things, and want to alert you to it, such as a mouse outside scurrying away.  Beyond this, sometimes that increase in light alters our sleep pattern (I can personally attest to this!), and our pets’ may be affected as we. 

Even though the jury is still debating on supplying the research and establishing the cause on the “Full Moon Effect”, I’m going to closely adhere to my experience and will try to leave extra time open on my busy schedule to take more calls during a full moon.  Sometimes I even feel like howling…”HOOOOWWWWWLLLLLLL!” 

 Wells RJ, Gionfriddo JR, Hackett TB, et al. Canine and feline emergency room visits and the lunar cycle: 11,940 cases (1992-2002). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2007;231(2):251-253.

Becoming "AWARE": Recognizing Pain in Pets

Once I had a house call to a family whose dog could no longer get up, and hadn't been up for several days.  The family told me that they didn't think he was in pain because he still wagged his tail and wasn't yelping or whining in pain.  When I went over there, I found a sweet old labrador retriever, who wagged, but was in terribly rough shape  With towels around him, the strong smell of urine made it difficult to breathe, and it was clear he had not been moved from this spot for several days.  When I lifted his skinny rear legs (skinny because he had bad arthritis for a long time and the muscles had atrophied from not using them much) that was moist from urine, he winced, and he had such bad sores on his leg that there was bone exposure over his hip.  This immediately brought tears to my eyes.  This dog was definitely in pain- and had been for a long time.  

Unfortunately this experience is not unique, but thankfully most cases are not this severe.  It is nearly on a daily basis, however, that I find great pets owners missing obvious signs of pain.  Furthermore, our pets often HIDE signs of pain, and often that tail continues to wag because they love us so incredibly much.  The question remains: Why is it so difficult to recognize in our beloved pets?  

I believe the answer to this question is multifactorial-- Although most of us spend more time with our pets than our bestest of friends, the truth is that it can be difficult to recognize pain, after all they don't speak English, and come to terms with the fact that our pets may be in pain.  

It is so important to become pain AWARE.  This is an acronym that I came up with to help decode signs that may indicate pain:

• A: Any behavior change or daily pattern.  Changes in appetite, anxiety, aggression, sleeping patterns, responses to other pets/ people, are all things to take notice of and not ignore.  
• W: Weight shifting, Signs of limping or lameness. These are all signs of pain, even though you may not hear wincing or yelping- if your pet were not in pain, they would not be limping.  
• A: Activity level changes, including reluctance to move, or sleeping more (especially seen in cats).
• R: Restlessness.  Difficulty sleeping, difficulty getting in a comfortable position, etc. 
• E: Expression & Appearance.  Watch for signs like panting, trembling, shaking, facial expressions (dilated or constricted pupils), excessive licking, or vocalization.