Pet Ownership Positively Affects Your Kids in More Ways Than One

Pet Ownership Positively Affects Your Kids in More Ways Than One

Caring for a pet really is a childhood rite of passage. The excitement of nurturing another being — which quickly becomes a best friend — is incomparable to anything else. The experience creates lifelong memories, and we always remember our first pet.
Experts say a child's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development can all be encouraged by interaction with the family pet.

Having a pet helps kids improve their motor skills and also just increases overall activity.
In fact, a 2010 study showed that kids in England who had a dog exercised on average 11 minutes more a day than other children who didn't have a dog. Doesn't sound like a whole lot, but a little bit of exercise every day can be seriously beneficial to children.

You know how the saying goes: "Dog is man's best friend" — which is true. But pets can actually help people make new human friends too.
For children especially, pets can be a wonderful catalyst for socializing. Children are more prone to approach and interact with another child who is playing with an animal, so a pet can be the bridge between a less socially outgoing child and other potential playmates.

“Pet ownership appears to be a significant factor for facilitating social interaction and friendship formation within neighborhoods,” Dr. Lisa Wood, associate professor at the University of Western Australia, wrote in her recent study via Harvard Health Publications. “For pet owners, this also translates into new sources of social support, both of a practical and emotionally supportive nature.”
And kittens and puppies aren't the only pets that can help kids make friends, Wood's study showed that other kinds of pets, including rabbits and snakes, can also be catalysts for making friends and finding social support.

Emotional

According to the Pet Health Council, kids who have pets have higher self-esteem.
"Children with low-self esteem may talk to, or confide in, an animal in ways they would not with people," the PHC reports. "They are often more confident in performing tasks they find difficult with an animal simply because the animal does not care if mistakes are made, nor will the child be afraid of looking silly in front of the animal."

Makes sense, right? A pet is basically a source of unconditional love who provides support but never judges.

Moreover, kids with pets tend to be more capable of showing empathy to other people because they learn how to nurture their animal.

Cognitive

Can having a dog actually make a child excel in school? According to a 2011 study, yes.
The study done on second-graders showed that the ones who read aloud to a dog actually made bigger strides in their reading ability than their peers who read out loud to an adult — possibly due to the dog's ability to help reduce a child's stress and the fact that a dog provides nonjudgmental support.
Having a pet might also encourage a child to learn more about animals in general and in turn foster an appreciation for research and science.

Adopting a pet is a huge commitment and shouldn't be taken lightly, but it might be the best thing you could ever do for your kids' childhood experience.

Owners Danger Mistakes 3 of 3

The idea that cats thrive on milk is a myth. In fact, the opposite is often true. Most cats are lactose intolerant, meaning that they can't properly digest the sugars in milk. This can result in diarrhea. While some cats can digest milk with no problems, they don't need it. So most vets recommend skipping the milk.

Letting Dogs Eat Spoiled Food

Your dog may be tempted to rifle through the neighbor's garbage in search of a treat, but don't let her! Food gone bad is no healthier for pets than it is for people. Dogs who eat garbage are at risk for bacterial food poisoning or irritation of the pancreas. Spoiled food may also contain toxic mold, which can cause vomiting, severe tremors, seizures, and death.

Giving Bones to Dogs

We may think of bones as a wonderful treat for dogs, but the FDA paints a different picture. The agency warns that chewing on bones can injure the teeth, tongue, or mouth. Bones can also get stuck in the digestive tract, where they will have to be removed with surgery or an endoscope. If your dog likes to chew, ask your vet about safer alternatives.

Feeding Dogs Table Scraps

It can be hard to resist a dog that's begging at the table. You look into those big eyes and want to share your food with your pet. But rewarding your dog's barks or whines will only encourage more begging in the future. And then you can forget about quiet dinners with your family. If you want to share table scraps as an occasional treat, do it away from the table -- and use the food as a reward for good behavior. Also, some human foods can be toxic to pets.

Feeding Cats Only Dry Food

Cats have a low thirst drive by nature, so they may not drink enough to stay well hydrated. Chronically underhydrated cats could be at risk for urinary tract disorders. Encourage more drinking by adding a water fountain designed for cats. There is also a prescription food by Royal Canin (Urinary SO) that is a dry food that encourages pet to drink. Canned food is generally about 78 percent water and is a good option too, but not needed by every cat. A fluid-rich diet is particularly important for cats with a history of urinary tract problems.

Giving Up a Cat During Pregnancy

Some women are advised to give up their cats during pregnancy, but is this necessary? The concern is an illness called toxoplasmosis, which is caused by a parasite found in feline stool. If a woman is newly infected during pregnancy, her fetus could be harmed. But most people who have cats already have antibodies to protect against toxoplasmosis. The CDC advises pregnant women to keep their cats but avoid handling cat litter if possible.

Having No Disaster Plan

If an emergency forces you to evacuate your home, what will you do with your pets? Leaving them behind is not an option if your community is threatened by fire, flooding, or hurricane-force winds. And not all Red Cross shelters allow you to bring your pets. It's best to identify pet-friendly shelters and motels ahead of time, so you can keep your pets with you during an emergency.

Adopting a Pet on a Whim

If a friend is giving away puppies or a local animal shelter is filled to capacity, you may be tempted to bring home a new pet. But this should never be a spur-of-the-moment decision. You are making a long-term commitment to care for the animal -- 10 to 15 years for dogs and up to 20 years for cats. It's also best to do some research ahead of time to decide what type of pet -- and what specific breed -- would be best for your family.

Owners Danger Mistakes 2 of 3

Misreading Body Language

Sure, you love your dog. But do you really understand him? If you think a wagging tail is always a good sign, you could be in for a nasty surprise. When a dog wants to threaten someone, he may hold his tail high and wave it stiffly back and forth. Mistake this warning for a sign of playfulness and you could get bitten. To avoid misunderstandings, learn about your pet's body language.

Providing Too Little Attention

Just like children, your pets will get bored if you don't play with them. And boredom can lead to troublesome behaviors like chewing, digging, barking, and whining. Bored cats may resort to scratching and excessive meowing. Fight boredom by hiding treats for your pets to find around the house. Provide toys your cat can chase. Teach dogs to play fetch, tug-of-war, or hide-and-seek.

Making Your Cats Share a Litter Box

Multiple cats plus one litter box equals a formula for elimination problems. That's a nice way of saying your cat may choose to pee or poop on the floor. Cats can be very picky about their litter box. If it's dirty or smells like other cats, they may not use it. Experts recommend having one litter box for every cat in your home, plus one extra. It may be helpful to space out their boxes around the home.

Not Socializing Young Pets

It's important to provide puppies and kittens with positive human interaction during their first seven weeks of life. This includes handling and play that fosters trust in people. Reputable breeders will begin this interaction, and you can continue the process when you bring your pet home. To develop a strong bond, play with your new puppy or kitten every day.

Leaving a Dog Alone Too Long

Spending 8-10 hours alone in a crate, tiny laundry closet, or even outdoors is too much for most dogs. It can lead to separation anxiety and destructive behaviors including chewing, soiling, digging, and nonstop barking or howling -- even depression in a timid dog. Better choices are doggie day care, a mid-day visit from a pet sitter, or a canine companion. Adult dogs can go 4-5 hours in a crate but need exercise before and after. (SEE HELP  http://animpets.blogspot.pt/2017/02/not-only-do-dogs-need-their-daily.html  )

Setting No Rules

Some people expect their pets to know right from wrong without being told. But human etiquette does not come naturally to dogs and cats. You need to make it clear that jumping up on people, scratching the furniture, and peeing on the carpet are unacceptable. Be consistent about the house rules, and reward your pets for good behavior. If you need guidance, consult a trainer promptly.

Scolding Pets for "Accidents"

If you come home to find a puddle of pee on the floor, you may have the urge to yell at your pet. But animal behavior experts say this will do no good at all. The transgression took place in the past, and your dog or cat won't know why you are yelling. A better strategy is to praise your pets immediately when they do their business where they are supposed to.

Leaving Young Kids Unsupervised

Most children adore animals, but sometimes their enthusiasm can lead to someone getting hurt. Young kids may play too rough, pushing a dog or cat to strike out in self-defense. Be sure to supervise play time when a new pet joins the family. Set rules for how children should treat the pet and teach them to recognize the signs that a dog or cat wants to be left alone.

Owners Danger Mistakes 1 of 3

Letting Your Dog Walk You

A poorly trained dog can pull you over while you’re out for a stroll. According to the CDC, tens of thousands of people end up in the ER every year because of pet-related falls. Many of these falls occur during walks -- either when a person trips over a dog or is pulled or pushed by one. Experts say obedience training is the best way to make sure your pooch doesn’t take you down during the morning walk.

Overlooking Ticks

After a walk in the woods, you check yourself for ticks, right? Don't forget about your dog. Tick bites put your dog at risk for Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and a handful of other diseases. They can also cause serious illnesses in cats. If your pet has infected ticks, this puts the rest of the family at risk. If you find a tick, remove it carefully with tweezers, being careful to get all of the head and not to crush it. Ask the vet about tick control.

Ignoring Ringworm and Roundworms

If your pet has a round bald patch, ringworm could be to blame. Leave this fungus untreated, and you're putting your family at risk. People can get ringworm from dogs or cats by touching their skin or fur. Ringworm usually causes a reddish, ring-shaped rash on the skin or bald spots if it infects the scalp. If your pet has hair loss, take him to your vet to see if it could be ringworm.

Roundworms are common parasites in both dogs and cats. They cause diarrhea and vomiting and may lead to serious illness. But many people don't realize these worms are a threat to humans, too. An infected pet can contaminate soil or sand with tiny eggs. Kids may ingest the eggs by putting dirty fingers in their mouths. When the worms hatch inside people, they can cause blindness and other tissue damage. Ask your vet about regular deworming.

Skipping Flea Medicine

Skip your pets' flea medicine, and they aren't the only ones who will pay the price. Fleas will quickly set up shop on untreated pets, particularly in summer and fall, and fill your house with their eggs and young. Some people wind up covered in itchy sores. Fleas can also transmit serious diseases to people including bubonic plague. Ask your vet about long term flea medication and put a routine reminder on your calendar.

Not Spaying or Neutering Your Pet

Millions of cats and dogs live on the street or end up euthanized because of unwanted litters. Still, many people are reluctant to spay or neuter their pets. The fact is, spaying and neutering is a healthy choice for your pet. It reduces the risk of breast cancer in females and testicular cancer in males. Neutered males are also less likely to run away from home, mark their territory, or exhibit aggressive behaviors.

Keeping the Food Bowl Full

With the best intentions, some people keep their pets' food bowls full at all times. This is one of the most common mistakes pet owners make. The problem is that cats and dogs often eat more than they need. If food is constantly available, they will take in too many calories and put on too much weight.

Forcing Cats to Be Vegetarian

Vegetarian people sometimes want their pets to share their lifestyle. The trouble is cats are "obligate carnivores." This means they must eat meat to survive. They depend on nutrients, such as the amino acid taurine, that are only found in animal tissue. Dogs may be able to handle a well-balanced vegetarian diet, but check with your vet first.

Providing Too Little Exercise

Just like people, pets need exercise to stay healthy. Couch potato pets are prone to obesity, which raises their risk of respiratory problems and joint problems. The right amount of exercise for a dog depends on the breed and size, but vets recommend at least a half-hour each day. Taking brisk walks with your dog can help you get in shape, too.

Pet insurance Tips

Vets claim this inflation-busting rise is the result of the development of new drugs and medical technologies – which have helped many pets recover and live with conditions that would have proved fatal in the past.
But there have been concerns over some veterinary practices recommending additional check-ups or treatments to extract more money from the insurer.
With vets' fees rising sharply, the average single pet insurance claim now costs more than £600, with pet insurers paying out £1.3m in claims every day, according to figures published by the Association of British Insurers.
But is it always worth taking out cover? Or should you join the millions of pet owners who take the risk and don't get any cover at all?

How does pet insurance work?

Pet owners can choose from four main types of cover: "accident only", ''per condition with a time limit''; ''per condition''; and ''lifetime'' cover.

"Accident only": very basic cover

This insurance covers a pet if they need veterinary treatment after an accident, but not if they have an illness. Some policies may also have a time limit for the treatment and there is a fixed sum of money for each accidental injury to pay for the treatment.

"Per condition with a time limit": basic cover

The cover is one of the cheapest. It will pay vets' fees for accidents and illnesses, but only for a maximum of 12 months after your pet has been diagnosed.

Insurers of this type of cover will often impose a maximum payout, so, if the cost of a treatment reaches the limit, you will have to foot the remainder of the bill.

An insurer may provide a policy, for example, with a maximum veterinary fee of £2,000 and a time limit of 12 months. So, if the bill is more than £2,000 or you go after 12 months, you will have to pay the extra.

"Per condition, no time limit": mid-level cover

With ''per condition'' cover, insurers provide cover for a set fee limit, but do not impose a time limit for how long the treatment lasts. The cover will continue for any treatment as long as you renew the policy after 12 months. Re-occurring illness or injury will not be covered by this type of policy.

"Lifetime": high-level cover

''Lifetime cover'' is the most comprehensive type of pet insurance, but also the most expensive. Insurers will set a high maximum amount per year – say, £10,000 – but you will still have to renew the policy each year, and some insurers can refuse to renew it.

The policy will sometimes cover extras like dental fees or burial expenses.

For all types of cover, pet owners must pay the "excess", or first part of any claim themselves. You can choose to lower your premium rate by increasing your excess, or vice versa. Usually, there will be an initial flat-rate excess charge of around £50.

Peter Jones, president of the British Veterinary Association, said that all pet insurance policies had some exclusions. "The most common being pre-existing conditions, anything related to pregnancy or birth, and any routine, preventive or planned treatments such as vaccinations and spaying."

Almost all insurers will refuse to cover an animal with a pre-existing medical condition. If they do, the premiums are likely to be huge.

How much does it cost?

The price of pet insurance varies depending on where you live and your pet's breed and age.

For example, Rottweilers are one of the most expensive dogs to insure based on their breed's history of medical complaints.

If your pet has been neutered and microchipped, the premiums will often be reduced.

Should I take out pet insurance, or just take the risk? How do the prices compare?

It really is up to you. There is no NHS for pets, so even basic treatment can cost hundreds of pounds. For instance, the average cost of treating a dog injured in a road traffic accident is £674, and £300 for a cat.
More serious conditions such as hip dysplasia can cost more than £4,000. And bills can run up to more than £10,000 if the animal has cancer.

On the other hand, your pet could be lucky and only have to go to the vet a few times in its lifetime. As a result, the total spent on veterinary bills would be quite low.

If you chose to take out monthly insurance for your pet, for an animal's entire lifespan, say 12 years, at an average policy price of £50 a month, then you would end up paying more than £7,000 over the 12 years.

"Pet insurance is as much about peace of mind as it is about money. You may pay insurance premiums for years and never make a claim. But think about whether you could afford a huge vet's bill if your pet fell ill or had an accident in the short term," warned consumer body Which?

The tricks insurers use to trap their customers

Premiums for older pets rise rapidly year on year, leaving pet owners in an uneasy position. They could pay extortionate prices to have their pet covered; take Greg Rowan, who had to pay out £285 a month to insure his British bulldog Busby with M&S Bank, because of the dog's age and history of claims due to dermatitis and eye treatment. Or pet owners could leave their pet uninsured, and pay the vets' bills themselves.

Tips for Caring for a Parrot

A growing number of people are discovering that parrots make the perfect pet. Parrots are really beautiful, fascinating and super smart creatures. However, you need to learn about caring for them before running out to the breeder and buying the first parrot that you see. Here are a few useful tips for caring for a parrot.

Be ready for a messy and noisy house

Parrots toss fruit peels, seed casings, their toys, and the area around their cage can get very messy. Moreover, there’s also the matter of feathers and droppings. A large parrot can make lots of noise. Whether they are yodeling a country song or yelling nonsense, you cannot count on your parrot to be quiet just because you want to take a nap. Putting them in your garage or shutting them away in an isolated room is not a good option. In this way your parrot will become emotionally disturbed and can behave psychotically.

Consider location and temperature

Although parrots are social creatures, every parrot may have different needs. So depending on your parrot’s temperament, place the cage in the area where your bird will often interact with you. A kitchen is a bad place since cleaning and odors from cooking can be very harmful to your parrot! Parrots can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, so if you keep your house at a comfortable temperature for yourself, your parrot will also be comfortable. Temperature stability is the most important factor. Fluctuating temperatures can have a big effect on your parrot’s health.

Vary your parrot’s diet

No one likes to have the same thing every single day. Your parrot needs a varied diet with a wide range of nutritional value. Don’t feed your parrot seeds only. Discuss with your veterinarian what a better diet for your parrot. It’s usually agreed that a parrot needs a mix of seed, pellet, fresh leafy greens, veggies, legumes, grains and some fruits. Keep in mind that parrots must never be fed chocolate, avocado, alcohol, caffeine, salty or sugary snacks.

Keep an eye on claw, beak and feather health

When your parrot’s claws grow too long, go to a vet to trim them. Never try to do it by yourself since parrots have a very active blood supply to their claws and a cut could lead to a blood loss. Feather and beak condition are a great indicator of health. A lot of parrot deficiencies and diseases show up as poor feather condition or malformations of the beak. If your parrot shows change in feather or beak condition, see your vet as fast as possible.

Teach your parrot to talk

If you want your parrot to talk, you’ll need to spend a lot of time teaching it. If intense, limit your teaching sessions to 15 minutes at a time or just repeat the same words and phrases a few times during your ‘lesson.’ Parrots usually mimic the things they hear most often. Keep the phrases short, two or three words usually work best. After your parrot has mastered some words and phrases, you can teach it some useful communications.

Clean the cage

The bottom of the cage must be cleaned every two days, if your parrot is not too messy. Replace any liners and discard any seeds, shells, gravel, etc. Clean all of the toys in the cage. It’s also recommended to clean up any mess that does not require too much time once a day. Make sure you use a bird-safe disinfectant, which you can buy in your local pet stores.

Replace toys in different places

Once you’ve finished washing the cage, put your parrot’s toys back inside, replacing them in different places. Parrots are very intelligent and intensely curious, and unlike dogs and cats, they like changing stimuli.

Regularly visit the vet

While some parrots can be absolutely healthy forever, most of them still have some health problems, which could be solved with preventative veterinarian consultations. However, make sure your vet is one who sees parrots specifically or you’ll just be wasting your money.


Do you have any other tips for caring for a parrot? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section.

How to Help Kids Cope with Pet Loss

Cope with Pet Loss

Losing a beloved pet, whether it’s a dog or a gerbil, is never easy. For many children, a goldfish or favorite cat dying is often their first taste of death and it can be devastating for them. It’s difficult to see your little one mourn. Fortunately, you can take steps to ensure that your child comes to terms with the loss in a healthy way and is able to move on. Here are a few tips to follow to help your children cope with losing a pet.

Let your child grieve

It’s okay to feel sad when you lose someone you love and this should be conveyed to your child. If you were close to the pet, you can let them see that you are sad, as well. Avoid being sad for too long. Your children should learn how long they can grieve and how to live after the death of the pet or person they love.

Allow your child to be a part of the death

It’s important that children know what is going on. If a pet is deathly ill or is about to be put down, make sure you explain it to your child in terms he or she can understand. It may be difficult, especially if your child is highly sensitive, but this will lessen the impact later on.

Create a memento

Remember that special pet with something made to memorialize them. A scrapbook with memories written in it and photos of the pet can be a helpful reminder of the good days. Collect photos of your deceased animal and help your child put together a fun photo album that will help everyone remember the great times you all enjoyed. Add stickers and captions to make the book special. If you aren’t up to doing a full photo album, something like a photo frame or even one page of photos to hang on the fridge can be a good alternative.

Hold a memorial service

While you may feel silly holding a service for a mouse or fish, it can be a useful tool for helping a child move on. A service may include a burial, depending on how you decide to handle the animal’s remains. Have each person say something about the pet. Children can read an appropriate poem or lay flowers on the grave. If there is no burial, have the service in front of a photo of the pet.

Don’t get a replacement

It may be appropriate to get a new animal later on, but don’t rush to replace the lost pet. It’s important that your child have time to grieve. It is also a good idea to show children that death is part of life and that you can’t just buy a new creature to take away the pain. A rapid purchase can cause children to worry that if they die, they will also be replaced and you won’t feel their loss.

Make sure your child doesn’t feel responsible

Children tend to be fairly self-centered and this can lead to assuming that the pet’s death was their fault. Be sure to let your little one know that pets do die and that it’s normal, though unpleasant and sad. Make sure your child doesn’t blame himself for the pet’s passing.

Talk about the pet

Sometimes, when an animal or loved one dies, that part of life becomes closed and no one talks about it. For most children, it’s important to explain that they can share their good memories of their pet and talk about what happened. This will help them work through the pain and gradually move on. Ensure that your child understands death is final

Continue with regular activities

While your child may want to stay home and grieve, it’s best if he goes to school and after school activities, the same as usual. Returning to a normal schedule can help kids see that life goes on, even after a devastating loss. It will also give them something else to focus on.

Allow your child to keep something special

A favorite pet blanket, chew toy or collar can be a good thing for a child to hold onto. Don’t be surprised if he wants to sleep with the pet’s item. Keeping something special like a collar close by can bring comfort to the grieving child. It’s usually fine to let kids hang onto a few keepsakes.

It’s never easy when a much loved member of the family dies. Children who are experiencing loss for the first time are more likely to have a hard time accepting that their friend is gone. It’s up to you to console them and ensure that they understand exactly what happened. Answer their questions to avoid children coming up with fearful ideas of their own.

Dog Breed : The Leonberger

The Leonberger is a giant dog breed. The breed's name derives from the city of Leonberg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. According to legend, the Leonberger was ostensibly bred as a "symbolic dog" that would mimic the lion in the town crest. It is in the Working Group for dog shows such as Crufts, but not at the World Dog Show.

Appearance

This Mountain dog comes with a generous double coat; the Leonberger is a large, muscular, and elegant dog with balanced body type, medium temperament, and dramatic presence. The head is adorned with a striking black mask, and projects the breed's distinct expression of intelligence, pride, and kindliness. Remaining true to their early roots as a capable family and working dog and search and rescue dog (particularly water), the surprisingly agile Leonberger is sound and coordinated, with both strength in bearing and elegance in movement. A dimorphic breed, the Leonberger possesses either a strongly masculine or elegantly feminine form, making gender immediately discernible.

Size, proportion, and substance

 

Height at withers: 

Male: 71–80 cm (28–31 in): average 75 cm (30 in)
Female: 65–75 cm (26–30 in): average 70 cm (28 in)

Weight:

Males: 120–170 lb (54–77 kg): average 140–150 lb (64–68 kg)
Females: 100–135 lb (45–61 kg): average 115 lb (52 kg)

For a mature Leonberger, the height at the withers is ideally the median of the breed's range—71 to 80 centimetres (28 to 31 in) for males and 65 to 75 centimetres (26 to 30 in) for females. Capable of demanding work, the Leonberger is a dog of ample substance. Its frame is supported with well-muscled, medium to heavy bone in direct proportion to its size. A roomy chest is sufficiently broad and deep for the purpose of work. Seen in profile, the chest curves inward from the pro-sternum, tangently joins the elbow to its underline at fifty percent of the withers' height and then continues slightly upward toward the stifle.

Head

The head is well balanced in proportion to the size of the dog and is deeper than broad with the length of muzzle and the length of skull approximately equal. With close fitting eyelids, the eyes are set into the skull upon a slight oblique; the eyes are medium-sized, almond shaped, and colored dark brown. The ears are fleshy, moderately sized, and pendant shaped, with sufficient substance to hang close to the skull and drop the tip of the ears level with the inside corners of the mouth. The Leonberger's ears rise from halfway between the eye and the top of his skull to level with the top of his skull. Though level bites and slight anomalies not affecting the robustness of the lower jaw are common, the ideal Leonberger capably possesses a strong scissor bite with full dentition.

Coat

Both a necessity for work and a defining attribute of the breed, the Leonberger has a water-resistant double coat on his body that is complemented by the shorter, fine hair on his muzzle and limbs. The long, profuse, outer coat is durable, relatively straight, lies flat, and fits close. Mature, masculine Leonbergers exhibit a pronounced mane. Similarly, his tail is very well furnished from the tip to the base where it blends harmoniously with the breech's furnishings. Climate permitting, his undercoat is soft and dense. Apart from a neatening of the feet, the Leonberger is presented untrimmed.

Color

A variety of coat colors are acceptable, including all combinations of lion-yellow, red, red-brown, and sand. Nose leather, foot pads and lips should always be black. Faulty colors include brown with brown nose leather, black and tan, black, white or silver and eyes without any brown. A small patch of white on the chest or toes is permitted.

Temperament

First and foremost a family dog, the Leonberger's temperament is one of its most important and distinguishing characteristics. Well socialized and trained, the Leonberger is self-assured, insensitive to noise, submissive to family members, friendly toward children, well composed with passersby, and self-disciplined when obliging its family or property with protection. Robust, loyal, intelligent, playful, and kindly, they can thus be taken anywhere without difficulty and adjust easily to a variety of circumstances, including the introduction of other dogs.

Health

Leonbergers are strong, generally healthy dogs. Hip dysplasia, which devastates many large breeds, is largely controlled because of the effort of many breeders who actively screen their Leonbergers using x-rays evaluated by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and leave dysplastic specimens out of the gene pool, thereby reducing the risk of bone/joint problems. For over twenty years, breeders belonging to the Leonberger Club of America, which issued pedigrees for the Leonberger breed in America, adhered to many aspects of the German breeding program whereby member kennels may only choose to breed dogs that were certified as three generation free of hip dysplasia. As a likely result, the incidence of hip dysplasia in the breed was reduced to almost 10% and the occurrence of OFA rated "Excellent" hips increased by over 60% in just twenty years. Current incidence rates of hip dysplasia in Leonbergers are likely around 13%.

After 2010, when the Leonberger Club of America joined the American Kennel Club, the formerly strict breeding rules are no longer mandatory for all Leonbergers.
Though not common, Leonbergers do inherit and/or develop a number of diseases that range in their impact from mild to devastating. In addition to hip dysplasia, Leonbergers can inherit and/or develop heart problems, Inherited Leonberger Paralysis/Polyneuropathy (ILPN), osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, Osteochondrosis Dissecans, allergies, digestive disorders, cataracts, entropion/ectropion eyelids, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), perianal fistulas, and thyroid disorders. Though rumors persist of Leonbergers being more sensitive to anesthesia than other breeds of dog, they are largely untrue. Leonbergers, like other large breed dogs, require less dosage per pound of sedative than smaller breeds to yield the same effect.^] The Leonberger Health Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation whose sole mission is to support major researchers who are seeking to identify genetic markers for serious diseases which affect the breed, is currently focusing on osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and Leonberger Polyneuropathy.

Longevity

Leonbergers in UK and USA/Canada surveys had a median lifespan of about 7 years, which is about 4 years less than the average purebred dog, but typical of similarly sized breeds. About 20% of Leonbergers in the surveys lived to 10 years or more. The oldest dogs in both surveys died at about 13.In France, the breed has a median lifespan of 8.75 years.
Serious diseases can affect the Leonberger—certain types of cancers are very common in the breed. Gastric Dilatation Volvulus, commonly called bloat, is another serious condition that affects many of the large and giant breed dogs, particularly those with deep chests. It causes the stomach to twist and can be fatal quite quickly. Adult Leonbergers should always be fed twice a day rather than one large meal in order to reduce the likelihood of bloat. Leonbergers are not alone in inheriting serious diseases and according to the University of Sydney's LIDA taskforce, Leonbergers have relatively few health issues compared to other dog breeds.
In a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey, the most common causes of death were cancer (45%), cardiac (11%), and "unknown" (8.5%). In a 2000 USA/Canada Leonberger Club of America survey, the most common causes of death were cancer (37%), old age (12%), cardiac (9%), and "sudden death" (8%).
Studies have indicated problems with inherited polyneuropathy in certain populations of Leonbergers and cataracts in dogs in the United Kingdom.A study of "Leonberger polyneuropathy" was published in 2014. Genetic testing is to be done through a protocol administered in North America by the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory or Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

 

History

In the 1830s, Heinrich Essig, a dog breeder and seller and mayor of the town of Leonberg near Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, claimed to have created the Leonberger by crossing a female Landseer Newfoundland with a "barry" male from the Great St. Bernard Hospice and Monastery (which would later create the Saint Bernard breed). Later, according to Essig, a Pyrenean Mountain Dog was added, resulting in very large dogs with the long white coats that were the fashion for the time, and pleasant temperament. The first dogs registered as Leonbergers were born in 1846 and had many of the prized qualities of the breeds from which they were derived. The popular legend is that it was bred to resemble the coat-of-arms animal of Leonberg, the lion. The Leonberger dog became popular with several European royal households, including Napoleon II, Empress Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary, the Prince of Wales, Otto Von Bismarck, Emperor Napoleon III and Umberto I of Italy. Essig's claim of breeding the dog as described is disputed. At least as early as 1585, the royal household of Austrian Prince Franz Metternich, of Wolfberg, father of Prince Metternich, owned dogs of the same description.Either way, there is no doubt that Essig named and registered the breed first. A black and white engraving of the Leonberger was included in "The Illustrated Book of the Dog" by Vero Shaw (at p. 488) in 1881. At the time, Essig's Leonbergers were denounced as an indifferent knockoff of a St. Bernard—not a stable and recognized breed—and a product of a popular fad or fashion for large and strong dogs, fomented in part by Essig's prodigious marketing skills (he gave dogs to the rich and famous).

The modern look of the Leonberger, with darker coats and a black masks, was developed during the latter part of the 20th century by re-introducing other breeds, such as the Newfoundland. This was necessary because breeding stocks of the leonberger were seriously affected by the two world wars. During World War I most Leonbergers were left to fend for themselves as breeders fled or were killed. Reportedly, only five Leonbergers survived World War I and were bred until World War II when, again, almost all Leonbergers were lost. During the two world wars, Leonbergers were used to pull the ammunition carts, a service to the breed's country that resulted in the Leonbergers' near-destruction Leonbergers today can have their ancestry traced to the eight dogs that survived World War II.

Traditionally, Leonbergers were kept as farm dogs and were much praised for their abilities in watch and draft work. They were frequently seen pulling carts around the villages of Bavaria and surrounding districts. Around the beginning of the 20th Century, Leonbergers were imported by the Government of Canada for use as water rescue/lifesaving dogs. The breed continues in that role today, along with the Newfoundland, Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever dogs; they are used at the Italian School of Canine Lifeguard. The Leonberger received American Kennel Club recognition as a member of the Working Group on January 1, 2010, alongside the Icelandic Sheepdog and the Cane Corso. It was the 167th breed to be recognized by the AKC.

15 Hypoallergenic Dogs and Cats 1 of 2

If you love animals but hate allergies, you may be tempted to spring for a pricey hypoallergenic pet.

Not so fast. Studies suggest hypoallergenic cats and dogs can cause just as many symptoms as the regular kind, says James Seltzer, MD, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. That’s because skin and saliva proteins, not just hair, trigger allergy symptoms.

The only pets proven to be hypoallergenic have scaly skin—like iguanas and snakes, he says. That said, if you’re dead set on a furry pet, here are a few that are touted—but not proven—to be better for people with allergies.

Bedlington Terrier

Think your best bet is a short-haired dog? Surprise! You’ll find short- and long-haired breeds populate the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) list of dogs that do well with people with allergies.
That’s because it’s not the dog’s hair per se that causes allergies, it’s the saliva, skin, or other proteins. Allergens (particularly saliva proteins) can latch on to the hair, so less shedding in general—rather than the length of the hair—may be helpful.

Bedlington terriers have curly, wooly coats with an extra mop on the top of the head, and weigh 17 to 23 pounds.

Bichon Frise

Known as “powder puff” dogs, bichon frises have a soft silky undercoat and a more coarse and curly outer coat.

In general, dog allergens are microscopic particles that can hitch a ride on other air pollutants, including cigarette smoke and particulate matter generated by traffic.

Cutting down on indoor air pollution can help stop the circulation of symptom-triggering allergens in your home, experts say. These dogs weigh about 10 to 18 pounds.

Chinese Crested

This pup sheds little to no hair, which again can lower—but not eliminate—allergens in the home.

One member of the breed, Sam, had the dubious distinction of being voted the unofficial world’s ugliest dog for three years in a row.

Chinese crested dogs comes in two versions—hairless, which have hair on the head, feet, and tail; and powderpuff, which have a soft coat over the entire body.

These dogs weigh 10–13 pounds.
 

Devon rex cat

The Devon rex has big ears, an elfin face, and a coat that can be either thin and suede-like or a mop of loose curls, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).

These cats have a "dubious" reputation for being hypoallergenic, and symptoms will vary "according to an individual's personal allergies," says the CFA.

In general, kittens shed more allergens than cats. Although the levels seem to drop at 6 to 12 months of age, "they still cause allergies," says Dr. Seltzer.

Irish Water Spaniel

"If you do the grooming outside the house you're not going to stir up as much allergen."
Regular grooming and bathing of dogs can reduce, but not eliminate, allergens, says James Sublett, MD, section chief of pediatric allergy at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

The AKC says they "require brushing every few weeks and trimming every two months to neaten and shape the coat."

These dogs have a curly coat and can weigh 45 to 65 pounds.

Kerry Blue Terrier

These dogs have a soft, dense coat and weigh 33 to 40 pounds.

Originally bred as hunters, they may not do well in households with cats or other small pets, according to the AKC.

Dr. Sublett notes that if "you're allergic to one dog, you're allergic to all dogs."

There's "not really any guarantee that an animal will be hypoallergenic," he says.

Tips To Improve Your Dog’s Diet Today

Improve Your Dog’s Diet Today

Deciding what to feed your dog – or anyone in your care for that matter, isn’t something you should take lightly. 
Apart from exercise and mental health, diet is the biggest contributor to wellbeing. The eating habits we set up can mean the difference between a long and healthy life and programming our loved ones for failure.
I’d like to share with you some of the most important principles that I apply in pursuit of the perfect canine diet. I lead by example; all three of my dogs are lean, healthy and energy filled cuddle-monsters.

My aim is to inspire you to produce your own dog’s meals. If you’re happy with the current food you’re feeding, then incorporating even some of these suggestions will benefit your dog. Remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Do what you can, when you can. Some change is better than no change.

Here are my top tips to improve your dog’s diet today…

1. Discard the marketing hype and take the label test

 

No matter how entertaining, relying on advertisements for nutritional information is not ideal. Why? Because the people that produce the ads didn’t formulate the food. Their job is to make even the worst products appear healthy.
Carefully examining the labels on your dog’s food and treats will help you make more informed purchases.
Product labels always list the ingredients in order, from the largest to the smallest.
Google-search each of the first five ingredients. First, type in each ingredient followed by “bad for dogs” and then “good for dogs.” The results may surprise you.
When you start researching, you’ll soon see why I’m against prescription foods sold by vets. They may suit a diagnosed condition but can cause many other problems (and that’s not even taking into account the cooking processes or packaging).
Discuss the ingredients with the person or company recommending the products. If they can’t explain what each ingredient is, its source, why and how it’s good for dogs, then rely on your own research and judgment.

2. Avoid feeding shelf-stable foods as a staple diet

 

Thanks to clever marketing, the average consumer often overlooks the alarming reasons why processed food has a 12 to 24 month shelf life.
Marketing has conditioned us to believe that shelf-stable foods provide everything dogs need to live long and healthy lives. Actually, the opposite is true. While there will always be the rare exception to the rule, don’t count on your dog being one of them.
Shelf-stable products have no live enzymes due to their industrial cooking processes. They’re dead foods that rely on synthetic supplementation to meet the supposedly “balanced” nutritional standards set out by AAFCO.
My gripe with these products is not that they exist, but the way they’re marketed … as a staple, daily diet. After all, if we could pack all the nutrition the body needs for optimum health into a pellet or a can, then there would be thousands of companies out there producing human “food” and promoting it as a staple diet.
Biscuits, kibble and canned foods have their place – in shelters, charities, on long trips, or on occasions when we’re pressed for time – but they should not be fed as a staple diet.

3. Introduce fresh whole foods

 

Fresh whole foods such as vegetables and fruit are full of live enzymes and will add a new dimension to your dog’s health. Whole foods are also full of fiber, which aids digestion, encourages pooping and improves stools.
Many of the nutrients are destroyed by the cooking processes that create shelf-stable foods. So the manufacturers add synthetic nutrients back into the products. These nutrients are synthetic imitations of those found in nature … and this is the vast difference between whole foods and industrially-produced foods.
Unlike most synthetic nutrients, whole foods contain nutritional co-factors that work synergistically to help the body absorb, assimilate and make use of nutrients.
You are not simply what you eat, but more importantly, you are what you can absorb. Do your own research on safe whole foods for dogs. There are certain fruits and vegetables that dogs must avoid; also, you’ll be amazed at which parts of the vegetables are the most nutritious. For example, broccoli stems contain more nutrients than the head, and beetroot leaves are full of goodness.
Puree vegetables for maximum nutrient absorption or feed whole as a bone substitute for teeth and gum maintenance.

4. Feed a variety of ingredients rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties

 

Inflammation is a major cause of disease so it’s important to research all ingredients in your dog’s diet, along with the manufacturing processes. Inflammation is the leading cause of premature aging, not only in dogs, but in people, too.
As you’re probably now aware, processed commercial foods are inherently inflammatory. Pancreatitis and arthritis are common when you feed processed food too often.
If you must use commercial food it’s best to at least offset its ill effects by adding naturally anti-inflammatory whole foods into the mix. Whole foods high in antioxidants also help reduce inflammation in the body.
Keep your dog young and healthy by feeding a variety of whole foods that are high in antioxidants and anti- inflammatories.

5. Avoid cooking meats

 

All species on the planet eat raw food except for humans. When we cook our food to please our palates, we lose many beneficial nutrients. It’s the same when we cook food for our dogs. While certain whole foods may release more nutrients once cooked, it’s best to avoid cooking meat for your dog whenever possible.
Irrespective of the stated nutritional values, here’s one of many reasons why commercial pet foods are fundamentally flawed:

“When the muscles of mammals, fish, or birds are cooked at high temperatures, carcinogenic chemicals called heterocyclic amines are created that may increase the risk of breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. Risky cooking methods don’t just include barbequing, frying, and grilling. Even just baking chicken at around 350 deg F for 15 minutes leads to significant production of these cancer-causing compounds.”

-Michael Greger MD

If you prefer to cook meat for your dog, just lightly sear it instead of cooking it through.

6. Use certified organic vegetables and fruit when possible

 

Many of the non-organic fruit and vegetables on the market are genetically modified, and with no labeling laws in place it’s impossible to know exactly what we and our dogs are eating. Although approved for human consumption, evidence suggests that genetically modified foods are not safe. If you’re concerned for the wellbeing of your family and pets, I encourage you to investigate the GMO issue for yourself.

“The process of genetic engineering can disrupt the functioning of the DNA in dramatic ways – it can turn genes off, permanently turn them on, change their levels of expression, and create all sorts of unpredicted allergies, toxins, carcinogens, nutrient problems etc.”

– Jeffrey Smith, Author, Seeds of Deception

Dogs’ lifespans are typically about one-eighth the length of human lifespans. The health problems we see emerging in dogs exposed to GM foods today will no doubt be seen in people in many years to come.
Findings show that 5th and 6th generation offspring of lab mice are affected by the genetically modified food consumed by their ancestors.

7. Wash non-organic produce in apple cider vinegar

 

We can’t always afford or find organic produce so we have to make what we can get safer.
Plants produce allelochemicals, which help prevent toxic substances including pesticides from penetrating their surface. You can scrub the pesticides off non-organic fruit and vegetables with a clean soft brush while soaking them in one part apple cider vinegar and four parts water for a minute, then rinsing.

8. Avoid gluten

 

Have you ever joked about how smelly your dog’s farts and poops are?
Many dry pet foods contain gluten meal. This dried residue made from corn is added to pet food to prevent inferior, unstable fats from becoming rancid; this causes waste products to be retained and can strain the liver and kidneys.
Corn gluten even in small quantities may harm your dog’s organs; to make matters worse, GMO corn is often used in pet food.

9. Replace rice with organic green lentils

 

Dogs don’t need grains at all to be healthy. They don’t eat them in the wild, and most are allergic to wheat. When a dog has an upset tummy it baffles me why many vets still recommend boiled chicken and rice.
A great protein-rich substitute is green lentils. Just like rice, green lentils require boiling, so your preparation time is similar. It’s best to soak them first and rinse before cooking, then rinse again after cooking.
Lentils are one of the most nutritionally valuable leguminous plants. They have the highest protein content. They’re also rich in fiber and minerals, particularly iron and magnesium.
They’re rich in lysine, an essential amino acid that can help boost the immune system. It can prevent and treat cold sores, herpes and shingles in humans. Athletes also take it to improve performance.

10. Add raw coconut oil as a source of fat

 

Unlike animal fats and other vegetable fats, raw coconut oil (virgin cold-pressed) is truly unique. While it’s high in saturated fat, it’s a healthy saturated fat that mainly contains medium-chain fatty acids that the body doesn’t store.
Coconut oil can help you manage your dog’s weight. Raw coconut oil goes straight to the liver where it gets converted into energy. The more energy your dog has, the more he exercises; the more he exercises, the leaner he stays; the leaner he stays, the less chance of obesity-related diseases.
Note: you will still need to provide your dog with a source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Since fish oils can turn rancid very easily, consider sources of Omega-3 oils like chia seed, flaxseed or hempseed. You can also add small amounts of (preferably fresh) sardines.

11. Do not over-feed … and limit treats

 

Feed your dog according to whether he needs to gain or lose weight. If he’s overweight, feed him earlier in the day so he has more time to work it off. If your dog needs to gain weight then feed more regularly and especially before bedtime, preventing the dog from burning off those calories.
Within reason, don’t worry about your dog being too skinny. It’s ok for your dog to be very slim, especially in his younger, more active years. As he grows older, he’ll gain weight more easily, so don’t set him up for failure by trying to make him heavier too early – it will come naturally over time
Just like marketing gurus once convinced mothers they should be putting snacks in their children’s lunchboxes, they’ve tricked dog owners into believing that giving our dogs treats is normal. The worst part is that it’s near impossible to find ready-made healthy treats.
So let me ask you… when you’re feeling guilty for not spending enough time with your dog, is compensating with a treat about how you feel or about how your dog feels?
Without realizing it, many of us are slowly poisoning our dogs with treats. It can be easy to spot the dog who gets far too many treats – usually it’s the obese one. If you’d like to feed treats, consider making fresh and healthy treats at home. Dried coconut flakes are a great choice.
It’s fun to give dogs treats, but use them sparingly. Lean dogs are healthier dogs.

12. Get creative for teeth and gum health

 

Some commercial treats claim to benefit teeth and gum health but their unhealthy ingredients and cooking processes can cause other health problems. Marketing does it again!
If you ask any dentist how to best keep teeth plaque-free and gums healthy they’ll recommend brushing. The same rules apply for dogs.
It isn’t always possible or practical to brush your dog’s teeth so bones come in a close second. Gnawing on raw bones will help keep your dog’s teeth sparkling white. 
Another good solution is to give your dog whole foods like carrots and zucchini to chomp on. You see, it’s all about the rubbing and sloughing action on the teeth.
You can make fresh treats for your dog to gnaw on to help remove plaque. Try cutting some holes in vegetables and cover them with melted raw coconut oil. Place in the freezer for five minutes then serve.
These treats can also satisfy a dog’s need to grind and chomp, and they aren’t as harsh on teeth as bones. Be warned – there will be bits of vegetables everywhere … but that’s ok, you’re not feeding these primarily for nutrition purposes.
In the unlikely event your dog rejects these natural treats at first, don’t give up. Play games with the treats, throwing them to encourage a fetching game, or even play hide and seek.
Raw coconut oil also acts as a wonderful canine toothpaste because it has antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties – plus most dogs love the taste!
Allowing your dog to lick hardened coconut oil off a bowl for 20 seconds after each meal is a great way to help with bad breath.

13. Rethink your water

 

Water is the most important aspect of a healthy diet yet it’s the most overlooked. There are well over 150 chemicals in most tap waters, depending on where you live.
We can argue all day about the safety of that healthy, naturally-occurring stuff called fluoride, or we can shift our focus towards its nasty, toxic waste version that’s in our water supply … hydrofluorosilicic acid.
97% of Europe refuses to put it in their water supply. It’s a byproduct of fertilizer manufacturing and it contains traces of arsenic and lead, and also increases the body’s uptake of aluminium.
Of course all homes should have a water filter to remove unwanted chemicals but in an ideal scenario having pure water to begin with is better.
I prefer to pour an imported alkaline water for my dogs (Saka is a good brand if you can find it) and it’s the only water they drink. While feeding alkaline water to dogs may go against the grain, I can see the benefits.
A very cost effective alternative to water filters is Willard Water^® – one of the most unusual products you’ll ever find. In essence it is just water, but add a few drops of it into your dog’s water bowl and special things start to happen. It purifies water, makes it alkaline, and also helps with nutrient absorption, among many other benefits.

14. Wash bowls with vinegar

 

A good white vinegar is a chemical-free alternative to commercial cleaning products. Among other things, you can use it to wash your dishes and clean surfaces, including dog bowls and floors. It disinfects and is odorless when dry.
Dogs can be sensitive to commercial cleaning products so replace as many of these as possible with natural alternatives. Apart from vinegar, you can Google search organic and safe, ready-made cleaning products.

15. Take Charge

 

You know your dog better than anyone so it makes sense that you should be in control of your dog’s diet.

Animals can become mental ill

Flint was hit hard when his mother Flo passed away. He became withdrawn and stared into space. He also stopped eating and became weak. After a few days, Flint rested close to where his mother had lain, and died.

Flint was a chimpanzee living in Gombe National Park in Tanzania. His story was described by primatologist Jane Goodall in her 2010 book Through a Window. She contends that he was suffering from depression.

To our eyes, many animals seem to suffer from forms of mental illness. Whether they are pets, or animals kept in ill-managed zoos and circuses, they can become excessively sad, anxious, or even traumatised.

We have tended to think of psychological illnesses as a uniquely human trait. But that may be wrong. There is growing evidence that many animals can suffer from mental health disorders similar to those seen in humans. These unfortunate animals could help us understand how and why humans become mentally ill, and why these debilitating disorders ever evolved at all.Many of us have seen or heard of pets that become sad after the loss of a companion. Sometimes, their loss is too deep to recover from, and they may even die – as Flint apparently did.But animal mental illness can take many forms. Some pet birds obsessively pluck their feathers, and some dogs obsessively lick their tails or paws, much as some humans obsessively clean their hands. Some animals are also known to self-harm, for instance pulling out their own hair.

It seems that animal mental illness can be triggered by many of the same factors that unleash mental illness in humans. That includes the loss of family or companions, loss of freedom, stress, trauma and abuse.

This is most easily seen in animals that are held in captivity.In a 2011 study, scientists found signs of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in chimpanzees that had been used in laboratory research, orphaned, trapped by snares, or been part of illegal trade.Stressful events can even leave marks on animals' genes. In 2014, researchers found that African grey parrots that were housed alone suffered more genetic damage than parrots that were housed in pairs.The researchers examined the parrots' telomeres: caps on the ends of their chromosomes that slowly deteriorate with age or stress. 9-year-old parrots that were raised alone had telomeres as short as pair-housed birds that were 23 years older.It seems that social deprivation is stressful for parrots, just as it is for humans. Other stressful events can also leave their mark on animals.For example, many military dogs are thought to be suffering from a canine form of PTSD. They behave similarly to war-traumatised soldiers. Some of these dogs are being treated using drugs used to cure panic attacks and anxiety in humans.

Similar behaviours, such as shaking with fear, are often seen in civilian dogs that have been through a natural disaster or been abandoned by their owners.

So far, all these examples have come from captive mammals or pets. That probably reflects our own preferences for certain animals.

"It's the animals that we find very charismatic, like elephants or chimpanzees, or animals that we share our homes with, like dogs," that command our attention, says animal behaviour expert Marc Bekoff.But this doesn't mean that animals in the wild cannot suffer from mental illnesses.

"He didn't quite get what it was to be a coyote," says Bekoff. "He was socially very maladaptive, and he didn't seem to understand what other coyotes were saying to him or doing. And he didn't seem to know how to play."

In his 2008 book The Emotional Lives of Animals, (HERE FOR SALE) Bekoff suggested that "Harry suffered from coyote autism".

There may be a simple reason for that: maybe animals with mental disorders don't make it in the wild. They do not necessarily get the care or support that mentally ill humans do, so if they can't perform critical tasks they may not survive long.
That's possible, but it could also be that people simply haven't looked, says Bekoff. Even if they see animals that seem sad or otherwise behaving oddly, they usually don't try to figure out what could be happening.More profoundly, it is difficult to tell if a seemingly abnormal behaviour is a sign of illness, or just out of the ordinary. In many cases we don't know enough about what constitutes "normal behaviour" to decide.Sometimes, "it's very clearly a disease and something is wrong with the animal," says Eric Vallender of the University of Mississippi in Jackson. But what if an animal has been through a stressful experience, yet seems unaffected?"What's unclear then is whether this is because it doesn't look any different to me as an observer, a human watching the animal, but another animal would say that there is something different," says Vallender. "Or if there's truly no difference."

Doctors can ask human patients how they feel, but animals cannot tell us if they are sad or happy, or if they are hallucinating.

"All you can do with animals is to observe them," says Vallender. "Imagine if you could study mental disorders in humans only by observing them. It would be really hard to tell what's going on in their brain."

Faced with these obstacles, scientists have begun looking at animals' genes."A lot of mental disorders can be quite different. But what we do know is that they have a very, very strong genetic component to them," says Jess Nithianantharajah of the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Melbourne, Australia.

All mental disorders, from depression to schizophrenia, involve abnormal behaviours. Those behaviours are influenced by genes just like other behaviours.

So the idea is to identify genes that can cause abnormal behaviours in humans and other animals. By tracing the origins of these genes, we can trace the origins of mental disorders.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it turns out that many of the genes implicated in mental illnesses are involved in brain function. Some of the most important parts of our brains are the synapses: junctions between individual brain cells that allow them to transfer information. Synapses are involved in many cognitive processes, such as learning new facts and paying attention.


Many mental health disorders arise when something goes wrong with these aspects of the brain. For example, many children with autism have learning disabilities, and patients with schizophrenia find it difficult to form coherent thoughts.

A host of genes are involved in building synapses. These genes code for proteins that assemble into synaptic junctions, and Nithianantharajah says they are at the core of many cognitive processes.

In a 2012 study, Nithianantharajah and her colleagues reconstructed the history of one family of synapse genes, known as Dlg.Invertebrates – animals like flies and squid that lack backbones – have only one Dlg gene. But all vertebrates – backboned animals like fish, birds and apes – have four.

During the course of evolution, the original Dlg gene was duplicated twice, giving rise to the four copies found in vertebrates, says Nithianantharajah. These gene duplication events happened about 550 million years ago, possibly in a tiny worm living in the sea.

The four Dlg genes found in vertebrates are subtly different, and the team found that each one regulates distinct cognitive behaviours.

"What this means is that we have far more tools in our repertoire to be able to perform different types of complex behaviours, that many invertebrates don't necessarily do," says Nithianantharajah.

But in vertebrates that have four copies of the genes, the genes act like a dimmer switch: they can be turned up and down in different combinations, allowing the animal to fine-tune behaviours.

In short, the genetic duplication events gave vertebrates a wider range of genes, enabling them to have more varied and complex behaviours.But there was a cost. Mutations in these extra Dlg genes can give rise to many psychological disorders.

They also found that the Dlg genes have not changed much over evolutionary time. Nithianantharajah says that is because they are so fundamentally important to animals' brains, so evolution has largely kept them as they were.

Her data suggests that Dlg had its origins in the simplest of animals. That would imply that both intelligence and psychological disorders also began early in animal evolution.Based on that, Nithianantharajah says, it is possible that invertebrates like honeybees and octopuses could also experience mental illness."We know that mutations in certain brain genes, and particularly the synaptic genes, play a large role in disrupting behaviour," says Nithianantharajah. "That's the core of what a mental disorder is. So just like in vertebrates, if you mutate various synaptic genes in invertebrates, you could lead to abnormal behaviour."

So far no such study has been published, but there is observational evidence that invertebrates really do suffer mental disorders.

A 2011 study subjected honeybees to violent shaking, and found that they seemingly became more pessimistic as a result. Faced with a smell they could not identify, they were more likely to behave as if it was unpleasant.

Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising. While we tend to think of invertebrates as "lower" animals, lots of them do have brains and many are far more intelligent than the stereotype would suggest.That said, it is one thing to suggest that animals like dogs or even bees might suffer from emotional disorders like depression or anxiety. Other mental illnesses like schizophrenia seem to affect more complex forms of thought, so we might expect them to be exclusive to humans. But that may not be the case.In a 2014 study, Vallender and his colleague Lisa Ogawa studied genes thought to be associated with schizophrenia and autism in 45 mammalian species.

 
If these genes had changed more in humans than in other species, it would imply that the disorders were exclusively human.

But that was not the case. The genes had changed in humans, but also in Old World monkeys, apes, and even distantly-related mammals like dolphins.

So far it's not clear what this actually means for these animals' mental health, says Vallender. "All we know at this point is that the proteins seem to be changing." There is a long way to go, but genetic studies like these do suggest that all animals with brains have the capacity to experience some form of mental illness.

From our point of view, this may actually be a good thing, because it offers hope for better treatments.

Many of the therapies and drugs that are being developed to treat human mental disorders are being tested on animals. That only makes sense if the animal in question has a brain that works similarly to ours.

"If a human breaks a leg, or if a cat or horse breaks a leg, a broken leg is a broken leg. The species does not matter much," Vallender says. "But mental health is really different. This is because the human brain is very different from other species, and we really need to understand the things that are the same about it and those that are different."

More profoundly, the evolutionary history of mental disorders suggests that we have been looking at human mental illness wrong.

It's still common to see mental illness branded as a form of weakness. We struggle to understand that people with severe depression or anxiety cannot simply "get over it", any more than a person could will themselves to survive a heart attack.

But far from being something limited to pampered modern humans, mental illness can strike many kinds of animals and seems to have been around for hundreds of millions of years. Just like seemingly more physical disorders like cancer, it can be traced back to mechanical things such as genes and proteins within our cells.

Mental disorders seem to be the price animals pay for their intelligence. The same genes that made us smart also predisposed us to mental illness. There's nothing shameful in that.