Strange Behaviors in Animals
After working with animals all of my life, first from growing up on a farm, and later from my veterinary career, I still find animals quite amusing. Xena brought it all back to my attention when she came into my clinic for an office visit this week. Xena, a real sweetheart, is the same Doberman that inadvertently attempted suicide a year ago by swallowing a teddy bear. She survived the surgery. Ms. Zellars, her owner, told me yesterday that Xena also has Dancing Doberman Disease. I believe she is correct. While this disease can be quite noticeable and progress to more serious signs, it seems to be just a funny little addition to Xena’s behavior. She cannot stand still very long without lifting one of her hind limbs an inch or two, then the other. (For those of you with imaginations—no, not at the same time). When she puts one rear limb down, she lifts the other. It appears that she is attempting to ride a bicycle. This peculiarity has only been seen in Dobermans. It reminds me of a runner warming up at the start of a race while standing in place.
Another strange case I recall involved a hunting dog that could breathe through his ear. When I held his mouth and nostrils closed, I could hear air rushing in and out of his ear. I am not making this up. There is a medical explanation! His ear drums were ruptured and the eustachian tube, a tiny tube which connects the back of the mouth with the ear, apparently was large enough for air to pass.
Then there was the architect’s Schnauzer who snapped at the air repeatedly, as if he were attempting to catch a fly. The name of this syndrome is “fly-snapping,” and the cause is unknown. Other clinicians have called it “fly-catching,” but maybe that means they are just better at it! I always suspected it might have something to do with itchy ears, but some cases have indicated that it may be some sort of a neurologic disorder that can be treated with anti-epileptic drugs. Some veterinarians have found “floaters” in fly-snappers’ eyes, which probably make the affected dogs think they see something that appears to be a fly.
Yet another strange case involved a Yorkshire Terrier that began spending a lot of time staring up at the sky or ceiling. Nothing else had changed—just this strange behavior. I would think it could be categorized as obsessive-compulsive behavior. Other obsessive-compulsive behaviors in dogs include apparent prey searching and pouncing, barking at food, and snarling at their own body parts.
And then you may have heard about fainting goats. When the least excited, they faint. Don’t believe it? Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_CdNPuJg. Many people breed them just so they can watch them faint when they are suddenly startled. Even feeding them can cause fainting. Medically, it’s caused by a gene problem. Practically, it’s the reason that many people have these creatures.
So, Xena, the dancing Doberman, is just one of many animals exhibiting strange behavior patterns. And if we really want to discuss strange behavior, I guess we could ask a physician. I suspect many of their patients’ behaviors are even stranger.
Larry Baker, for Ask Alex