A recent study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) convincingly demonstrates a pronounced statistical upswing in animal emergency hospital traffic on the eve of a full moon.
No longer is full-moon madness a purely human phenomenon. It now seems to impact pets, too. Whether it be a consequence of their human companions’ compulsions or purely their own has yet to be teased out. And I doubt seriously that’ll prove easily done. (I mean, Fluffy isn’t exactly volunteering a vet visit, moon on the rise or not.)
At issue, then, is whether pets are more likely to become infirm during a full moon or whether their humans are more likely to pick up on their illness and be willing to do something about it as a result of the moon’s effects, presumably tidal/gravitational in origin. The study clearly has no capacity to deduce anything beyond its numerical influences so it represents little more than marginal triviality.
Nonetheless, I’ve heard several vets talking excitedly about the article, perhaps because we so infrequently read such just-for-fun sorts of submissions to scholarly journals.
Moreover, personal experience dictates that I concur with the results of these findings. My own stints as an emergency vet never let me down in my hunch that the full moon made my work life crazy. I would swear that the pets were more poorly behaved, that their parents were unreachably obstinate or emotional, and that my own staff’s behavior was more worthy of reproach than usual. But maybe that’s just my own version of the full moon. I’d wager my staff might render another opinion.
At issue here is not merely the value of the observation printed in the JAVMA (I mean, what’s its worth if I can’t find a use for the esoteric BS they print in scholarly journals these days?), it’s also the implication that animals may be susceptible to the same inexplicable (but clearly natural) forces we are.
Yet on both fronts I find the article somewhat inconsequential. But it’s nice to have my feelings confirmed nonetheless, fluff and filler though I might suspect it to be. I wonder whether any of you might offer me an opinion, seeing as I clearly have no vision for the utility of such data, beyond aiding vets in their staffing needs and such.
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Myself and a number of rescue colleagues have long noticed that our rabbits are particularly perturbed on evenings when there is a full moon. Sometimes this will include the entire hallway of foster rabbits all thumping at once for no apparent reason whereas on a normal evening, they wouldn't thump at all, or even during the day.
And, of course, my dogs are always pretty hyper when there is a full moon. I am not myself aware per se of the moon's cycles, but I will always notice the hyperactivity or agitation of the various species in my care and find myself asking, "Is there a full moon?" to which the answer is usually yes.
Patti July 20th, 2007 04:55:00 AM
One of our dogs is epileptic, and we belong to a large, tight-knit online community of dog people who share their home with epis. Not only are there far more reports of seizures during full moons, but many parents will tell you that they preempt the full moon evening by increasing AED's for a few days before and after each cycle.
Of course, we have no explanation as to why this is... but knowing that the phenomenon exists has allowed many parents to prevent tragedies (or at least long, stress-filled evenings) ahead of time.
Kim July 20th, 2007 10:56:00 AM
It's not tidal/gravitational in origin. The moon exerts no stronger a gravitational force on an individual than would a large building. (Of course, you could use that to argue that all people who live in cities or work in factories must be crazy...) As far as I know there has been no conclusive proof of an increase in actual human lunacy around the full moon as distinguished from an increase in *reports* of madness (or crime, or injury) - as you mentioned with pets, it's as likely to be a detection bias as anything real.
zandperl July 20th, 2007 07:04:00 PM
zandperl: I assumed that was the issue--the tidal thing--as in, we're 70% water and there's some odd tidal effect on these molecules. I don't know whether I made that up at some point or heard it along the way but I always thought there was a theory hidden there. Thanks for correcting me.
Dr. Patty Khuly July 21st, 2007 09:35:00 AM
The History channel has a show called "The History of the Moon" on which they site a a study showing spikes in police data, for one, during full moons and affects on other animal's behavior, including wild animals.
Patti July 21st, 2007 05:00:00 PM
I've been keeping track of full moons because I remember reading a long time ago something about a dog being more prone to bloat on or around a full moon. And so, since the breed I own is the number one breed prone to bloat, well just makes sense to mark my calendar and be extra watchful.
But since I've been keeping track, I also notice that one of my dogs doesn't sleep on the day/night of (or the day/night before) a full moon. She stays up and barks and paces and generally just annoys me that entire night, almost every time. My other dog doesn't act any differently at all.
Interesting stuff either way!
Great Dane Addict July 22nd, 2007 11:32:00 AM
After more than 25 years in the ER, I say the hell with research to the contrary; the full moon DOES have an effect on people. We get more attempted suicides, more manic episodes in known bipolar patients, and more just plain nuttiness than any other time. We see more bar fight victims, more domestic violence; well, you get the picture. I track the moon phases in relaion to my work schedule; the full moon always brings out the crazies, followed by the new moon. The rest of the month is just business as usual.
Shellie July 23rd, 2007 09:59:00 PM
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