Can dogs make themselves sick for attention?
Dogs are very intelligent creatures. … Funnily enough, your dog can very much fake being sick for attention! They know exactly what they need to do to raise alarm in their owners in hopes they will get some extra love and attention.
But dogs can be adorably manipulative as well, like this pup who would limp any time he saw a suitcase in the hopes that his owners wouldnt go away if they thought he was hurt. Thats strategy, right there.
On Jan. 4, Twitter user @PaladinAmber wrote that her cat, Louis, “had been showing signs of dying, not drinking, not eating, sleeping and hiding.” So she took him to the vet, who informed her that his vitals were fine and it seemed like he might have gotten into a fight with a neighborhood cat and lost and was now feeling salty about it.
Or this feline who was “acting sick,” and it turned out she was just loudly protesting the fact that her owners were going on vacation. “Cost $700 to find out she was being dramatic,” the conniving kittys owner wrote.
The thread soon turned into a forum for pet owners to share their own funny stories about dramatic cats and cranky dogs faking sick. Like this Twitter user, whose cat was pretending to be sick just so he could snag some of the tasty wet food the vet would use as a bribe.
A viral tweet prompted people to share some tales of their cats and dogs faking it for the vet.
Why is my dog limping with no sign of injury?
In general, gradual onset limps are caused by an underlying, chronic or degenerative condition, such as osteoarthritis or dysplasia. Sudden onset limps, on the other hand, are usually caused by an injury or trauma. Just because your dog has a gradual limp does not mean you should put off making an appointment.