[Oyster]

Hi, I am a animal care volunteer and we help low income people with their pets. For the past year I have been transporting one lady and her dog to the vet. Because she has no car I have also helped her out by taking her to her own doctors appointments. The problem is she takes her dog to vet after vet, describing all kinds of sympthoms and getting medications after medications to give him. Plus, she calls her old vet in another state and gets homopathic 'cures' recommendations for the dog. She constantly talks about all her dog's ailments. I found out that the last dog she had, that she put down, also had all kinds of ailments, according to her. Oddly enough the reason she had her prior dog put down--prostrate probems is the same problem she keeps insisting this dog has and they are two entirely different breed of dogs.
I am guesing about her having some kind of hypochondria because I take her to the doctor, (several of them) sometimes two or three times a week for weird complaints---"her mouth hurts" she cant swallow', she has headaches. She had a rash on her hand and the doctor gave her creme for it but she wouldnt use it and made a appointment with another doctor for it instead. Ever time she is given medications she ends up not taking them because she is afraid of 'side efects'. She has been sent to specialist and had every test doctors can give every time she has new sympthoms --MRI, throat test, x rays, etc,etc---and nothing has been found wrong with her. Her latest complaint is 'fumes' in the air affecting her lungs and giving her a sore throat for which I am giving her a ride to the doctor again today.
All this lady talks about is her ailments and all she does is go to doctor after doctor and take her dog to vet after vet. I am not related to her so there is no way I can intefer or suggest to her doctor that she needs some kind of mental help. I am concerned about her dog though and my animal rescue group does have the right to interfer if we suspect an animal is being abused, intentionally or not. I just want to know if what I have described does indicate some kind of hypochrondria and/or depression condition. Any advice and imput would be appreciated. I have not come across this before in a pet owner and think perhaps she is transfering her obsession with her own ailments to her dog. Is that possible?

[pegasus]

Hello Oyster, welcome to Psych Central.

At best it sounds like the lady has anxiety which a lot of people have health anxiety, I would think her own doctor would already be aware of this. At worst it could even be Munchausen's syndrome (by proxy.) Munchausen's syndrome - NHS Choices Munchausen's syndrome is where a person continually pretends to be ill and will even go to hospitals for countless operations. Munchausen's by proxy is where the person will pretend someone else (often their own child) is very ill. These conditions are very rare! Please, if you are concerned about the animal, report it.

[Oyster]

Originally Posted by pegasus

Hello Oyster, welcome to Psych Central.

At best it sounds like the lady has anxiety which a lot of people have health anxiety, I would think her own doctor would already be aware of this. At worst it could even be Munchausen's syndrome (by proxy.) Munchausen's syndrome is where a person continually pretends to be ill and will even go to hospitals for countless operations. Munchausen's by proxy is where the person will pretend someone else (often their own child) is very ill. These conditions are very rare! Please, if you are concerned about the animal, report it.

Thanks. I did mention to her yesterday that she was too 'stressed' and suggested she do some about her anxiety----and found out she had been sent to a psychologist before--but she quit him---I think now her doctor (s)just give her something that wont hurt her if does decide to actually take it just to satisfy her because if she doesnt she will just find more new doctors. But I am going to figure a way to talk to one of the vets she goes to ---we would have to have a vet back us up in order to remove the dog from her care---ideally if the vets knows she is making the rounds to all of them one of them will have a talk with her and recommend she not keep the dog any longer.