Semantic contagion: should we be worried about it or not? I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Even though a discussion about pit bull-related issues trigger this podcast, I could have just as easily put ticks at the head of the list. As ticks have moved northward, people have become more paranoid about them and Lyme Disease. Fortunately for dogs, the semantic contagion strain associated with Lyme disease in humans seems more virulent than that in dogs. Apparently in humans, one needn’t even have a positive test result to be diagnosed with and treated for the disease. All you need is to exhibit a few of a multitude of sometimes very general symptoms attributed to the disease.
But alas, human nature being what it is, companion animals may suffer an unintended consequence of this human reaction. As the stories of these human encounters proliferate (with or without proof), they add to the tick-phobia of those with dogs and other companion animals. I shudder to think how many unsuspecting dogs and even a few cats—both male and female and including those on effective tick-preventatives—have had their nipples frantically twisted and yanked by owners who felt them during a canine tummy rug and thought they were ticks. Ouch!!
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