Do you think pets can be victims of a placebo effect?

Question

One of the arguements against acupunture or other alternative healing practices using energies Science hasn't proven exist is that clients feel better because they expect the treatment to work, that they're victims of the placebo effect.

Do you think the same can be said for pets that receive such treatments? Can a dog or cat feel better because they believe this alternative treatment will work? Or can they feel better because they're getting all this extra attention from their owner and the healing practitioner?

I had a wolf-dog who had some acupunture treatments for arthritis in her hips while she was also being treated for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. She seemed pretty happy when she was getting her acupuncture treatments. I don't know if it was releiving her pain or if she was enjoying the attention and dried chicken treats.

- P.

Answer 1

I dont think so because pets dont base their decisions on bias and popular belief.They base their well-being and health on their condition after treatment.

For humans we see and hear what we want whereas animals just see it as it is.

Answer 2

sorry ,i picked this up somewhere i don't remember where.i read about an experiment that was done on rats,for whatever reason,they had to suppress the rats immune systems,they  fead the rats an immunosupressant ,because it had a foul taste,they laced the drug with an artificial sweetner,after the rats immune systems were slowed,a mistake or oversight happened,and they failed to add the drug to the sweetner,but  then to their surprise  the sweetner alone suppressed their immune systems..placbo? or maybe a story,the taste of the sweetner had been linked to immunosuppression,i think some of the rats died,this might just be a story i can't verify it.but i did read it....tom

Answer 3

Well, for one thing, acupuncture has been scientifically proven to have beneficial effects for some medical problems--therefore, it's not a placebo effect, it actually helps.