.MASON CITY — Have you ever notice that your dog paces more and seems restless on the nights leading up to or following a full moon?
There are dog owners, and even some veterinarians, who report what they believe to be a “full moon effect” on pets and other animals.
Veterinarians such as Dr. Bruce Schupanitz of Garner believe the moon’s phases can influence caseload.
“Whenever you have a full moon, you get a lot of weird calls,” he said.
Mason City veterinarian Dr. Michelle LaCoste said she has noticed an increase in phone calls and emergencies when on call during a full moon.
“But I have never done an in-depth analysis.”
Schupanitz, who previously worked with dairy cattle in Iowa and Minnesota, remembers that the number of calls increased during a full moon and that more cows were calving during a full moon.
He questioned whether a change in atmospheric pressure occurred as a result of the full moon that stimulates some of that activity.
“Pets are going to be sensitive to those changes in the atmosphere,” he said.
However, Adam Frederick, chief meteorologist with KIMT-TV in Mason City, said he was not aware of any atmospheric change caused by a full moon.
“If there were a change, it wouldn’t stand out,” he said.
Scientists have studied in recent years the full-moon effect on animals with some interesting results.
One study, by Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, studied the frequency of emergency visits of cats and dogs with respect to the lunar cycle.
As reported in the July 15, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association, the study involved 9,407 dogs and 2,533 cats seen on an emergency basis over an 11-year period. It concluded that there was a “significant” increase in the number of emergencies for dogs and cats on fuller moon days, including the days leading up to and away from the full moon.
The increase was 23 percent higher for cats and 28 percent higher for dogs compared with the rest of the month.
A 2001 study in the British Medical Journal found more people were bitten by animals and admitted to the emergency room in and around the time of the full moon than in any other lunar phase.
Dr. Raegan Wells, Colorado State University veterinarian who led the 2007 study, suggested that at the least, the study “serves as a good reminder to remain cognizant of your pet’s environment and overall health status (during a full moon) and to avoid situations that would put them in harm’s way.”
