ANOREXIA DOG-VOSA? ANIMAL EATING DISORDERS LINKED TO ABUSE

ANOREXIA DOG-VOSA? ANIMAL EATING DISORDERS LINKED TO ABUSE

AURORA, N.Y. (Wireless Flash) -- It may be a dog-eat-dog world but a new study suggests some dogs aren't eating at all. Researcher JoAnne Johnson of Wells College in Aurora, New York, says her study of abused dogs reveals that many of them suffer from eating disorders. Her research shows that around 35 percent of female dogs and 34 percent of male dogs have some type of abnormal eating habit - - everything from being so aggressive they attack their bowls to dogs who are so fearful of their food they refuse to eat. Some dogs even have abnormal drinking habits and are afraid to drink the water in their bowls. Johnson believes the doggie eating disorders are caused by owners who abused the animals during mealtime.

CONTACT: JoAnn Johnson, ***; Aurora, NY; (315) 364-8702 (from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. EDT, e-mail at jjohnson@henry.wells.edu)