Do animals get autism?

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I know some animals have trouble with social interactions, so I'm wondering if any animals (other than Humans) have been officially diagnosed with autism?

I don't think anyone has done any study on the subject, but by any logic, it should be there.

While it is certainly likely that animals can suffer from mental illness, imagine trying to actually diagnose any given animal. A dog. Do normal dogs do eye contact? Can't diagnose on communication skills with humans. As for communication skills with other dogs, would be near impossible to tell which dog is doing the talking and which is doing the panicing. Can't really diagnose on obsessive interests, as most dogs like sticks and baskets and not much more. You get the picture.

oppositedirection wrote:

Dogs do display body language, as a matter of fact that's much of their communication. I'm no expert but I know a direct gaze and a grin will be interpreted as aggressive by a dog. So the rules are different.



Cesar Millan ( the dog whisperer) would know. He is amazing. I guess animal behavior is programmed genetically (aka instinct) so I guess it's possible for something to be programmed incorrectly. I'm not sure it would be called autism though, doesn't that require self awareness?

All cats have autism. All dogs have ADHD.

dogs have masters, cats have staff. . .

LOL

Though, I've known a dog who thought she was a cat and a cat who thought he was a dog. What would that be in human classifications?

Can't see how, as they don't follow our social rules so DX'ing would be impossible.

Nope.

Dolphins... maybe... *shrugs*

I understand (this is only tangentially relevant) that if you raise or keep monkeys (possibly other animals, I dunno) in cages for a long time, they may exhibit stereotypic movements and similar behaviour which in humans might be considered a sign of autism. That would be more a case of damaging their minds into the shape, though. Not a nice thing to do.

Broadly speaking, though, I guess those creatures with minds similar to ours could have something similar, but it would only be "the same thing" in a loose sense. As, for example (analogy warning! ), a steam engine and an internal combustion engine might be made from the same metal, perhaps.

I believe that any social animal may possibly have genetic differences in social tendencies. I am not sure which species though. I did see an interesting documentary on wolf packs. There was a wolf called the "omega wolf" due to its last place in the hierachy, a female which was shunned from the group for some reason. I wondered if it was because this wolf didnt display the correct social behaviours. It seemed to be the case. She wasnt allowed in the pack and sort of hung around in the bushes near the pack. It was heartbreaking.

I feel that Cats have Autism or Asperger's characteristics

They want to be left alone most of the time,

They don't like things that are unfamiliar

And they come up to people when they want to and not when people come up to them.

I suspect that if humans can get autism, so can animals. In my opinion, the animals that are most likely autistic are cats.

That would be an animal model of reactive attachment disorder... and yeah, it's totally illegal now. *shudder*

They've made knockout mice with a mousey analogue of Rett syndrome, which is a neurodevelopmental syndrome that includes autism as part of the bigger Rett's picture.

No way, I think all cats have schizophrenia!
Either that or Multiple Personality Disorder.
One second they're purring while you pet them, and the next second they scratch your face off!
They also look up at the ceiling and meow at nothing...