Yahoo! News (AFP) Mon Jan 16, 4:20 PM ET- TOKYO: It may be the Year of the Dog, but in Japan man's best friend has seen better days with a bitter winter leaving the canine population suffering indoors, veterinarians said.
Dogs have suffered a greater number of cases this winter of cystitis, a bladder inflammation, since the snow has kept them from going for walks.
"Like humans, some dogs do not want to go out or go for a pee under the cold spell," said veterinarian Taizo Umeshita, who heads Heart Animal Hospital in the snow-covered central province of Fukui.
.... dogs were also suffering mentally. "Blocks of snow sometimes fall from roofs, making a big sound and terrifying dogs walking nearby," he said.
"Even if they do not get hit directly, timid ones shiver or become mentally unstable. Some owners said their dogs had lost appetite by hearing the thuds from inside the house," he said. "There are sensitive dogs."...more...

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