Alien Hand Syndrome: Causes & Symptoms

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Alien Hand Syndrome (AHS) and its potential parallels in animal behavior, particularly in dogs. Participants explore the concept of AHS, its causes, and symptoms, while also humorously relating it to dogs exhibiting seemingly autonomous behavior with their paws or tails.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants describe Alien Hand Syndrome as a condition where individuals feel their hand is not part of their body and moves involuntarily, often following brain trauma.
  • One participant humorously suggests the idea of "Alien Paw Syndrome" in dogs, questioning if a dog could perceive its paw as possessed.
  • Another participant shares an anecdote about a dog that seems surprised by its own tail, drawing a parallel to AHS behaviors.
  • Several participants discuss a video of a dog seemingly fighting with its own paw over a bone, likening it to descriptions of AHS in humans.
  • There are mentions of dogs biting their own tails or paws, with some attributing this behavior to playfulness or nervous habits, while others suggest it could indicate allergies.
  • One participant expresses uncertainty about the scientific explanations for the behaviors observed in the video, noting the difficulty in assessing without viewing it.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants engage in light-hearted speculation about the behaviors of dogs and their possible connections to AHS, but there is no consensus on the scientific validity of these comparisons. The discussion remains largely exploratory and humorous, with varying interpretations of the behaviors described.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express limitations in their understanding due to the inability to view the referenced video, which may affect their contributions to the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in the intersection of neurological conditions and animal behavior, as well as those looking for humorous anecdotes related to pets and their quirks.

Ivan Seeking
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Many here may have heard of Alien Hand Syndrome
Alien hand syndrome: The feeling that one's hand is possessed by a force outside of ones control. The syndrome typically arises after trauma to the brain, after brain surgery or after a stroke or an infection of the brain. A person with the alien hand syndrome can feel sensation in the affected hand but thinks that the hand is not part of their body and that they have no control over its movement, that it belongs to an alien. [continued]
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12655

Could this be an example of Alien Paw Syndrome? :biggrin:
[edit by Ivan: link deleted. See post #16]
 
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OMG, that was too funny, well maybe not to the dog. I will half to defer this to Moonbear.
It made me wonder if, it was so food aggressive, that even its own paw was a threat.
I did have a dog, years back that was always suprised by her tail, the darn tail followed her where ever it went, much to her dismay.
 
I did have a dog, years back that was always suprised by her tail, the darn tail followed her where ever it went, much to her dismay.

My brother's kitten keeps trying to eat its own tail, and then acts surprised when it gets bitten.
 
The video isn't in a format I can view. If you tell me what it shows, I might be able to comment.
 
The dog is on a sofa chewing a bone. His hind leg moves up to the bone, and the dog starts Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr GrrrrRRRRRrrrrrr like his back paw is going to take the bone from him. Like he does not view it as his own, or has no control of its attempt to take his bone.
 
and this goes on for some time...
 
I just watched it again. He actually bites his foot and holds it in his mouth, apparently to make it stop moving on his bone. I have heard of people with AHS getting in a fight with their own hand. :eek: This video looks much like what I've heard described.
 
I wonder if the dog thinks his paw is possessed by an alien dog?
 
I am sure that's what he thinks. Dogs know and fully understand that, aliens do not wish to take control of the world. They infact just want the worlds supply of bones, treats and kibbles!
 
  • #10
All joking aside, if this syndrome has never been observed in dogs, this video may be of interest to some people. It sure looks like the behavior commonly described wrt AHS in people. In either case it seemed worth a post. :biggrin:
 
  • #11
Very strange. Any scientific explanations?
 
  • #12
Ivan Seeking said:
I just watched it again. He actually bites his foot and holds it in his mouth, apparently to make it stop moving on his bone. I have heard of people with AHS getting in a fight with their own hand. :eek: This video looks much like what I've heard described.
Odd. I've tricked dogs into biting their own tails when they had long tails and I tickled their nose with their tail instead of a toy (my parents had a knack for buying dumb dogs), but as soon as they grabbed their tail and realized it was theirs, they let go again. I attributed it more to them focusing on playing and not on where their tail was going.

Some dogs also chew on their feet...looks like a nervous habit when they do it, but can be a sign of allergies (itching) too. But without seeing the video, I really can't say if it's any of those cases.
 
  • #13
Moonbear said:
Odd. I've tricked dogs into biting their own tails when they had long tails and I tickled their nose with their tail instead of a toy (my parents had a knack for buying dumb dogs), but as soon as they grabbed their tail and realized it was theirs, they let go again. I attributed it more to them focusing on playing and not on where their tail was going.
I loved making my cat bite her tail that way...
 
  • #14
Moonbear said:
Odd. I've tricked dogs into biting their own tails when they had long tails and I tickled their nose with their tail instead of a toy (my parents had a knack for buying dumb dogs), but as soon as they grabbed their tail and realized it was theirs, they let go again. I attributed it more to them focusing on playing and not on where their tail was going.

Some dogs also chew on their feet...looks like a nervous habit when they do it, but can be a sign of allergies (itching) too. But without seeing the video, I really can't say if it's any of those cases.

I checked but couldn't find this in a .mov format. You really should try to view this on another computer. It is as funny as it is strange.
 
  • #15
Ivan Seeking said:
I checked but couldn't find this in a .mov format. You really should try to view this on another computer. It is as funny as it is strange.
Sorry, all of my computers (at least the functional ones) are Macs, so it probably won't run on any of them if it won't run on this one (this one is most up-to-date). When I move to WV, they use PCs, so maybe next month some time I'll get to see it.
 
  • #16


This was making the rounds on the internet in a different format, so it seemed worth a bit of necroposting.
http://www.stupidity.com/play-6115-Dog_Attacks_Own_Leg_Over_Bone.html
 
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