A mischievous dog left her owners worried before they took her to the vet and realized the truth about her illness.
In a viral video on TikTok with more than 850,000 views, user @baileylovesmika shared how Mika the dog was unwell one day.
Alongside footage of her looking lethargic, the on-screen text explained: “When Mika wasn’t feeling well and refused to play, so we took her to the vet.”
But when they arrived at the office to get Mika checked out, nobody was expecting what would happen as her demeanor completely changed. “Newfound energy upon arriving to the animal hospital,” the video said , as footage showed Mika suddenly running around the waiting room with excitement. She was even seen greeting the vet with enthusiasm, a complete turnaround from earlier.
The video ended with a humorous twist—the vet’s notes said that Mika is “well and active” with the suggestion that she might have been faking her illness. “Most likely faked illness for treats,” the vet wrote.
Veterinarian and author Dr. Richard Pitcairn, known for his book Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, has commented on similar behaviors in pets. He explained that dogs are intelligent enough to learn patterns of behavior that get them extra attention. “If they realize they get more TLC [tender loving care] when sick, they might do it again,” he previously explained.
The video sparked an outpouring of comments from pet owners who shared their own experiences of dogs pretending to be ill. One viewer, @angelascoastallife, commented: “Our dog used to do this all the time. I miss him, but not the unnecessary vet bills.” Another user, @kittykat, related: “Why do they do this? Took mine at 3 a.m. to the vet for him to do this.”
A picture of Mika from the viral TikTok video.
@baileylovesmika/TikTok
“Not getting enough attention is a real sickness, I hear you, Mika,” sympathized viewer Louise Knowles. While Addison Ash said: “Omg, my golden did this once. Limped around the house for 4 hours, then miraculously healed as soon as we got to the emergency vet.”
Mika is now completely fine and seems to have gotten the fix of attention she craved, despite the worry she provided her owners.
Newsweek reached out to @baileylovesmika via TikTok for comment.
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