The effect of animal-assisted activities (AAA) on the animal participants has been minimally investigated, and the welfare of these animals has been questioned. To enhance our understanding of these animals’ welfare, we measured cortisol collected from serial saliva samples of 15 healthy adult dogs registered with an AAA organization. We collected saliva every 30min before, during, and after a standardized 60-min session across three settings: an AAA session (activity) for college students in the communal area of a residence hall, a novel session located in a novel room without interaction with a stranger, and a home session inside each handler's own home. Each session was videotaped, and specific behaviors during 5-min petting interactions were coded. Salivary cortisol levels were significantly higher in the novel setting (0.397μg/dL) compared to activity (0.257μg/dL) and home (0.213μg/dL) settings at time 30min (P=0.01 and P=0.03, respectively). Dogs exhibited significantly more standing (59% vs 0%, P=0.008) and ambulating (5.6% vs 0%, P=0.001) behavior in the activity setting compared to the home at time 30min, as well. Salivary cortisol level was negatively correlated with panting (P=0.02) and standing (P=0.02) at specific time points in the novel and activity settings, respectively. During the 60-min AAA session, salivary cortisol concentration and stress-associated behavior were not statistically different compared to when dogs spent the same amount of time in the home setting, suggesting that they were not distressed when participating in the AAA sessions. The predictability of the environment may be an important consideration when evaluating the effect of AAA on dogs

Objective—To study the effects of a synthetic, dog-appeasing pheromone (sDAP) on the behavioral, neuroendocrine, immune, and acute-phase perioperative stress responses in dogs undergoing elective orchiectomy or ovariohysterectomy. Design—Randomized, controlled clinical trial. Animals—46 dogs housed in animal shelters and undergoing elective orchiectomy or ovariohysterectomy. Procedures—Intensive care unit cages were sprayed with sDAP solution or sham treated with the carrier used in the solution 20 minutes prior to use. Dogs (n = 24 and 22 in the sDAP and sham treatment exposure groups, respectively) were placed in treated cages for 30 minutes before and after surgery. Indicators of stress (ie, alterations in behavioral, neuroendocrine, immune, and acute-phase responses) were evaluated perioperatively. Behavioral response variables, salivary cortisol concentration, WBC count, and serum concentrations of glucose, prolactin, haptoglobin, and C-reactive protein were analyzed. Results—Behavioral response variables and serum prolactin concentration were influenced by sDAP exposure. Dogs exposed to sDAP were more likely to have alertness and visual exploration behaviors after surgery than were dogs exposed to sham treatment. Decreases in serum prolactin concentrations in response to perioperative stress were significantly smaller in dogs exposed to sDAP, compared with findings in dogs exposed to the sham treatment. Variables examined to evaluate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, immune system, and acute-phase responses were unaffected by treatment. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—sDAP appeared to affect behavioral and neuroendocrine perioperative stress responses by modification of lactotropic axis activity. Use of sDAP in a clinical setting may improve the recovery and welfare of dogs undergoing surgery. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2010;237:673-681)

The veterinary visit is necessary for safeguarding the health of dogs, but it can be stressful and threaten both the welfare of the patient and the accuracy of the examination. This randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study aims at evaluating how dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) in a novel gel formulation influences the behavioral and physiological stress responses of 28 dogs undergoing a standardized clinical examination, while staying in the waiting room (WR) and visited in the examination room (ER). Behavioral responses were studied through behavioral categories and subjective scales (WR and ER). Autonomic response considered heart rate (WR and ER), blood pressure (WR and ER), respiratory rate (ER), and rectal temperature (ER). Neuroendocrine response considered salivary cortisol (WR and ER). In the waiting room, the use of DAP was associated with a significant reduction of lip licking (p = 0.0189), an increase in panting (p = 0.0276), and a reduction close to significance (p = 0.0584) of low body postures. No significant differences were observed within the physiological responses. In the examination room, neither behavioral nor physiological differences were found.

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OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether the behavior profiles of cats with inflammatory gastrointestinal or skin diseases differ from those of healthy cats. METHODS: We identified adult cats within the patient database at the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary hospital that had been diagnosed with inflammatory gastrointestinal (n = 22) or skin disorders (17) and a control group of healthy cats (58). We collected data via owner completion of the Feline Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire from March to May 2023 and conducted an observational study comparing the Feline Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire scores between groups. RESULTS: Cats with inflammatory gastrointestinal or skin disease exhibited more etepimeletic (care-soliciting) behaviors than healthy cats, including purring (U = 1,396.50, Z = 2.03, r = 0.21, 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.50), trainability (U = 1,303.50, Z = 2.33, r = 0.24, 95% CI, 0.00 to 1.00), and sociability to people (U = 367.50, Z = 2.21, r = 0.26, 95% CI, 0.00 to 1.57). The inflammatory group also exhibited more anxious behaviors than the healthy group, including compulsive grooming (U = 1,736.00, Z = 4.91, r = 0.50, 95% CI, 0.33 to 1.00) and fear of novelty (U = 603.00, Z = 2.14, r = 0.25, 95% CI, 0.00 to 1.00). Additionally, cats treated with corticosteroids exhibited more anxious behaviors than healthy and nonsteroid treatment groups, including separation behaviors (χ²[2] = 8.22, η² = 0.08) and compulsive grooming (χ²[2] = 25.35, η² = 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic inflammatory response is associated with increased etepimeletic and anxious behaviors in cats, and corticosteroid treatment is associated with anxious behaviors. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings suggest that monitoring anxious and etepimeletic behaviors may be relevant when assessing inflammatory disease in cats.