Can dog appeasing pheromone ameliorate stress behaviours associated with anxiety in mature domestic dogs?

PICO question Does use of dog-appeasing pheromone reduce the frequency and/or severity of non-specific stress behaviours associated with anxiety in domestic dogs, older than 6 months, when compared with no treatment? Clinical bottom line Category of research question Treatment The number and type of study designs reviewed Eight controlled trials were appraised. Four were randomised and four were either non-randomised or did not clearly describe the method of allocating subjects into treatment groups. Strength of evidence Weak Outcomes reported There was no evidence that any dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) formulation (spray, diffuser, or collar) was superior. There was moderate evidence that DAP could reduce some behavioural manifestations of fear and/or anxiety stemming from thunderstorm noise and weak evidence that it could ameliorate some non-specific stress behaviours in hospitalised patients. In shelter dogs, there was mild evidence that DAP could reduce barking intensity and increase some behaviours associated with relaxation. When behavioural changes occurred, most were observed during exposure to DAP and there were minimal residual effects post-treatment. Conclusion The evidence for using DAP to manage stress behaviours associated with anxiety in dogs over six months of age remains weak. Until there is a stronger evidentiary basis, clinicians should be aware that a true clinical benefit is undetermined. Nevertheless, DAP is unlikely to cause harm and may still provide some therapeutic benefit. Therefore, DAP may still be employed in a multimodal management plan for some behaviour cases and may exert a placebo effect. However, if an owner’s financial resources are restrictive, clinicians should not prioritise pheromone therapy at the omission of other therapies that have established clinical effects How to apply this evidence in practice The application of evidence into practice should take into account multiple factors, not limited to: individual clinical expertise, patient’s circumstances and owners’ values, country, location or clinic where you work, the individual case in front of you, the availability of therapies and resources. Knowledge Summaries are a resource to help reinforce or inform decision making. They do not override the responsibility or judgement of the practitioner to do what is best for the animal in their care.

Microorganisms causing of clinical pathologies in canines and domestic felines in Valledupar, Colombia

The pathologies caused by microbial groups generate health risks in domestic dogs and cats; showing a zoonotic potential and producing affections in humans. According to that background, the purpose of this study was to establish the main microorganisms causing clinical pathologies in domestic dogs and cats by reviewing medical records in a veterinary clinic in Valledupar, Colombia. In order to do that, a retrospective study was conducted with clinical histories of dogs and cats admitted during 2017 and 2018 to the veterinary clinic “Mis Mejores Amigos”. Based on the information, a descriptive, explanatory and statistical analysis was applied, the latter by means of a Sperman correlation to evaluate the relationship between race, sex, age, microbial group and pathology-pathogen. From a total of 462 reports of canines and felines admitted to the clinic, a total of 273 diagnoses were obtained. 4% of the felines and 24% of the canines were affected by some microbial group. The most prevalent microorganisms in canines were Ancylostoma spp. (9 %) Entamoeba histolytica (5%) Ehrlichia spp. (5%), and Isospora sp. (5%) while in felines were Haemobartonella felis (20%) and Haemobartonella spp. (17%). It was determined that there is only correlation between the age of felines and the microbial group that affects them, in addition to the pathology presented with the pathogen. It was observed a high percentage of Ancylostoma sp. (9%) in canines of mongrel and French Poodle breeds whilst in felines was found the bacterium Haemobartonella felis in 20% of the mongrel breeds.

Current Advances in Assessment of Dog’s Emotions, Facial Expressions, and Their Use for Clinical Recognition of Pain

Animals’ facial expressions are involuntary responses that serve to communicate the emotions that individuals feel. Due to their close co-existence with humans, broad attention has been given to identifying these expressions in certain species, especially dogs. This review aims to analyze and discuss the advances in identifying the facial expressions of domestic dogs and their clinical utility in recognizing pain as a method to improve daily practice and, in an accessible and effective way, assess the health outcome of dogs. This study focuses on aspects related to the anatomy and physiology of facial expressions in dogs, their emotions, and evaluations of their eyebrows, eyes, lips, and ear positions as changes that reflect pain or nociception. In this regard, research has found that dogs have anatomical configurations that allow them to generate changes in their expressions that similar canids—wolves, for example—cannot produce. Additionally, dogs can perceive emotions similar to those of their human tutors due to close human-animal interaction. This phenomenon—called “emotional contagion”—is triggered precisely by the dog’s capacity to identify their owners’ gestures and then react by emitting responses with either similar or opposed expressions that correspond to positive or negative stimuli, respectively. In conclusion, facial expressions are essential to maintaining social interaction between dogs and other species, as in their bond with humans. Moreover, this provides valuable information on emotions and the perception of pain, so in dogs, they can serve as valuable elements for recognizing and evaluating pain in clinical settings.

Distribution update, male genitalia, natural history, and conservation of the stump-tailed porcupine Coendou rufescens in South America

The stump-tailed porcupine, Coendou rufescens, is a widely distributed but scarcely documented species inhabiting the Andean region of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and an isolated population in Bolivia. Despite the wide distribution different aspects on its biology and ecology are still unknown. We present an update to the distribution of C. rufescens, and recent observations on the anatomy, natural history, and conservation in Colombia. For this, we described the male genitalia and present data on reproductive periods, plants used and consumed, and threats. The distribution of C. rufescens comprises 12 ecoregions in an area of 376,225 km2 for the northern group (Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) and 393 km2 for the southern group (Bolivia). The highest elevational record is in Ecuador (4387 m), being the porcupine inhabiting at highest elevations. The anatomy of the glans is similar to that observed in Coendou quichua and constitutes the second species of Coendou with available information on glans morphology. C. rufescens consumes fruits and leaves of potato cider (Sechium edule: Cucurbitaceae) and woody shrub (Bejaria: Ericacea), and usually perches even in exotic species such as pines. Finally, common treats for the species in Colombia are related to hunting pressures, predation by domestic dogs, and roadkills.

Exploring women’s oxytocin responses to interactions with their pet cats

Background Extensive research has evaluated the involvement of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in human social behaviors, including parent-infant relationships. Studies have investigated OT’s connection to human attachment to nonhuman animals, with the majority of the literature focusing on domestic dogs (Canis lupis familiaris). Utilizing what is known about OT and its role in maternal-infant and human-dog bonding, we apply these frameworks to the study of human-domestic cat (Felis catus) interactions. Methods We investigated changes in salivary OT levels in 30 U.S. women of reproductive age before and after two conditions: reading a book (control) and interacting with their pet cat. Participant and cat behavioral patterns during the cat interaction condition were also quantified to determine if differences in women’s OT concentrations were associated with specific human and cat behaviors. Results Our results revealed no changes in women’s OT levels during the cat interaction, relative to the control condition, and pre-cat interaction OT levels. However, differences in women’s OT concentrations were correlated with some human-cat interactions (e.g., positively with petting cat and cat approach initiation, negatively with cat agonistic behavior) but not all observed behaviors (e.g., use of gentle or baby voice) coded during human-cat interactions. Discussion This study is the first to explore women’s OT in response to interactions with their pet cat and has identified distinct human and cat behaviors that influence OT release in humans.