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Human interaction and diet effects to stressors to dogs in a shelter
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Advances
Behavior Human Interaction and Diet Effects to Stressors to Dogs in a Shelter Background Millions of dogs are confined in public and private animal shelters each year in the United States. They are often presented to the shelter in a poor physical state because of injury, sickness, or malnutrition. In addition, confinement in a shelter may be psychologically stressful. Dogs in shelters are separated from previous companions and exposed to novel situations and noises. Their control in seeking an environment that seems less threatening is lost. Physical and psychological stressors activate physiological response systems, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis. Methods that reduce stress and activity of the HPA axis would be beneficial in improving the morbidity, mortality, and adoptions of dogs confined in an animal shelter.
Advances Objectives To determine whether a program of human interaction or alterations in diet would beneficially alter the activity of the HPA axis in dogs housed in an animal shelter. Procedure Forty dogs were enrolled in a prospective study in which 20 received supplemental human interaction of 20 minutes/day, 5 days/week for 8 weeks. The interaction included stroking, massaging, and behavioral training. Twenty other dogs did not receive the supplemental interactions. Half of the dogs receiving supplemental interaction and half of the dogs that did not were fed a typical maintenance-type diet, and the other half were fed a premium diet. Plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations were determined on weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8 and before and after exposure to novel situations during weeks 0 and 8. Results By week 2, plasma cortisol concentrations were significantly decreased. Plasma ACTH concentrations were not significantly decreased until week 8 and then only in dogs fed the premium diet. When stressed by new situations, the dogs’ plasma cortisol and ACTH concentrations were significantly increased. The dogs which received human interaction had significantly lower increases in plasma cortisol concentrations (less stress response) than did dogs which did not have interaction with humans. Author Conclusion Human interaction and alterations in diet composition can have moderating effects of activity of the HPA axis (anti-stress effects) in dogs housed in an animal shelter. Inclusions Two figures, 1 table, 31 references. Editor Annotation Part of the problem with the unclear results in this study is simply that plasma cortisol concentrations change rapidly. Plasma samples are difficult to collect without restraint stress unless dogs are catheterized. That said, the findings that plasma cortisol concentrations during exposure to novel situations were less
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with continued human exposure in a shelter and that a stress response increase for at least a week are clinically significant. These findings alone should suggest alterations in shelter design and management. People do not adopt scared animals, so anything that can be done to reduce the anxiety level of the animals should be done. The dietary part of the experience was poorly designed, crossing all factors including digestibility and amount of protein, a special concern since dietary protein has been implicated in other studies as promoting more anxious behaviors. Still, it may not be surprising, given the signs of gastrointestinal anxiety experienced by pets, that a more digestible diet was associated with a less stressed state. The non-specific effects of gastrointestinal discomfort can worsen the signs of anxiety-related conditions, as well as being mirrors of them. Only when we design shelter and rescue programs that integrate all these factors will the dogs become happier and more adoptable. This paper proves that we can start now. (KLO) Hennessy MB, Voith VL, Hawke JL, et al. Effects of a program of human interaction and alterations in diet composition on activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in dogs housed in a public animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002;221:65-71.
Advances
Behavior Human Interaction and Diet Effects to Stressors to Dogs in a Shelter Background Millions of dogs are confined in public and private animal shelters each year in the United States. They are often presented to the shelter in a poor physical state because of injury, sickness, or malnutrition. In addition, confinement in a shelter may be psychologically stressful. Dogs in shelters are separated from previous companions and exposed to novel situations and noises. Their control in seeking an environment that seems less threatening is lost. Physical and psychological stressors activate physiological response systems, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis. Methods that reduce stress and activity of the HPA axis would be beneficial in improving the morbidity, mortality, and adoptions of dogs confined in an animal shelter.
Advances Objectives To determine whether a program of human interaction or alterations in diet would beneficially alter the activity of the HPA axis in dogs housed in an animal shelter. Procedure Forty dogs were enrolled in a prospective study in which 20 received supplemental human interaction of 20 minutes/day, 5 days/week for 8 weeks. The interaction included stroking, massaging, and behavioral training. Twenty other dogs did not receive the supplemental interactions. Half of the dogs receiving supplemental interaction and half of the dogs that did not were fed a typical maintenance-type diet, and the other half were fed a premium diet. Plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations were determined on weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8 and before and after exposure to novel situations during weeks 0 and 8. Results By week 2, plasma cortisol concentrations were significantly decreased. Plasma ACTH concentrations were not significantly decreased until week 8 and then only in dogs fed the premium diet. When stressed by new situations, the dogs’ plasma cortisol and ACTH concentrations were significantly increased. The dogs which received human interaction had significantly lower increases in plasma cortisol concentrations (less stress response) than did dogs which did not have interaction with humans. Author Conclusion Human interaction and alterations in diet composition can have moderating effects of activity of the HPA axis (anti-stress effects) in dogs housed in an animal shelter. Inclusions Two figures, 1 table, 31 references. Editor Annotation Part of the problem with the unclear results in this study is simply that plasma cortisol concentrations change rapidly. Plasma samples are difficult to collect without restraint stress unless dogs are catheterized. That said, the findings that plasma cortisol concentrations during exposure to novel situations were less
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with continued human exposure in a shelter and that a stress response increase for at least a week are clinically significant. These findings alone should suggest alterations in shelter design and management. People do not adopt scared animals, so anything that can be done to reduce the anxiety level of the animals should be done. The dietary part of the experience was poorly designed, crossing all factors including digestibility and amount of protein, a special concern since dietary protein has been implicated in other studies as promoting more anxious behaviors. Still, it may not be surprising, given the signs of gastrointestinal anxiety experienced by pets, that a more digestible diet was associated with a less stressed state. The non-specific effects of gastrointestinal discomfort can worsen the signs of anxiety-related conditions, as well as being mirrors of them. Only when we design shelter and rescue programs that integrate all these factors will the dogs become happier and more adoptable. This paper proves that we can start now. (KLO) Hennessy MB, Voith VL, Hawke JL, et al. Effects of a program of human interaction and alterations in diet composition on activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in dogs housed in a public animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002;221:65-71.