The effect of a pressure wrap (ThunderShirt®) on heart rate and behavior in canines diagnosed with anxiety disorder

Effects of Olfactory and Auditory Enrichment on Heart Rate Variability in Shelter Dogs

Simple Summary

Many pet dogs end up in shelters, and the unpredictable and overstimulating environment can lead to high arousal and stress levels. This may manifest in behavioural problems, and decreased welfare and adoption chances. Heart rate variability is a non-invasive method to measure autonomic nervous system activity, which plays an important role in the stress response. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for increasing the dog’s arousal in response to stress and the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for counteracting the arousal and calming the dog. Environmental enrichment can help dogs to be more relaxed, which is likely to be reflected by increased parasympathetic activity. Dogs’ heart rate variability responses to three enrichment methods capable of reducing stress—music, lavender and a calming pheromone produced by dogs, dog appeasing pheromone and a control condition (no stimuli applied) were compared. Exposure to music appeared to activate both branches of the autonomic nervous system, as dogs in that group had higher heart rate variability parameters reflecting both parasympathetic and sympathetic activity compared to the lavender and control groups. We conclude that music may be a useful type of enrichment to relieve both the stress and boredom in shelter environments.

Abstract

Animal shelters can be stressful environments and time in care may affect individual dogs in negative ways, so it is important to try to reduce stress and arousal levels to improve welfare and chance of adoption. A key element of the stress response is the activation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and a non-invasive tool to measure this activity is heart rate variability (HRV). Physiologically, stress and arousal result in the production of corticosteroids, increased heart rate and decreased HRV. Environmental enrichment can help to reduce arousal related behaviours in dogs and this study focused on sensory environmental enrichment using olfactory and auditory stimuli with shelter dogs. The aim was to determine if these stimuli have a physiological effect on dogs and if this could be detected through HRV. Sixty dogs were allocated to one of three stimuli groups: lavender, dog appeasing pheromone and music or a control group, and usable heart rate variability data were obtained from 34 dogs. Stimuli were applied for 3 h a day on five consecutive days, with HRV recorded for 4 h (treatment period + 1 h post-treatment) on the 5th and last day of exposure to the stimuli by a Polar^® heart rate monitor attached to the dog’s chest. HRV results suggest that music activates both branches of the ANS, which may be useful to relieve both the stress and boredom in shelter environments.

A Treatment Plan for Dogs (Canis familiaris) That Show Impaired Social Functioning towards Their Owners

Many domestic dogs are uncomfortable when humans perform trivial and benign actions that the animals perceive as threatening. A common technique for addressing canine emotional discomfort involves desensitization, where the intensity of a problematic stimulus is gradually increased while the dog remains relaxed. Desensitization requires a skillful owner and is complicated when actions of the owner are the stimuli to be desensitised. This paper introduces a behaviour modification programme for dogs with impaired social functioning in relation to the (inter)actions by their owners, consisting of (1) increasing owner knowledge and awareness regarding dog body language and perception of owner actions, (2) management of the daily life of the dog through general stress reduction and avoidance of stressful situations, and (3) behaviour modification through training. The latter component entails a non-threatening, predictable exercise in which the dog has control over any perceived threats, the introduction of the safety cue with subsequent desensitization, and engaging activities with the owner that the dog finds enjoyable. We also present a case series report to examine a selection of dogs with impaired social functioning, from signalment to outcome, when treated with the proposed behaviour modification and examine which adaptations were made to the plan according to individual dogs. Finally, we avenues for future research.

Psychogenic stress in hospitalized veterinary patients: Causation, implications, and therapies

OBJECTIVE

To review the sources, adverse effects, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychogenic stress in hospitalized human and veterinary patients.

DATA SOURCES

Data were collected by searching PubMed for veterinary and human literature from the past 10 years.

HUMAN DATA SYNTHESIS

Psychogenic stress has been linked to immune suppression; gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and cutaneous diseases; delayed wound healing; alterations in pain perception; and neurologic impairment. Sources of psychogenic stress include environmental alterations such as excessive noise and light, social and physical factors, sleep disruption, drugs, and underlying disease. Nonpharmacologic options for stress reduction include environmental and treatment modifications, music therapy, and early mobilization. Pharmacologic options include sedation with benzodiazepines and dexmedetomidine. Trazodone and melatonin have been examined for use in sleep promotion but are not currently recommended as standard treatments in ICU.

VETERINARY DATA SYNTHESIS

Activation of the stress response in veterinary patients is largely the same as in people, as are the affected body systems. Possible sources of stress can include social, physical, and environmental factors. No gold standard currently exists for the identification and quantification of stress. A combination of physical examination findings and the results of serum biochemistry, CBC, and biomarker testing can be used to support the diagnosis. Stress scales can be implemented to identify stressed patients and assess severity. Nonpharmacologic treatment options include low-stress handling, pheromones, environmental modifications, and sleep promotion. Pharmacologic options include trazodone, benzodiazepines, dexmedetomidine, and melatonin.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence and clinical significance of psychogenic stress in hospitalized veterinary patients is unknown. Future studies are needed to specifically examine the causative factors of psychogenic stress and the effects of various therapies on stress reduction. The recognition and reduction of psychogenic stress in veterinary patients can lead to improvements in patient care and welfare.

Dynamic changes in ear temperature in relation to separation distress in dogs

Infrared thermography can visualize changes in body surface temperature that result from stress-induced physiological changes and alterations of blood flow patterns. Here we explored its use for remote stress monitoring (i.e. removing need for human presence) in a sample of six pet dogs. Dogs were tested in a brief separation test involving contact with their owner, a stranger, and social isolation for two one-minute-periods. Tests were filmed using a thermographic camera set up in a corner of the room, around 7m from where the subjects spent most of the time. Temperature was measured from selected regions of both ear pinnae simultaneously. Temperatures of both ear pinnae showed a pattern of decrease during separation and increase when a person (either the owner or a stranger) was present, with no lateralized temperature differences between the two ears. Long distance thermographic measurement is a promising technique for non-invasive remote stress assessment, although there are some limitations related to dogs' hair structure over the ears, making it unsuitable for some subjects.