Do Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD Mount a Cortisol Response in Response to Training?

Only a few studies have investigated the welfare of animals participating in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs). Most of these studies focus on dogs in therapeutic settings. There are, however, also dogs—service dogs—that are employed to continuously support a single human. Because the welfare of these service dogs is important for the sustainability of their role, the aim of this study was to investigate their stress response to service dog training sessions. To do this, we took repeated salivary cortisol samples from dogs who participated in a training session (n = 19). Samples were taken just after arrival at the training ground, before training, after training, and after a period of free play. Our results showed that mean cortisol levels in all samples were relatively low (between 1.55 ± 1.10 and 2.73 ± 1.47 nmol/L) compared to similar studies. Analysis further showed that samples taken before and after participation in the training’s session did not differ from one another. Mean cortisol levels in both situations were additionally lower than those upon arrival at the training site and after a period of free play. This led to the conclusion that the dogs in our study did not seem to experience training as stressful

The Veterinary Forensic Expert Centre in The Netherlands

Animal abuse remains a major problem in human societies. Sometimes the signs of animal abuse are obvious, but they are often missed by veterinarians. Animals may have no external signs of physical damage, but can have many internal injuries, fractures, and haemorrhages. Animals often act as indicators of human health and welfare, as can be seen in the link between animal abuse, child abuse, and social violence. There is significant evidence that people who mistreat and abuse animals show the same behaviour towards vulnerable people around them, such as children or older adults. Colleagues in human medicine, including doctors, dentists, and other healthcare professionals, face the same dilemma as veterinarians in that it can be very difficult to detect violence and abuse. They also acknowledge that the biggest challenge to recognizing and diagnosing abuse is the powerful emotional block in the mind of the professional. They must force themselves to think about abuse in the first place; only by recognizing the problem can the veterinary profession become a part of the link to break the cycle of violence. To help veterinarians detect animal abuse, the Veterinary Forensic Expert Centre (VFEC) was set up in the Netherlands with several objectives. The first objective is to help practicing veterinarians who believe that they may have a case of animal abuse in their practice. The veterinarian can upload radiographs, pictures, videos, and written information regarding an animal onto the VFEC website. An expert panel of specialized veterinarians, along with human forensic experts from the Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI), will assess the material and inform the veterinarian within 48 hours whether this could be a potential case of animal abuse or not. If it could be, the veterinarian can pass the information to the police, who will then undertake further inquiries. The second objective is to undertake scientific research on veterinary forensics. The third objective is to educate veterinarians, human doctors, psychologists, social workers and the general public about animal abuse and its relationship to domestic violence. Veterinarians, together with other health professionals, play a crucial role in the prevention and discovery of animal abuse and domestic violence. Increased education and better awareness in this area, along with improved co-operation with other professions, can help address this problem and assist a reduction in unnecessary suffering for both animals and humans

The Impact of Service Dogs on Military Veterans and (Ex) First Aid Responders With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Due to its novelty and lack of empirical study it remains unclear if a service dog truly mitigates the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. To cross sectionally investigate the effect of service dogs on veterans and first aid responders with PTSD, we studied subjective and physiological parameters in 65 individuals divided over four groups. These groups were: veterans and first aid responders with PTSD and a service dog ( n = 20), with PTSD and a companion dog ( n = 10), with PTSD without a dog ( n = 12) and a group without PTSD ( n = 23). We found that veterans and first aid responders with PTSD who had a service dog showed significantly less PTSD related symptoms, better sleep quality, and better wellbeing experience, than those with a companion dog. Those with a service dog additionally experienced fewer PTSD related symptoms than those without a service dog and tended to walk more than individuals without PTSD. No differences were found in cortisol levels between groups though and changes in both salivary cortisol and activity were not linked to improved welfare experience. Though the use of physiological measurement methods thus warrants more research, our study indicates that the subjective experience of wellbeing, sleep quality and PTSD related symptoms is improved by the presence of a service dog

Individual behavioral correlates of tail biting in pre-finishing piglets

INTRODUCTION: Tail biting is a widespread problem in pig production systems and has a negative impact on both animal welfare and farm income. This explorative study aims to validate how tail biting is related to general behaviors at the individual level and explore whether these behaviors are related to a particular type of tail biting: two-stage, sudden-forceful, obsessive, or epidemic. METHODS: This research was conducted in a standard commercial setting where 89 tail-docked pre-finishing piglets divided into 8 groups were observed 4 days per week from 5 to 8 weeks of age. Each piglet was observed for a total of 160 min using continuous focal sampling. Ten individual behaviors were recorded based on the general behaviors expected to be linked to giving tail biting (PCA1), receiving tail biting (PCA2), and tail biting damage (PCA3). These PCAs were assembled and related to tail biting given, tail biting received, and tail biting lesions. RESULTS: Tail biting did not lead to major damage on the piglets' tail at 8 weeks of age but was observed 420 times, where most of the individuals (72%) were categorized as "biters and victims." When relating PCA1 with tail biting given, piglets that gave more tail biting showed more "active exploration." When relating PCA2 with tail biting received, piglets receiving more tail biting were more "explored while active" and "attacked and explored." When relating PCA2 with tail biting lesions, piglets presenting lesions showed more "agonism." Surprisingly, tail biting lesions were not significantly related to PCA3. The relationship between explorative behaviors and tail biting indicates that the pre-damage stage of two-stage tail biting was the predominant tail biting type, while the damaging stage was likely incipient. The relationship between tail biting and aggression, as well as the minor tail lesions observed suggest that sudden-forceful tail biting was probably present even though it was rarely seen. Obsessive and epidemic tail biting were not observed. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates that studying tail biting at the individual level helps to identify the type of tail biting present. This gives directions to farmers for applying appropriate measures to prevent the development of tail biting behavior in piglets

WSAVA animal welfare survey: information sources used by companion animal veterinarians

Introduction: Veterinarians are expected to have expertise not only in the maintenance of health and the treatment and prevention of disease in animals, but also in matters relating to animal welfare. Issues surrounding animal welfare have become of increasing importance to veterinarians, governments, and society worldwide. How veterinarians select their resources to answer their questions regarding the various animal welfare issues may differ as a result of geographic, cultural, socioeconomic, and other factors. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the information sources used by companion animal veterinarians worldwide regarding the following topics: client communication, animal welfare, surgical techniques, human animal bond, dentistry, animal behavior, zoonotic disease/epidemiology. Methods: For this purpose, a global survey containing among others the aforementioned topics was distributed via SurveyMonkey® in multiple languages. The multiple response questions contain the following answer categories: ‘local continuing education’, ‘veterinary journals’, ‘veterinary conferences/meetings’, ‘internet’ and ‘I don’t search for information on this topic’. Results: The distribution of survey responses differed by region. In general, the most frequently used information source in Europe, North America, South America and Oceania was veterinary conferences/meetings, whereas in Asia and Africa it was internet. The type of information source used was not only different across regions but also depended on the topic. Depending on the topic and region there were also gender differences. Conclusions: This survey-based study showed that veterinary practitioners prefer different types of information sources to answer their questions, depending on the topic, geographic region and gender

Measuring heart rate variability using a heart rate monitor in horses (Equus caballus) during groundwork

Measuring physiological parameters of stress in horses during groundwork, for example when involved in equine-assisted interventions, is important to gain insight into the stress levels of the horses. Heart rate and heart rate variability can be used as physiological indicators of stress in horses. Heart rate monitors could be easily incorporated into practice, as they are not expensive and easy to use. However, it is questionable whether heart rate monitors present accurate heart rate variability results in exercising horses, similar to electrocardiograms. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of heart rate monitors for the assessment of heart rate variability in horses during groundwork exercise. Simultaneous telemetric electrocardiograms (Televet) and heart rate monitor (Polar H10 transmitter and M430 receiver, Hylofit electrodes) recordings were performed on 28 horses (15 mares and 13 geldings). Results indicate that the heart rate monitor accurately determined heart rate and time-domain heart rate variability parameters when compared to electrocardiograms during both baseline and groundwork conditions. As expected, heart rate significantly increased and the heart rate variability significantly decreased during groundwork compared to baseline conditions. This indicates that the heart rate monitor can be used to accurately determine heart rate variability during groundwork

On the applicability of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as an intervention in dogs with fear and anxiety disorders after a traumatic event.

Fear and anxiety disorders are prevalent in dogs. These disorders are not adequately resolved by current interventions, which urges exploration of additional interventions. In humans, fear and anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are effectively treated by Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a non-invasive and non-pharmacological intervention involving bilateral sensory stimulation while memorizing the traumatic event, resulting in decreased emotionality of the memory. We argue EMDR might be applied as an intervention for fear and anxiety disorders in dogs, adding to the currently available interventions for the field of Clinical Ethology. Particularly nonverbal EMDR protocols used in preverbal children can be applied and the setup can be adapted for dogs. Future research should focus on the development of nonverbal EMDR protocols including proper controls, and on clinical effectiveness of such EMDR protocols for dogs. Apart from behavioural measures, psychophysiological variables should be incorporated as well

On the applicability of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as an intervention in dogs with fear and anxiety disorders after a traumatic event.

Fear and anxiety disorders are prevalent in dogs. These disorders are not adequately resolved by current interventions, which urges exploration of additional interventions. In humans, fear and anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are effectively treated by Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a non-invasive and non-pharmacological intervention involving bilateral sensory stimulation while memorizing the traumatic event, resulting in decreased emotionality of the memory. We argue EMDR might be applied as an intervention for fear and anxiety disorders in dogs, adding to the currently available interventions for the field of Clinical Ethology. Particularly nonverbal EMDR protocols used in preverbal children can be applied and the setup can be adapted for dogs. Future research should focus on the development of nonverbal EMDR protocols including proper controls, and on clinical effectiveness of such EMDR protocols for dogs. Apart from behavioural measures, psychophysiological variables should be incorporated as well

Animal Welfare Worldwide, the Opinion of Practicing Veterinarians

The objective of this study was to investigate the animal welfare issues considered the most important by companion animal veterinarians worldwide. For this purpose, a global survey of several potential animal welfare issues was distributed via SurveyMonkey® in multiple languages. The distribution of survey responses differed by region. The main animal welfare concern reported worldwide was obesity, although there were differences across regions, possibly due to cultural and socioeconomic factors. Anthropomorphism (attributing human qualities or characteristics to an animal) was an issue in western countries but less so in Asia, Africa, and Oceania. There were significant differences between Asia and Europe, Africa, and Oceania in the importance and prevalence of convenience euthanasia. There were also age and sex differences in participant responses, with older veterinarians reporting fewer welfare problems than younger veterinarians, and female veterinarians reporting more welfare issues than their male counterparts