Effect of high levels of background noise on dog responses to a routine physical examination in a veterinary setting

Stellato, Anastasia C.; Hoffman, Hailey; Gowland, Shannon; Dewey, Cate; Widowski, Tina M.; Niel, Lee

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2019.03.009

Cited by 28 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…In contrast to our predictions, post-treatment levels of lip licking were higher for dogs in the training group compared to dogs in the control group. Lip licking has been discussed as an appeasement signal displayed by dogs in response to a threatening stranger [39], to handling [27,28], as well as a sign of acute stress in response to unpredictable stimuli within a social setting [33], and to an examination [8,11,40]. Thus, the current results might indicate that fear levels were higher in the dogs in the training group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…The performance of posture reductions was reduced for dogs exposed to the training program, with trained dogs having lower odds of reduced posture compared to control dogs during the post-treatment exam. Reduced posture is a widely used indicator of fear in dogs and has been previously observed in response to a variety of stressors including physical restraint [33], physical examination [2,8,11], novel and startling stimuli, e.g., opening umbrella [34], noise [35], social isolation and restricted housing [36], kennelling in a veterinary clinic [37], and positive punishment [38]. Also, subjective researcher-completed fear scores were lower during the post-treatment examination.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dog was given one minute to acclimate to the room while the investigator and the handler stood still and off to the side without interacting with the dog. Each dog then completed a 7-min standardized physical examination (adapted from [8]), which started once all of the dog’s feet were on a non-slip rubber mat (0.9 m by 1.2 m; Rubber Master Mat). The investigator performed the examination in a pre-determined and standardized order.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All testing was video recorded using two video cameras (Sony Handycam HDR-CX330, Sony, Tokyo, Japan); one camera was placed in front of the dog (1.96 m away from mat) and the other was raised and positioned pointing downward to capture a rear view of the dog. An ethogram adapted from a previous study [8] was used to code all behaviours (Table 3). An individual that was blind to both the study hypothesis and the assigned treatment groups performed behaviour scoring using Observer XT software (Noldus Information Technology Inc, Wageningen, The Netherlands).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dog fear in the clinic and during physical examinations can be persistent, even when improvements are made to the environment and to handling to reduce dog fear levels. For example, dog fear in veterinary settings is reduced when background noise is minimized [8] and when owners are present and interact with dogs during their examinations [9,10,11], but dogs still display signs of fear even with these alterations. Thus, strategies are needed to prevent and treat dog fear towards the veterinary environment and the physical examination.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of a Standardized Four-Week Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning Training Program on Pre-Existing Veterinary Fear in Companion Dogs

Stellato

Jajou

Dewey

et al. 2019

Animals

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Simple SummaryReducing veterinary fear in dogs is important for canine health and welfare. It is commonly suggested that dog owners perform counter-conditioning and desensitization training to reduce veterinary fear levels, yet the efficacy of this training has not been evaluated. We recruited owned dogs with pre-existing fear and conducted mock veterinary appointments before and after training to assess changes in fear responses. Owners of dogs in the training group (n = 15) were instructed to perform exam-style handling and to visit the veterinary clinic on a weekly basis for four weeks, and owners of control dogs (n = 22) received no instructions. Compliance to training protocols was poor, with 44% of owners non-compliant to the training program. We found that, during the examination, trained dogs had less reduced posture than control dogs, but trained dogs showed more lip licking during clinic entrance and examination. Owners reported an observable improvement in their dog’s fear levels across the training sessions, and general fear scores lowered during the second examination for trained dogs. We suggest that, although few behavioural indicators of fear changed in the predicted direction, veterinarians should continue to recommend this training until further research is conducted.AbstractMany dogs show signs of fear during veterinary appointments. It is widely recommended to use desensitization and counter-conditioning training to reduce this fear. However, the efficacy of this method for reducing veterinary fear has not been examined. We assessed the effect of a standardized four-week training program on behavioural and physiological signs of fear in dogs with pre-existing veterinary fear. Owned dogs were randomly allocated to receive training (n = 15) or no training (n = 22; Control). Owners of dogs in the training group were instructed to perform exam-style handling on their dog and to visit the veterinary clinic weekly. Owners of control dogs were given no instructions. Fear responses were assessed before and after the training period by a blinded observer during clinic arrival and examination. Despite motivated owners volunteering to participate in the current study, 44% of owners were non-compliant to this training program. During examination, control dogs had higher odds (95% confidence Interval (CI)) of reduced posture compared to trained dogs (Odds ratio (OR): 3.79, CI: 1.03–16.3). Fear scores for trained dogs lowered during the second examination (p = 0.046), and 86.7% of dog owners reported a reduction in their dog’s fear levels across the training period (p = 0.007). When entering the clinic (p = 0.002) and during examination (p = 0.002), trained female dogs had a higher rate of lip licking than control females. The training program did not influence temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, avoidance, trembling, vocalizations, or willingness and encouragement to step on the scale. Results suggest that this four-week training program was mildly effective at reducing veterinary fear in dogs. Furth...

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