Physiological, physical and behavioural changes in dogs (Canis familiaris) when kennelled: Testing the validity of stress parameters

Abstract

Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) housed in kennelling establishments are considered at risk of suffering poor welfare. Previous research supporting this hypothesis has typically used cortisol:creatinine ratios (C/Cr) to measure acute and chronic stress in kennelled dogs. However, the value of C/Cr as a welfare indicator has been questioned. This study aimed to test the validity of a range of physiological, physical and behavioural welfare indicators and to establish baseline values reflecting good dog welfare. Measurements were taken from 29 privately-owned dogs (14 males, 15 females), ranging in age and breed, in their own home and in a boarding kennel environment, following a within-subjects, counterbalanced design. Pairwise comparisons revealed that C/Cr and vanillylmandelic acid:creatinine ratios (VMA/Cr) were higher in the kennel than home environment (P=0.003; P=0.01, respectively) and were not associated with differences in movement/exercise between environments. Dogs' surface temperature was lower in kennels (P=0.001) and was not associated with ambient temperature. No association with age, or effects of kennel establishment, kennelling experience, sex or source were found. Dogs were generally more active in kennels, but showed considerable individual variability. C/Cr and 5-HIAA:creatinine ratios (5-HIAA/Cr) were negatively correlated with lip licking in kennels. Baseline values for each parameter are presented. The emotional valence of responses was ambiguous and no definitive evidence was found to suggest that dogs were negatively stressed by kennelling. It was concluded that C/Cr and, particularly, VMA/Cr and surface temperature provide robust indicators of psychological arousal in dogs, while spontaneous behaviour might be better used to facilitate interpretation of physiological and physical data on an individual level.

Urine cortisol‐creatinine and protein‐creatinine ratios in urine samples from healthy dogs collected at home and in hospital

“…In our study, UCCr was higher in samples collected from dogs at a veterinary hospital compared to UCCr in samples collected AH, before transport. This finding is similar to those of previous studies where veterinary care and setting were shown to increase overall stress level . Despite the increase in UCCr suggesting an increase in stress, dogs did not experience a concurrent significant increase in UPC, regardless of the initial UPC result.…”

“…Further evaluation should be performed in a larger population of known proteinuric dogs to determine if any different observations are encountered and if stress is correlated with any observed changes. Additionally, although UCCr currently is regarded as a reliable measure of stress in dogs, it is possible that other serum or urinary biomarkers could better quantify stress levels in dogs …”

“…Serum and urine cortisol concentrations can be used to assess stress in dogs . The IH setting can induce a stress response in dogs, as previously indicated by increased serum cortisol concentrations compared to dogs that stayed outside the hospital .…”

The use of an open-field model to assess sound-induced fear and anxiety-associated behaviors in Labrador retrievers

“…With specific stimuli, fear-induced physiologic responses resulting from enhanced activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, such as release of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, may occur (Part et al, 2014). Acute physiological responses may include tachycardia, tachypnea, and increased body temperature (Beerda et al, 1997).…”

Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris)

“…For example, less behavioural diversity is normally exhibited by captive animals than by wild animals [25] but it can be increased in captivity by improving the quality of housing [26], which has been achieved by using feeding enrichment in captive-born small wild cats [27] and red foxes [28]. Behavioural diversity has also more recently been investigated in kennelled dogs and was found to increase with quality of life [29] and novelty [30]. It is calculated using the Shannon Diversity Index, which is the product of the total number of behaviours in the population and the relative frequency of each behaviour in the sample [27].…”