Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research最新文献

{"title":"Covid-19 pandemic: Effect of changes in the owner’s life on dog behavior","authors":"Sachika Takahashi ,&nbsp;Yuuka Imai ,&nbsp;Kazuya Okamoto ,&nbsp;Koji Nishisue ,&nbsp;Satoshi Koyama ,&nbsp;Toshiyuki Satoh ,&nbsp;Mikako Tsushima ,&nbsp;Mami Irimajiri","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.07.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>After the occurrence of COVID-19 in 2019, the infection rapidly spread and became a pandemic. The restrictions associated with this pandemic led to significant changes in people's lives. Since the quality of companion animals' lives is directly influenced by their owners' behavior, such lifestyle changes due to the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic became a critical issue in the relationship between owners and dogs. In Japan, various measures were taken to prevent the spread of the infection, but they were not enforced. In addition, after the easing of restrictions in early 2022, it is expected that there are individual differences in the accompanying lifestyle changes. This study aims to investigate whether changes in the owners' lives in Japan due to the COVID-19 restrictions and the relaxation of these regulations /swere related to changes in their dogs' behavior. A survey using questionnaires was conducted from March to May 2023 to compare the \"Pre-COVID period\" (2019) with the \"COVID period\" (March to September 2020) and the \"Post-COVID period\" (March 2022 to the day of the survey in 2023) to examine the association between changes in owners' lives and dog behavior. The survey results showed observable changes in the behavior of a small number of dogs in both comparisons. Three factors related to separation anxiety were analyzed: Difficulty with separation, Excessive barking, and Excessive attachment. A proportion of factors related to separation anxiety was associated with changes in the owners' presence at home, time spent by dogs and adults together, body size, and presence of other dogs. The presence of children was related to an increase in dog barking. These results suggest that the lifestyle changes in owners due to non-mandatory COVID-19 restrictions and their easing had a subtle but discernible effect on dogs' behavior through changes in the owners' routines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"81 ","pages":"Pages 15-25"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"You and your cat: Factors affecting quality of human-cat relationship","authors":"David J. Menor-Campos ,&nbsp;Inmaculada Peña-Vela ,&nbsp;Tiffani Howell","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>More people are choosing to share their lives with a cat, with cat ownership in some European countries surpassing dog ownership. This outcome has led to an increased interest in the study of the owner-cat relationship. In this study, 413 Spanish-speaking participants completed a Spanish-language questionnaire based on the C/DORS, which is a measure of the quality of the owner-cat relationship. Additional questions related to the cat’s living conditions (e.g., housing type), owner knowledge of cat body language and communication were asked to measure whether they positively or negatively influenced the quality of the owner-cat relationship. The results show that owner-cat relationship quality is related to factors such as lifestyle, breed, time spent alone, type of housing, behavioral problems and the number of cats living together in the same household. Indoor cats, purebred cats, cats that spend less time alone, cats living in apartments, cats with fewer behavioral problems, and cats that live with more cats in the same household have a better relationship with their owner, based on owner perceptions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"81 ","pages":"Pages 26-33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of venlafaxine in the management of refractory intraspecific aggression in a multi-cat household","authors":"Daphne E.L. Ang,&nbsp;Kelly C. Ballantyne","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.08.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.08.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Venlafaxine was evaluated as an alternative treatment for intraspecific (intercat) aggression in a multi-cat household. The patient, a 13.5 month old female spayed domestic short-haired cat, was initially treated with fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, at doses up to 6 mg (1.5 mg/kg) <em>per os</em> every 24 h. Lower doses were tolerated but ineffective at managing the patient’s response to the other cat and at the 6 mg (1.5mg/kg) dose, the patient had increased agitation and aggression towards the owners. Consequently, the patient was weaned from fluoxetine and treatment with venlafaxine, a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, was initiated at 3 mg (0.7 mg/kg) <em>per os</em> every 24 h and increased to 6.25 mg (1.5 mg/kg) every 24 h after a week. Treatment was continued at this dose for 4 months then increased to 12.5 mg (2.7 mg/kg) <em>per os</em> every 24 h due to insufficient improvement d<del>e</del>spite environmental management and behavior modification. The patient tolerated this dose without reported adverse effects. After a month of treatment, the owner reported no further episodes of aggression and the patient has remained stable for over a year. This outcome supports venlafaxine as a well-tolerated and effective treatment option for intraspecific aggression in feline patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"81 ","pages":"Pages 10-14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decoding canine behaviors through explainable ai and wearable sensor data","authors":"Bekir Cetintav ,&nbsp;Ahmet Yalcin","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding canine behavior is essential for advancing veterinary science, animal welfare, and behavior research. This study applies Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) to enhance the understanding of canine behavior classification using machine learning (ML) models. By combining wearable sensor data from accelerometers and gyroscopes with XAI techniques, the research achieves interpretable behavior predictions for 19 distinct canine activities. Random Forest emerged as the best-performing model with an accuracy of 96.1%. Critical features influencing both static and dynamic behaviors were identified. Notably, SHAP-based global explanations revealed that static behaviors like “Lying Chest” are predominantly influenced by vertical and lateral movements detected by back-mounted sensors, while dynamic actions such as “Sniffing” or “Trotting” rely more on neck axis movements and rotational dynamics. These biomechanical interpretations provide actionable insights into how specific motion patterns translate into identifiable canine behaviors. The integration of XAI, specifically SHAP, bridges ML with interpretability, enabling actionable insights into canine behavior. The results have significant implications for non-invasive monitoring in veterinary applications, including health assessment, training optimization, and welfare evaluation, thereby representing a step forward in the field of animal behavior analysis by bridging advanced ML techniques and interpretability tools, enabling researchers and practitioners to make informed decisions based on transparent and reliable models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"81 ","pages":"Pages 1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145005156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Are indicators of stress and pain recognizable during lip twitch in horses? A behavioral investigation","authors":"Jil Jessy Kellershohn ,&nbsp;Severin Blum ,&nbsp;Stéphane Montavon ,&nbsp;Nathali Adrielli Agassi De Sales ,&nbsp;Emanuela Dalla Costa ,&nbsp;Claudia Spadavecchia","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lip twitching is a physical restraint method for horses that may function by inducing short-term stress and/or pain. The present study aimed to: 1) evaluate whether behavioral indicators of pain and stress could be recognized during the application of a lip twitch in horses across different experimental conditions involving electrical, mechanical and thermal stimulation; 2) explore the relationship between observed variables and individual personality traits. Twelve horses were initially included in a two-sessions twitch trial. This study focused on data collected during the first session, which was completed by ten horses out of twelve. Behavioral analysis was performed on 2-minute videos recorded during three-time intervals (Baseline, Twitch and Post-Twitch) applying an ethogram. Personality was evaluated using a validated questionnaire completed by the horses' caretakers. Any interval, condition and personality effect on the behavior was analyzed using a GLMM. Results showed that maintenance of a natural head position decreased significantly during Twitch and Post-Twitch (p&lt;0.001), while unequal forelimb weight distribution increased during Twitch and Post-Twitch (p&lt;0.001) compared to Baseline. A significant effect of interval was found for the duration of ears forward (p = 0.026), with shorter durations recorded during Twitch compared to both Baseline and Post-Twitch. Furthermore, ears movement decreased (p&lt;0.001) and head movements increased (p&lt;0.001) during Twitch. Horses’ responses to twitch varied based on personality: neurotic horses displayed rather passive stress signs (prolonged ear-backward, p=0.032), while agreeable horses showed more active avoidance (moving away, p=0.073). These findings suggest that in horses tolerating the application of the twitch, the restraint induces mild stress, with individual coping mechanisms influenced by personality. Thus, it appears important to consider individual characteristics when applying the technique in a clinical context. This approach is essential to ensuring the safety of both horses and personnel during veterinary interventions, especially in the absence of pharmacological restraint or training.</div></div><div><h3>Data availability statement</h3><div>The data supporting the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"81 ","pages":"Pages 34-42"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145020302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Basic research has clinical applications","authors":"Karen L. Overall","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Page A3"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144896340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of two types of environmental enrichment on the behavior of dogs in shelters","authors":"Gustavo Vieira Antonino ,&nbsp;Dhiordan Deon Costa Lovestain ,&nbsp;Marina Monteiro de Castro Burle ,&nbsp;Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The domestic dog, <em>Canis lupus familiaris</em>, is commonly kept in shelters. In these locations, features such as confinement, forced intraspecific and interspecific contact, and lack of environmental stimulation can diminish the welfare of dogs. One way to avoid poor welfare is to implement an environmental enrichment program for dogs in shelters, however, environmental enrichment items should be tested to evaluate their effectiveness and their ease of implementation and safety. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two environmental enrichment items designed to improve the welfare of dogs kept in a shelter. Fifteen dogs, housed in trios, were studied. Two environmental enrichment items were offered to the dogs: nutritional-related (perforated plastic bottles filled with canine treats) and sensory-related (lavender oil). Behavioral data were collected before, during, and after the items were offered, using focal sampling and instantaneous recording methods, with a sampling interval of 1 min. The effectiveness of the items was evaluated using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs). Food enrichment increased foraging and activity behaviors in the dogs, but not positive social behaviors. On the other hand, olfactory enrichment decreased jumping and vocalizing and increased the display of climbing on the pen’s door. Both items proved to be safe for the dogs. It is of utmost importance for shelters to enhance animal welfare by constructing larger and more stimulating bays and implementing environmental enrichment programs for the animals. The results of this study show that an enrichment program can assist in improving the welfare of dogs kept in shelters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 28-38"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144571110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying the influence of cut tree branches on zoo giraffe behavior during and post browsing: A case study on five animals and four tree species","authors":"Zoe Newnham ,&nbsp;Paul Rose","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The nutrition of captive species profoundly affects their physical, behavioral, and psychological wellbeing. Determining a species’ ideal zoo diet remains challenging, necessitating assessment of an animal’s responses to their diet to establish best practices, including any effects on behaviors. This study investigates the behavioral responses of five female giraffes (<em>Giraffe camelopardalis</em>) to browse from four tree species (willow, <em>Salix caprea</em>; hawthorn, <em>Crataegus monogyna</em>; hazel, <em>Corylus avellana</em>; oak, <em>Quercus robur</em>). This study aimed to assess the effect of browse species on giraffe activity and to identify which of these species was most associated with performance of key welfare indicators. Given this species’ adaptations to foraging on spinose (i.e., thorny) trees, we predicted that hawthorn would have the largest effect on giraffe behavior. Focal sampling of individual giraffes was conducted, with equal repetitions for each browse species, across spring and summer 2021 and 2022 at Marwell Zoo. Giraffes were observed for an hour with browse, followed by an additional hour after a 30-minute pause to quantify post-browsing behaviors. Results suggest that willow increased overall browsing time, while oak elicited prolonged interaction with initial browse branches. Willow promoted the highest bark stripping and bite counts, while oak and willow increased time ruminating. Contrary to expectation, hawthorn, with its thorny defences, did not significantly extend browsing or rumination. Social context also influenced browsing behavior with heightened browsing activity occurring when giraffe browsed with other species present. While a case study of four tree species at one zoo, our results show the importance of measuring and assessing animal choice and preferences (regarding their engagement with husbandry) to underpin best practice approaches to care and welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 10-19"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144557466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical relevance of rectal temperature measurement in cats showing marked signs of stress during routine veterinary examinations","authors":"Claudel Bigras-Fontaine,&nbsp;Isabelle Bazin ,&nbsp;Marion Desmarchelier","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rectal temperature is a vital sign commonly measured during veterinary examinations. This procedure is known to be a major source of stress especially for cats. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of rectal temperature measurement in healthy cats with signs of marked stress during a routine veterinary appointment. We hypothesized that since higher temperatures would be mostly found in cats with moderate to marked signs of stress, veterinarians would not change their clinical approach in these cats. A user-friendly Simplified Feline Stress Scale (SFSS) was developed. Its trial was the main objective of the pilot study (part 1) designed for 100 cats. Data surrounding temperature measurement in cats was documented (value of rectal temperature, time of restraint needed, and various factors related to cats and clinical staff such as age, sex and more) to evaluate potential associations with stress. Then, during a large-scale study (part 2) of 678 cats the previously validated SFSS was performed by clinical staff in 11 veterinary establishments concurrently with temperature measurements. The final portion of the study (part 3) was an online survey completed by veterinarians across the province of Quebec in order to document the reasons a high rectal temperature in a healthy cat might motivate a change of therapeutic plans. This study showed that veterinary appointments were associated with moderate to marked levels of stress in 62% of feline patients. Agreement between clinical staff-assessed and experienced observer-assessed SFSS scores during the temperature measurement was perfect in 74% of cases and even higher when clinical staff had received previous behavioral training. The majority of calm cats with low signs of stress were under 6 months of age. No change in the therapeutic plan was deemed necessary in stressed cats with an abnormal temperature if they were healthy. According to the online survey, 80% of veterinarians would not modify their treatment plan in such situations. The results of this study suggest that rectal temperature measurement in healthy cats during routine examination is not necessary and could be avoided in highly stressed feline patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144548726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of maternal hierarchical position on offspring rank acquisition: The case of captive collared peccaries (Dicotyles tajacu)","authors":"Thaís Dias Mendonça ,&nbsp;Dhiordan Deon Costa Lovestain ,&nbsp;Robert John Young ,&nbsp;Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Numerous factors, such as sex, age, access to food resources, and kinship, influence the social dynamics of animals. Social position affects behavior, physiology, and reproductive outcomes in highly social mammalian species like collared peccaries (<em>Dicotyles tajacu</em>). Maternal position is an important determinant of social status, which is often heritable. This study aimed to assess the influence of maternal rank on the hierarchical rank of captive collared peccary offspring using social network analysis. By examining aggressive and affiliative interaction data, we generated hierarchies using David's Score and calculated social network indices (centrality, strength, and affinity) to identify individuals' roles in social stability. These analyses were performed with the SOCPROG program. Findings indicated that maternal rank did not significantly affect offspring rank. However, mothers demonstrated higher association index values compared to their offspring. We concluded that the peccary hierarchy is predominantly established through maternal associations rather than offspring interactions, suggesting that offspring rank positions may result from adults' high tolerance towards young individuals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 49-56"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144579933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}