Ayodele S. Ake , Joseph O. Ayo , Tagang Aluwong , Aliyu Mohammed
{"title":"Melatonin modulates behavioral and oxidative stress responses in donkeys (Equus asinus) subjected to packing during hot-dry conditions","authors":"Ayodele S. Ake , Joseph O. Ayo , Tagang Aluwong , Aliyu Mohammed","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of melatonin administration on oxidative stress and behavioral responses immediately (1-h) post-packing and 16-h post-packing circadian rhythms in donkeys during hot-dry conditions. Twenty healthy pack donkeys (15 males and five non-pregnant females), aged 2–3 years with average weight of 93 ± 2.7 kg were divided into two groups randomly. Melatonin was administered at a dose of 10 mg per donkey for 7 days to group 1 donkeys (packing + melatonin) that were subjected to packing (load-carrying), group 2 (packing–melatonin) donkeys were packed only without melatonin administration. The donkeys trekked covering 20 km, three times during the one week experiment, one day apart. Meteorological parameters were recorded during the study period. Serum harvested from the blood sample collected from each donkey before and after packing was analysed for oxidative stress biomarkers. Behavioral parameters were evaluated using the focal animal sampling technique for 1 h immediately (1-h) after packing and at expiration of 16-h post-packing, covering 27-h period at 3-h intervals. Melatonin reduced oxidative stress by preventing reduction in catalase activity and total antioxidant capacity in packing + melatonin donkeys. Melatonin exerted anti-stress effects on behavioral activities in the treated donkeys post-packing by significantly reducing (<em>P</em> < 0.05) the percent duration of grooming, walking and standing, but significantly increasing (<em>P</em> < 0.05) the percent duration of feeding, compared to the control donkeys. In conclusion, melatonin exerted beneficial effects against stresses due to packing and heat, and influenced the circadian rhythms of behavioral activities. Its administration may reduce the risk of negative effects of environmental heat stress and stress due to packing in donkeys during hot-dry conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"75 ","pages":"Pages 35-45"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142128511","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":"Exploring pet rat care: A comprehensive survey of husbandry, health, behavior, and the associations between caretaker attitudes, attachment, and husbandry practices","authors":"Stephanie Schneidewind , Raffaela Lesch , Veronika Heizmann , Ines Windschnurer","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pet rats are still understudied in terms of animal welfare and human-animal interaction research. An extensive online survey targeting German-speaking rat caretakers was conducted (n = 978). One of the study's goals was to investigate husbandry practices, health indicators, rat behaviors that suggest either good or compromised welfare, as well as elements of the human-animal relationship, including interactions between humans and animals, caretaker attitudes, and attachment. The second aim was to explore the associations between caretaker attitudes and attachment, and caretaker behavior, encompassing routine health checks, interactions between humans and animals, as well as the activities and enrichment provided to rats. In some instances, welfare issues were identified: insufficient space (evident in 10.6% of rats), provision of unhealthy snacks (14.6%). The vast majority of rats enjoyed a variety of enrichment objects, e.g., huts/houses (98.4%), nesting material (92.7%), hammocks (91.7%), and tunnels/tubes (83.7%). The average amount of space and time provided for roaming in case of no permanent roaming possibility (13.9 m<sup>2</sup> and 2.5 h per day) was positive in terms of welfare. About 79.0% of rats did not suffer from a disease diagnosed by a veterinarian. Repetitive behaviors, which may represent stereotypies, were uncommon (plucking out own fur and cage bar chewing occurred “never” in 99.1% and 81.5%). Indicators of good welfare (e.g., self-grooming, rearing, eye-boggling) were observed several times/day in 89.6%, 46.7%, and 11.6% respectively. Caretakers who formed strong bonds with their rats tended to express positive general attitudes (such as finding rats ‘‘lovable’’ and ‘‘fun’’), while showing little agreement with statements reflecting negative attitudes (like considering rats ‘‘dirty’’). About 84.4% reported stroking their rat, 94.9% reported talking to it, and 70.9% mentioned hand-feeding their rat several times per day. Caretaker attitudes and attachment and human-animal interactions and caretaker behaviors correlated weakly but consistently (<em>P</em> < 0.01): respondents who felt more comfortable during positive interactions, stroked, hand-fed their rats, offered rat-friendly enrichment and performed health checks more often. In contrast, higher agreement to rats being ‘‘dirty’’ related to less frequent health checks and less frequent positive human-animal interactions. The identified relationships between caretaker attitudes and behaviors can help design interventions to promote caretaker behavior that is beneficial for rat welfare.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"75 ","pages":"Pages 1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787824000510/pdfft?md5=e3480043395837dfee7ee992606846d6&pid=1-s2.0-S1558787824000510-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141698040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cognitive dysfunction and owner-directed aggression in a 10-year-old neutered golden retriever: A case report","authors":"Pamela J. Perry","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A 10-year-old, 38.5 kg, male neutered golden retriever was evaluated for a 2-year history of growling, baring teeth, and biting his owners. The dog also displayed disorientation, increased vocalization, altered interactions with the female owner, anxiety, and nighttime restlessness. A primary diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction syndrome and concurrent diagnosis of owner-directed aggression related to altered cognition or awareness, pain/discomfort, and impulse control/conflict was made based on the dog’s age, behavioral signs, and exclusion of medical causes. The owners were provided with a treatment plan that included environmental and safety management, reward-based behavior modification, and an antioxidant-rich diet. After the addition of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (fluoxetine) and a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (trazodone), the dog’s clinical signs were significantly improved within six months and sustained during a 2-year follow-up period.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"75 ","pages":"Pages 20-26"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141692529","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 transdermal trazodone before veterinary visit to reduce stress and anxiety in cats","authors":"Pei-Chi Shih , Shang-Lin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Trazodone hydrochloride is a tetracyclic antidepressant commonly used in human, gaining popularity in feline patients as a pre-appointment anxiolytic and sedative medication. However, the oral administration route in cats poses difficulties for owners and limits practicality. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of transdermal trazodone in cats. At the first visit, the cat stress score (CSS), global sedation score (GSS), behavioral response score (BRS), and owner-assessed overall experience score (OES) were used to observe and record the behavior during transportation and examination. Thereafter, each cat was given 150 mg of transdermal trazodone before the second visit. The respiratory rate, heart rate, pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, blood test, adverse effects, and response time were compared between the two visits. Thirteen cats were enrolled in this study. Transdermal trazodone significantly lowered CSS of outward trip (<em>P</em> = 0.005) and return trip (<em>P</em> = 0.005) (Wilcoxon signed-rank test). No significant differences were observed in CSS and GSS during the examination. Moreover, the BRS was significantly low (<em>P</em> = 0.018), but the significance varied depending on the examination procedure and behavior. The OES questionnaire showed a significant reduction in stress during the outward trip (<em>P</em> = 0.002), return trip (<em>P</em> = 0.005), and examination (<em>P</em> = 0.003) (all Wilcoxin signed ranks test). Physiologic parameters and laboratory values were not significantly affected, and the adverse effects were few and mild. In conclusion, transdermal trazodone was well tolerated at a single dose of 150 mg/cat. It can reduce stress and anxiety before a veterinary visit, resulting in a better patient-owner experience.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"75 ","pages":"Pages 27-34"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141702637","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}
Isadora de Castro Travnik , Vitor Gonçalves Teixeira , Aline Cristina Sant’Anna , Carla Forte Maiolino Molento
{"title":"Unlocking friendships: The immediate post-adoption human-cat relationship and the relevance of cat personality","authors":"Isadora de Castro Travnik , Vitor Gonçalves Teixeira , Aline Cristina Sant’Anna , Carla Forte Maiolino Molento","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cat personality may influence adoption choices and future guardian-cat relationship. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between cat personality and guardian-reported undesirable behaviors after adoption. A questionnaire was sent to guardians of recently adopted cats approaching their doubts, details on cats’ physical characteristics, behavioral events, and cat personality, as assessed by the Qualitative Behavior Assessment. Most of the 133 respondents adopted female cats (60.1%), at most 6 months-old (63.9%). Many guardians reported doubts about initial cat care (75.9%), and 34.6% did not have other cats at home. Half of the guardians were unsure how to introduce the new cat to their other animals (50.4%). Common events included meowing and scratching or biting an adult human (39.1% each). Five cat personality dimensions were identified, with correlations to behavioral events: “agreeableness” with hiding (<em>P</em> < 0.005), not allowing touch (<em>P</em> < 0.005), scratching or biting a child (<em>P</em> = 0.049), and skittishness (<em>P</em> < 0.005); “introversion” with meowing (<em>P</em> = 0.034); “soliciting” with inappropriate urination (<em>P</em> = 0.008); and “aggressiveness” with skittishness (<em>P</em> = 0.013). Households where a resident disliked the adopted cat were correlated with the cat’s young age (<em>P</em> = 0.014). The number of cats in the household was associated with vet visits (<em>P</em> = 0.049), inappropriate urination (<em>P</em> = 0.038), skittishness (<em>P</em> = 0.001), and not allowing touch (<em>P</em> = 0.013). Some post-adoption behavioral events are more common in certain cat personality dimensions and household characteristics. Considering these variables may increase successful cat adoptions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"74 ","pages":"Pages 19-28"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141700643","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":"Attitudes toward cat collar use in central European cat owners—An online survey","authors":"Christine Arhant , Raffaela Lesch , Veronika Heizmann , Günther Schauberger , Ines Windschnurer","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Collar use in cats is a controversial topic. Cat owners do have very different reasons for either deciding to use a collar on their cat or rejecting collar use. We conducted an online survey on cat management, use of and attitudes toward collars. Our survey participants were mainly women (88.8%), mostly came from Germany (88.2%), and owned 2 ± 2 cats. Collar use was reported by 32.9%. Overall, participants showed significantly higher agreement to the subscale risk perception than to the subscale benefit perception (Z = −56.997, <em>P</em> < 0.001, N = 4940). Participants (N = 318) who reported first-time collar fitting on their cat in the past 2 years used most often plastic breakaway buckles (rounded edges: 44.2%; round with edges inwards: 17.9%; rectangular: 10.4%), non-breakaway buckles were used by 14.4% (plastic: 9.4%; metal: 4.9%). The most common objects attached to the collar were ID tags/tubes (32.4%) and bells (22.1%) and tracker (19.7%). Based on lifetime experience, collar users were older, less often first-time owners, more often allowed their cats free roaming, and had less often professional experience with cats. Agreement to risks was lower than in non-users but still higher than agreement to benefits. In contrast, the perception of benefits outweighed perception of risks in recent collar users. Collar use in the past was strongly associated to risks from entrapment. This suggests that owners are willing to try collars but do not continue to use them over time as they may perceive more risks than benefits.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"74 ","pages":"Pages 46-56"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787824000479/pdfft?md5=a985012c64a38eb09566ab5fb9047059&pid=1-s2.0-S1558787824000479-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141954301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial Board/Table of Contents","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S1558-7878(24)00064-9","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S1558-7878(24)00064-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"74 ","pages":"Page A2"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787824000649/pdfft?md5=bbb8ff6988e34aaea4f9cfe061c4ef99&pid=1-s2.0-S1558787824000649-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141979465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using deep learning to assess and understand behavior","authors":"Karen L. Overall","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"74 ","pages":"Page A3"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141979466","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 cow behavior patterns from accelerometer data using deep learning","authors":"Newlin Shebiah Russel, Arivazhagan Selvaraj","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This article explores the novel application of deep learning methods in the analysis of complex cattle behavior patterns using accelerometer data. With the information provided by accelerometer data regarding the movements of cows, valuable insights into their health, behavior, and overall welfare can be understood. Manual deciphering of these patterns presents an overwhelming challenge owing to the intricate and fluctuating nature of cattle behavior. The principal objective of this research is to construct a deep learning framework that can precisely interpret complex cow behavior patterns and enable more precise and efficient surveillance. To achieve this objective, the input accelerometer data collected during various cattle behavioral instances, such as grazing, lying, walking, and other activities, undergo preprocessing and augmentation. The preprocessed data then undergo a deep learning framework comprised of 23 layers, incorporating convolution layers, batch normalization, rectified linear unit (ReLu), and MaxPooling layers. The model demonstrates promising performance in categorizing cow behaviors based on the unique movement signatures captured by the sensors. Through rigorous evaluation using three distinct datasets, each containing a different number of activities, we achieve high accuracy rates of 96.72%, 87.15%, and 98.7%, respectively. It enhances livestock management by automating behavior analysis, enabling real-time monitoring, and informed decision-making. Improved animal welfare is achieved through early detection of stress or illness, leading to prompt interventions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"74 ","pages":"Pages 68-78"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141934045","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":"The Human-Animal Interaction at Work Scale: Development and psychometric properties","authors":"Ana Junça-Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2024.06.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aimed to develop and validate the Human-Animal Interaction at Work Scale (HAI@WS). This instrument is designed to measure human-animal interactions during work time. We conducted four studies to achieve this goal. First, we developed the scale, followed by a study to explore its factorial structure (N = 1013). The third study analyzed the scale's internal validity and reliability (N = 253). The fourth study was a daily-diary investigation that assessed the criterion validity of the HAI@WS by examining its within-person correlations with measures of performance, satisfaction, and work engagement (N = 145 × 5 = 725). The findings revealed that the three-item scale represented a single factor and is a reliable measure of human-animal interactions in the work context. Additionally, the results indicated that the scale was significantly related to measures of performance, satisfaction, and work engagement at the within-person level. This study fills a research gap by providing a validated measure for assessing human-animal interactions in the workplace, an area previously lacking such tools. The HAI@WS is valuable for managers seeking to evaluate how the presence of pets at work—whether during teleworking or in the office—and the resulting interactions with employees can satisfy biological and psychological needs, thereby promoting positive outcomes such as work engagement and positive affective work-related experiences. This research advances our understanding of human-animal interactions and their impact on individuals and organizations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"74 ","pages":"Pages 29-36"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787824000509/pdfft?md5=10894ba08d5e7828fb677de8f8012ae2&pid=1-s2.0-S1558787824000509-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141693834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}