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

{"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":"Multimodal assessment of Hericium erinaceus and Valeriana officinalis for canine anxiety: Integrating EEG, neurochemical analysis, and behavioral surveys","authors":"Cagin Cevik ,&nbsp;Alev Meltem Ercan ,&nbsp;Mehmet Erman Or","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anxiety in domestic dogs is characterized by signs which may include persistent fear, excessive roaming, and hyperactivity, and which can compromise their well-being. Natural alternatives like Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis, VO) and Lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus, HE) have been proposed to modulate anxiety. This open-label, uncontrolled trial—without a placebo—evaluated the potential anxiolytic effects of these extracts in 20 mixed-breed dogs exhibiting clinically relevant anxiety, as determined by owner-completed behavioral questionnaires. Dogs were assigned equally to two groups (VO and HE, n = 10 each) and received a daily dose of 1000 mg per 10 kg body weight over a 4-week period. Assessments included EEG recordings from frontal, temporal, and central brain regions (analyzing delta, theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands), neurochemical analyses of serotonin, dopamine, and cortisol, and standardized behavioral surveys conducted at baseline and after treatment. The results indicated modest improvements in certain owner-reported behaviors, particularly reductions in fear and roaming. Within-group analysis showed statistically significant improvement in 4 behavioral signs in the VO group and 2 signs in the HE group out of the 15 assessed. However, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups, indicating comparable behavioral outcomes across treatments. EEG analysis revealed that HE treatment was associated with reductions in theta and select alpha power in frontal and temporal regions, while VO exhibited less pronounced effects. Neurochemical findings suggested that HE may reduce plasma serotonin levels and VO may decrease dopamine levels. Both treatments were well tolerated, with no adverse events observed. Although these preliminary findings suggest that VO and HE extracts might modulate neurophysiological and neurochemical markers related to anxiety in dogs, further controlled studies are needed to establish clinical relevance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 57-68"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144579934","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":"Development of a questionnaire for early detection of behavioural disorders in dogs","authors":"Océane Richard ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Gaultier ,&nbsp;Jérémy Lesueur","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In France, the number of dog relinquishments increases every year. Behavioural issues are one of the most common reasons, along with personal problems and financial difficulties faced by owners. Although animal welfare is a growing concern for them, many misunderstandings and mistakes are made, leading to behavioural problems in their pets. Veterinarians are often contacted too late, as a last resort. A questionnaire consisting of 56 questions (in paper or online version) has therefore been created to help veterinarians detect behavioural issues in dogs early. It had to be sufficiently short but also exhaustive to be efficient to detect a behavioural problem during a preventive medicine consultation. 290 responses were collected. Among the respondents, some dogs were consulted by one of the participating veterinary behaviourists. These dogs were then categorized into 4 groups: fearful, impulsive, stable or with absence-related problems. A statistical study using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis, Variable importance in Projection Scores and Receiver Operating Characteristic was conducted. 20 questions were selected for the final questionnaire. The misclassification rate is 30% for the entire model, with a rate of only 5.3% for stable dogs. A scoring system was proposed to provide values for each category and appears consistent with the tested dogs. To our knowledge, this is the first questionnaire allowing practitioners to detect behavioural issues early. The aim is not to diagnose a disease but to alert the client to a potential behavioural problem, and this objective seems to have been achieved. Further validation of the scoring would be necessary afterward.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 20-27"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144557467","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 cumulative impact of use in teaching and research: An initial assessment of an objective tool developed to safeguard working horse welfare in a university setting","authors":"Lindsay Skyner ,&nbsp;Skye Wassens ,&nbsp;Anna Dennis ,&nbsp;Hayley Randle","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Universities offering veterinary and equine science education typically keep horses to support teaching and research activities. The Australian Code requires approval of horse use by an independent Animal Ethics Committee and that cumulative use over an individual’s working lifetime is considered to safeguard wellbeing. Following concerns about individual horse welfare a multidisciplinary group of horse users at Charles Sturt University co-developed a Standard Operating Procedure that would allow impacts to be monitored using a points-based system. Work activities were categorised from minimal (1 point, e.g., being observed in the paddock) to major intervention (5 points allocated, e.g., general anaesthesia). On accruing 60 points (adults) or 40 points (&lt;1-year olds) a six-week break was to be mandated. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of cumulative use monitoring on the frequency and distribution of horse use in an educational institution and resulting welfare. Data comprised 12,281 interactions-with-humans experienced by 139 horses between 2019 and 2023, 74% of which related to work (54% teaching, 20% research). Work-related use increased significantly between 2019 and 2022 (t =72.47, <em>P</em> &lt;0.001). The introduction of the Standard Operating Procedure in 2023 led to a meaningful decrease in the frequency of horse use, clear demarcation of involvement in teaching and research work and provision of appropriately timed six-week breaks during the academic year. A proactive approach to monitoring and managing the cumulative impact of horse use is critical to safeguarding welfare and maintaining public trust in the educational institution’s ability to protect its animals from harm.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 39-48"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572740","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 gabapentin use on the behavior and laboratory test results of healthy cats","authors":"Kirian R. Franck ,&nbsp;Mariana Ulanin ,&nbsp;Tayná Veronezi ,&nbsp;Izadora Zardo ,&nbsp;Adriana Golçalves Spiering ,&nbsp;Luciana Nunes ,&nbsp;Fernanda VA da Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the growing global popularity of cats, many owners remain reluctant to take them to the veterinarian. This hesitation may partly stem from the stress associated with transportation and the veterinary visit itself. Stress can affect both physical examinations and laboratory test results in feline patients. The use of gabapentin prior to veterinary appointments has become increasingly common as a method to reduce anxiety. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a single oral dose of 100 mg of gabapentin, administered 90 minutes before a veterinary visit, on the behavior and laboratory test results of healthy cats. The study included 40 healthy cats, divided into two groups: one received gabapentin, and the other received a placebo. Cats in both groups were evaluated using the Cat Stress Score (CSS), an observational scale ranging from 1 to 7. Clinical parameters were measured, and blood samples were collected to assess blood glucose, serum potassium, and lactate levels. Each cat underwent two evaluations, spaced two weeks apart. A statistically significant difference in lymphocyte count was observed between the two groups. However, no stress-related leukocytosis, hyperglycemia, hypokalemia, or elevated lactate levels were detected in any of the cats, regardless of gabapentin use. The findings suggest that gabapentin had no significant effect on CSS scores. It is possible that the implementation of cat-friendly handling techniques during the study helped minimize stress, potentially masking any effects of the medication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 78-82"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144686593","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":"2D vocal expressive space of cats following a short isolation period","authors":"Pablo Vidal-Franco","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A sample of cats was recorded following a mild stress experiment. After a brief isolation period, the cats were reunited with their caretaker, and their recordings were analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) and t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding (t-SNE) were used to reduce the high dimensionality of their vocalizations to two and analyzed using a battery of three different clustering algorithms: Affinity Propagation, MeanShift and HDBSCAN. Every clustering algorithm showed similar results; however, to identify overrepresented clusters, the sizes of each cluster set were tested for uniformity with a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. This test revealed that the cluster sizes analyzed by HDBSCAN were not uniform and some values stood out more than others. A z-score test was conducted to determine which cluster was the most overrepresented and this was followed by a Chi-Square test to find the rest of overrepresented clusters. Visual inspection of the spectrograms shows that a change in frequency follows a predetermined path in the t-SNE plot, highlighting a gradient and a polarisation in their vocalizations. One extreme exhibited visible harmonics, which progressively diminished as it approached the opposite region, with vocalizations that work over broader, noisier, bandwidth with sparser harmonics (purrs). The number of vocalizations and their length were tested with a Kruskal-Wallis test and a one-way ANOVA, respectively, both of which found statistical significance. This analysis was followed by post-hoc tests, which verified significant differences among the tested cats in the number of vocalizations and their duration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"80 ","pages":"Pages 69-77"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587486","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":"Euthanasia and prolonged grief: A cross-sectional study with bereaved pet owners","authors":"Maria Vera Silva ,&nbsp;Ricardo R. Santos ,&nbsp;Miguel Barbosa","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The grief experienced from the loss of a pet involves a complex and unique emotional journey. The act of euthanizing a pet can significantly influence how owners navigate this grieving process. This study aims to assess the association of euthanasia and the grieving process of individuals mourning the loss of a pet. A total of 123 pet owners (79.3% female) who had experienced the loss of a pet completed the Pet Bereavement Questionnaire, the Persistent Complex Bereavement Inventory, and a set of questions regarding the circumstances surrounding their loss. Significant positive correlations were found between the intensity of grief reactions and several variables: owner’s age, feelings of exclusion from the euthanasia decision by the veterinarian, regret over the decision to euthanize prematurely, and guilt associated with that decision. Conversely, statistically significant negative correlations were found between grief intensity and the time elapsed since pet’s death, as well as between guilt and the perception that the veterinary team responded to the emotional needs of the owners. Female owners reported higher average levels of grief intensity and prolonged grief. Owners of euthanized pets experienced lower levels of guilt, but more grief compared to those whose pets were not euthanized. The study identifies associations between euthanasia and complex emotional outcomes for pet owners. The emotional response to pet loss is associated to various factors, including the degree of involvement in the euthanasia decision and the perceived support from veterinary professionals. These findings emphasize the need for sensitive and supportive approaches in veterinary care to help pet owners navigate the grieving process effectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"79 ","pages":"Pages 60-67"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143923993","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":"Slow-feeding dispensers for horses: Who, how and why?","authors":"M. Roig-Pons ,&nbsp;I. Bachmann ,&nbsp;S. Briefer Freymond","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Slow-feeders are feed dispensers designed to mechanically slow feed intake. As such, they are a promising tool for improving the welfare of horses by meeting their behavioural and physiological feeding needs while controlling the risk of obesity. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the current use of slow-feeders by horse owners and the profile of horses using such feeders. The objective of this questionnaire-based study was to evaluate the slow-feeding practices among horse owners and yard operators in some French-speaking European countries (Belgium, France and Switzerland). We received 1,283 replies, revealing that the population of horses fed with slow-feeders differs from the general population of ridden horses in several aspects, such as age, training, and housing. This information is valuable for ensuring representative sampling in future studies. Regarding the type of slow-feeder used, more than 85% of the respondents reported using hay nets, with hay nets covering the hay in the hayrack or surrounding a bale of hay being particularly popular. The main reasons for using slow-feeders were waste management, weight reduction, and increased feeding time for horses. Most respondents did not encounter any issues when using slow-feeders and less than 10% of respondents reported health problems and accidents resulting from the use of slow-feeder. Differences were also found between countries and between operators and owners, indicating that different user profiles have varying requirements for the feeder they use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"79 ","pages":"Pages 7-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143854997","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":"Owner reported prevalence and severity of canine aggression in the United States: A descriptive study","authors":"Bonnie V. Beaver","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Canine aggression is a behavior problem of significance for the safety of people and other animals. The prevalence of various aggressive actions has been reported by various authors, but there is a considerable range of values given. In addition, data was determined is several ways, using a variety of questions, and comes from numerous countries where different breeds and ways of raising dogs exist. For that reason, the data from 43,517 dogs enrolled in the Dog Aging Project (DAP), entered by their owners, was used to understand the extent of owner perceived agonistic behavior in dogs living in the United States. Ten behavior questions were used under the section of titled “Aggression” and were divided into four multi-question categories (i.e., aggression to unfamiliar people, familiar people, unfamiliar dogs, and familiar dogs). All questions were rated by the owner on a five-point Likert-type scale between 0 (no aggression), 1 and 2 (moderate aggression), and 3 and 4 (serious aggression). Data were analyzed to determine the prevalence of dogs showing all levels of agonistic behavior by category in response to the ten questions. Overall, 57.5% of all dogs in the study received at least one rating of level 2 (moderate) or higher in severity. Aggression towards unfamiliar people was shown by 38.8% of dogs, towards familiar people was shown by 5.4% of dogs, towards unfamiliar dogs was shown by 49.9% of dogs, and towards familiar dogs was approximately 14.5%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"79 ","pages":"Pages 1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143854992","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 risk of an attribution bias that “everything is okay”: Why you need to actually look for behavioral problems before you can assume they are not there","authors":"Karen L. Overall","doi":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jveb.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17567,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Veterinary Behavior-clinical Applications and Research","volume":"79 ","pages":"Pages A1-A2"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513879","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}