Dataset Information

Welfare Assessment in Shelter Dogs by Using Physiological and Immunological Parameters.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the state of welfare of a group of dogs during the first month after entering the shelter by using different stress parameters. Blood and fecal samples were collected from a group of 71 dogs at the time of admission to the shelter. In 46 of these dogs, sampling was repeated after four weeks. Well-recognized welfare biomarkers, such as fecal cortisol and leukocytes, as well as some innovative parameters (?-endorphin and lysozyme) were determined. Uni- and multivariate statistical analyses were used to evaluate their interactions and changes over time. Neutrophils (p < 0.01), lysozyme (p < 0.05), and fecal cortisol (p < 0.05) decreased, while lymphocytes (p < 0.05) increased after four weeks compared to the first days of being in the shelter, suggesting an improvement in the dogs' welfare over time. A principal component analysis extracted three bipolar components (PCs), explaining 75% of the variance and indicating negative associations between neutrophil and lymphocyte (PC1), lysozyme and ?-endorphin (PC2), cortisol and lysozyme (PC3). The associations between these variables within each PC also confirmed the intricate relationships between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system as well as the importance of a multiparametric approach in evaluating welfare.

SUBMITTER: Righi C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6616394 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Welfare Assessment in Shelter Dogs by Using Physiological and Immunological Parameters.

Righi Cecilia C Menchetti Laura L Orlandi Riccardo R Moscati Livia L Mancini Stefania S Diverio Silvana S

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20190611 6

This study aimed to evaluate the state of welfare of a group of dogs during the first month after entering the shelter by using different stress parameters. Blood and fecal samples were collected from a group of 71 dogs at the time of admission to the shelter. In 46 of these dogs, sampling was repeated after four weeks. Well-recognized welfare biomarkers, such as fecal cortisol and leukocytes, as well as some innovative parameters (β-endorphin and lysozyme) were determined. Uni- and multivariate ...[more]

PMID: 31212652

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Dataset Information

Welfare Assessment in Shelter Dogs by Using Physiological and Immunological Parameters.

Publications

Welfare Assessment in Shelter Dogs by Using Physiological and Immunological Parameters.

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