scholarly journals Evaluating the effects of a temporary fostering program on shelter dog welfare

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Gunter ◽  
Erica N. Feuerbacher ◽  
Rachel J. Gilchrist ◽  
Clive D.L. Wynne
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Urinary Cortisol ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Animal Shelters ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Shelter Dogs ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
The Impact

One of the greatest stressors for dogs living in animal shelters is social isolation. Many studies have demonstrated that human interaction reduces cortisol in shelter dogs, with the possibility that longer periods of interaction may yield greater effects. These types of interventions are contingent upon removing the dog from the kennel and any such reductions in cortisol are often lost when the dog returns to the kennel. More recently, animal shelters are utilizing short-term fostering programs to provide relief from the perceived stresses of kennel life; however the effects of these programs are not well understood. This study assessed the impacts of one- and two-night fostering programs on the urinary cortisol levels, resting pulse rates, longest bout of uninterrupted rest, and proportion of time spent resting of dogs awaiting adoption. Five animal shelters, open and limited-admission facilities, from across the United States participated in the study. During the study, dogs’ urine was collected in the morning before, during, and after fostering stays for cortisol: creatinine analysis. Non-invasive health monitors were worn by the dogs, which collected heart rates and activity levels, in the shelter and in foster homes. In total, 207 dogs participated in the study, and 1,076 cortisol values were used in our analysis. Across all shelters, we found that dogs’ cortisol: creatinine ratios dropped significantly during their fostering stay, but returned to baseline levels after return to the shelter. However, the observed reduction in cortisol varied in magnitude across shelters. We found that dogs of greater weight, age, and average resting pulse rate had higher cortisol levels; and dogs with longer bouts of uninterrupted rest had lower cortisol levels. Dogs had their longest bouts of rest during sleepovers, followed by in the shelter after their sleepovers. Lastly, significant differences were found when comparing in-shelter cortisol values at our five shelters, differences that were in some cases greater than the impact of the fostering intervention itself. Considering the diversity of facilities that participated in this study, it is possible that as yet unstudied, shelter-specific, environmental factors could be contributing to the overall welfare of shelter dogs. Thus while a reprieve from the shelter is impactful for dogs awaiting adoption, mitigating the stressors present in kenneling conditions should also be addressed to improve the lives of shelter dogs.

scholarly journals Investigating the Impact of Brief Outings on the Welfare of Dogs Living in US Shelters

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 548
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Gunter ◽  
Rachel J. Gilchrist ◽  
Emily M. Blade ◽  
Rebecca T. Barber ◽  
Erica N. Feuerbacher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Urinary Cortisol ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Animal Shelters ◽  
Time Out ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Activity Measures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low Activity

Social isolation likely contributes to reduced welfare for shelter-living dogs. Several studies have established that time out of the kennel with a person can improve dogs’ behavior and reduce physiological measures of stress. This study assessed the effects of two-and-a-half-hour outings on the urinary cortisol levels and activity of dogs as they awaited adoption at four animal shelters. Dogs’ urine was collected before and after outings for cortisol:creatinine analysis, and accelerometer devices were used to measure dogs’ physical activity. In total, 164 dogs participated in this study, with 793 cortisol values and 3750 activity measures used in the statistical analyses. We found that dogs’ cortisol:creatinine ratios were significantly higher during the afternoon of the intervention but returned to pre-field trip levels the following day. Dogs’ minutes of low activity were significantly reduced, and high activity significantly increased during the outing. Although dogs’ cortisol and activity returned to baseline after the intervention, our findings suggest that short-term outings do not confer the same stress reduction benefits as previously shown with temporary fostering. Nevertheless, it is possible that these types of outing programs are beneficial to adoptions by increasing the visibility of dogs and should be further investigated to elucidate these effects.

scholarly journals Marking frequency during intraspecific socialization sessions is related to urinary cortisol levels in shelter dogs

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Alberghina ◽  
Gina Pumilia ◽  
Pierluigi Raffo ◽  
Giuseppe Distefano ◽  
Michele Panzera
Keyword(s):  
Creatinine Ratio ◽  
Urinary Cortisol ◽  
Shelter Dogs ◽  
Cortisol Levels

The aim of this study was to determine whether behavioural indicators such as marking frequency and whether cortisol/creatinine ratio (C/Cr) are influenced by three socialization sessions.

Implications of postoperative complications on survival after cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC: A multi-institutional analysis of the United States HIPEC Collaborative.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 40-40
Author(s):  
Adriana C. Gamboa ◽  
Rachel M. Lee ◽  
Michael K. Turgeon ◽  
Ahmed Ahmed ◽  
Travis Edward Grotz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Postoperative Complications ◽  
Cytoreductive Surgery ◽  
Colorectal Adenocarcinoma ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incomplete Resection ◽  
Appendiceal Neoplasm ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy ◽  
The Impact

40 Background: Postoperative complications (POCs) are associated with worse oncologic outcomes in various cancer histologies. The impact of POCs on the survival of patients with appendiceal or colorectal cancer after cytoreductive surgery/heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is unknown. Methods: US HIPEC Collaborative (2000-17) was reviewed for patients who underwent CCR0/1 CRS/HIPEC for appendiceal/colorectal cancer. Analysis was stratified by non-invasive appendiceal neoplasm vs invasive appendiceal/colorectal adenocarcinoma. POCs were grouped into infectious, cardiopulmonary, thromboembolic and intestinal dysmotility. Primary outcomes were 3-yr overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: Of 1304 pts, median age was 55 yrs, 41% were male (n = 537), 33% had non-invasive appendiceal (n = 426) and 67% had invasive appendiceal/colorectal adenocarcinoma (n = 878). In the non-invasive appendiceal cohort, POCs were identified in 55% (n = 233) and OS and RFS did not differ between patients who experienced a complication and those who did not (OS 94 vs 94% p = 0.26; RFS 68 vs 60% p = 0.15). In the invasive appendiceal/colorectal adenocarcinoma cohort, however, POCs (63%; n = 555) were associated with decreased OS (59 vs 74% p < 0.001) and RFS (32 vs 42% p < 0.001). Infectious POCs were most common (35%; n = 196). On MV analysis accounting for gender, PCI and incomplete resection (CCR1), infectious POCs in particular were associated with decreased OS compared to no complication (HR 2.08 95%CI 1.48-2.93 p < 0.01) or other types of complications (HR 1.7 95%CI 1.28-2.25 p < 0.01). This association persisted for infectious POCs and reduced RFS (HR 1.61 95%CI 1.23-2.10 p < 0.01). Conclusions: Postoperative complications are associated with decreased OS and RFS after CRS/HIPEC for invasive histology, but not for an indolent disease like non-invasive appendiceal neoplasm. Of all complication types, infectious complications are the main driver for this association. The exact mechanism is not known, but may be immunologic. Efforts must target best practices and standardized prevention strategies to minimize infectious POCs.

Effects of intranasal glucocorticoids on endogenous glucocorticoid peripheral and central function

1995 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
U Knutsson ◽  
P Stierna ◽  
C Marcus ◽  
J Carlstedt-Duke ◽  
K Carlström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Serum Cortisol ◽  
Adrenal Function ◽  
Systemic Effects ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Urinary Cortisol ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Central Function ◽  
Peripheral Lymphocytes ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
Cortisol Levels

Abstract Glucocorticoids are among the most potent anti-inflammatory agents that can be used in the treatment of rhinitis. Their mechanisms of action are multiple and complex and a number of reports describe significant systemic effects of locally administered glucocorticoids. In order to evaluate the short-term systemic effects of intranasally administered glucocorticoids, 14 normal healthy subjects were treated with two doses of either budesonide (BUD) or fluticasone propionate (FP) for 2 weeks. Before treatment, at regular intervals during the treatment, 1 week and finally 6 weeks after termination of treatment, the effects on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and methallothionein (MTIIa) mRNA expression levels were examined in peripheral lymphocytes using a solution hybridization assay. Serum cortisol, osteocalcin and urinary cortisol levels were also determined. An insulin tolerance test (ITT) was performed at the end of the second week of treatment and at the end of the 6-week washout period with no statistically significant change in cortisol response. In peripheral lymphocytes, GR mRNA levels were significantly down-regulated. MTIIa mRNA levels increased significantly. Serum osteocalcin decreased significantly during treatment with both BUD and FP. Serum cortisol decreased after 1 week of treatment whereas urinary cortisol was not affected until the second week of treatment. In conclusion, intranasal glucocorticoids at clinically recommended doses have not only significant systemic effects on adrenal function, but also have an effect on specific gene expression in peripheral lymphocytes. These effects are receptor-dependent, reversible, and according to serum and urinary cortisol levels and ITT, leave the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function intact. Finally, these short-term systemic effects were not associated with any of the noticeable side-effects usually observed during long-term treatment with glucocorticoids. Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 144, 301–310

scholarly journals Effect of one month ketoconazole treatment on GH, cortisol and ACTH release after ghrelin, GHRP-6 and GHRH administration in patients with cushing’s disease

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 1110-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia R. Correa-Silva ◽  
Sérgio O. Nascif ◽  
Marcos R. Silva ◽  
Patrícia Molica ◽  
Ana-Maria J. Lengyel
Keyword(s):  
Cushing’S Disease ◽  
Pituitary Function ◽  
Cushing's Disease ◽  
Urinary Cortisol ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Gh Secretion ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Cortisol Responses ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
Acth Release

GH responses to ghrelin, GHRP-6, and GHRH in Cushing’s disease (CD) are markedly blunted. There is no data about the effect of reduction of cortisol levels with steroidogenesis inhibitors, like ketoconazole, on GH secretion in CD. ACTH levels during ketoconazole treatment are controversial. The aims of this study were to compare the GH response to ghrelin, GHRP-6, and GHRH, and the ACTH and cortisol responses to ghrelin and GHRP-6 before and after one month of ketoconazole treatment in 6 untreated patients with CD. Before treatment peak GH (mg/L; mean ± SEM) after ghrelin, GHRP-6, and GHRH administration was 10.0 ± 4.5; 3.8 ± 1.6, and 0.6 ± 0.2, respectively. After one month of ketoconazole there was a significant decrease in urinary cortisol values (mean reduction: 75%), but GH responses did not change (7.0 ± 2.0; 3.1 ± 0.8; 0.9 ± 0.2, respectively). After treatment, there was a significant reduction in cortisol (mg/dL) responses to ghrelin (before: 30.6 ± 5.2; after: 24.2 ± 5.1). No significant changes in ACTH (pg/mL) responses before (ghrelin: 210.9 ± 69.9; GHRP-6: 199.8 ± 88.8) and after treatment (ghrelin: 159.7 ± 40.3; GHRP-6: 227 ± 127.2) were observed. In conclusion, after short-term ketoconazole treatment there are no changes in GH or ACTH responses, despite a major decrease of cortisol levels. A longer period of treatment might be necessary for the recovery of pituitary function.

scholarly journals Effects of Olfactory and Auditory Enrichment on Heart Rate Variability in Shelter Dogs

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Amaya ◽  
Mandy B.A. Paterson ◽  
Kris Descovich ◽  
Clive J.C. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Physiological Effect ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Animal Shelters ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Shelter Dogs ◽  
Stressful Environments ◽  
Variability Data

Animal shelters can be stressful environments and time in care may affect individual dogs in negative ways, so it is important to try to reduce stress and arousal levels to improve welfare and chance of adoption. A key element of the stress response is the activation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and a non-invasive tool to measure this activity is heart rate variability (HRV). Physiologically, stress and arousal result in the production of corticosteroids, increased heart rate and decreased HRV. Environmental enrichment can help to reduce arousal related behaviours in dogs and this study focused on sensory environmental enrichment using olfactory and auditory stimuli with shelter dogs. The aim was to determine if these stimuli have a physiological effect on dogs and if this could be detected through HRV. Sixty dogs were allocated to one of three stimuli groups: lavender, dog appeasing pheromone and music or a control group, and usable heart rate variability data were obtained from 34 dogs. Stimuli were applied for 3 h a day on five consecutive days, with HRV recorded for 4 h (treatment period + 1 h post-treatment) on the 5th and last day of exposure to the stimuli by a Polar® heart rate monitor attached to the dog’s chest. HRV results suggest that music activates both branches of the ANS, which may be useful to relieve both the stress and boredom in shelter environments.

scholarly journals 1480. Incidence of Non-Invasive Pneumococcal Pneumonia in Children in the United States before and after Introduction Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines (PCV7 and PCV13) during 1998-2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S741-S742
Author(s):  
Tianyan Hu ◽  
Eric Sarpong ◽  
Yan Song ◽  
Nicolae Done ◽  
Qing liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pneumococcal Pneumonia ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthcare Resource Utilization ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Vaccine Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Pneumonia causes significant pediatric morbidity, mortality, and healthcare resource utilization. S. pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia in children. Merck is developing V114, an investigational 15-valent PCV that contains PCV13 serotypes as well as 22F and 33F. To demonstrate the potential value of V114, it is important to estimate the remaining burden associated with pneumococcal pneumonia (PP). This study was to estimate incidence rates (IRs) of non-invasive PP before and after PCV7 and PCV13 introduction in children in the US. Methods PP-related claims in children &lt; 18 years were identified in the IBM MarketScan® Commercial database (1998-2018) using pneumococcal specific ICD9/10 codes. Claims with any invasive pneumococcal disease ICD9/10 codes were excluded. An episode could comprise one or more claims. Episodes with any inpatient stays were categorized as inpatient, and as outpatient otherwise. Age-stratified (&lt; 2, 2-4, and 5-17 years) IRs were episodes per 100,000 patient-years (PYs) during the pre-PCV7 (1998-1999), early and late PCV7 (2001-2005, 2006-2009), and early and late PCV13 (2011-2013, 2014-2018) periods. Results Inpatient and outpatient PP IRs decreased steadily in children &lt; 2 years (146.8, 117.9, 102.0, 67.8, and 32.2 per 100,000 PYs for pre-PCV7, early and late PCV7, and early and late PCV13 periods, respectively; Figure 1). In children 2-4 years, IRs increased slightly from 88.6 to 90.0 per 100,000 PYs from the pre-PCV7 to early PCV7 period, then declined to 83.9 and 30.8 per 100,000 PYs in the late PCV7 and late PCV13 periods, respectively (Figure 2). In children 5-17 years, IRs declined from 35.3 to 34.2 per 100,000 PYs from the pre-PCV7 to early PCV7 period, stabilized at 34.1 per 100,000 PYs in the late PCV7 period, followed by a steeper decline to 12.5 per 100,000 PYs in the late PCV13 period (Figure 3). The majority of episodes were outpatient in all three age groups. Figure 1. Non-invasive pneumococcal pneumonia incidence in children &lt;2 years, episodes per 100,000 patient-years (1998 - 2018) Figure 2. Non-invasive pneumococcal pneumonia incidence in children 2 - 4 years, episodes per 100,000 patient-years (1998 - 2018) Figure 3. Non-invasive pneumococcal pneumonia incidence in children 5 - 17 years, episodes per 100,000 patient-years (1998 - 2018) Conclusion In children &lt; 2 years, IRs of non-invasive PP decreased after introduction of PCV7 and PCV13. Following introduction of PCV 7 and PCV13, there remains a residual burden of non-invasive PP in children in the US. The impact of future PCVs on PP will depend on the proportion of PP caused by S. pneumoniae and vaccine-type serotypes. Disclosures Tianyan Hu, PhD, Merck (Employee, Shareholder) Yan Song, PhD, Merck (Consultant) Nicolae Done, PhD, Merck & Co., Inc. (Consultant) Qing liu, PhD, Merck (Consultant) James Signorovitch, PhD, Merck & Co., Inc. (Consultant) Tanaz Petigara, PhD, Merck & Co., Inc. (Employee, Shareholder)

scholarly journals Factors determining the effects of human interaction on the cortisol levels of shelter dogs

2017 ◽  
Vol 186 ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina M. Willen ◽  
Alexandra Mutwill ◽  
Lauren J. MacDonald ◽  
Patricia A. Schiml ◽  
Michael B. Hennessy
Keyword(s):  
Human Interaction ◽  
Shelter Dogs ◽  
Cortisol Levels

Exploring the Assimilation of GLM-Derived Water Vapor Mass in a Cycled 3DVAR Framework for the Short-Term Forecasts of High-Impact Convective Events

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 (3) ◽  
pp. 1005-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junjun Hu ◽  
Alexandre O. Fierro ◽  
Yunheng Wang ◽  
Jidong Gao ◽  
Edward R. Mansell
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Mixing Ratio ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Forecast Performance ◽  
Water Vapor Mixing Ratio ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The recent successful deployment of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) on board the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R series (GOES-16/17) provides nearly uniform spatiotemporal measurements of total lightning (intracloud plus cloud to ground) over the Americas and adjacent vast oceanic regions. This study evaluates the potential value of assimilating GLM-derived water vapor mixing ratio on short-term (≤6 h), cloud-scale (dx = 1.5 km) forecasts of five severe weather events over the Great Plains of the United States using a three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation (DA) system. Toward a more systematic assimilation of real GLM data, this study conducted sensitivity tests aimed at evaluating the impact of the horizontal decorrelation length scale, DA cycling frequency, and the time window size for accumulating GLM lightning observations prior to the DA. Forecast statistics aggregated over all five cases suggested that an optimal forecast performance is obtained when lightning measurements are accumulated over a 10-min interval and GLM-derived water vapor mixing ratio values are assimilated every 15 min with a horizontal decorrelation length scale of 3 km. This suggested configuration for the GLM DA together with companion experiments (i) not assimilating any data, (ii) assimilating radar data only, and (iii) assimilating both GLM and radar data were evaluated for the same five cases. Overall, GLM data have shown potential to help improve the short-term (&lt;3 h) forecast skill of composite reflectivity fields and individual storm tracks. While this result also held for accumulated rainfall, longer-term (≥3 h) forecasts were generally characterized by noteworthy wet biases.

scholarly journals Cortisol Levels of Shelter Dogs in Animal Assisted Interventions in a Prison: An Exploratory Study

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 345
Author(s):  
Danila d’Angelo ◽  
Serenella d’Ingeo ◽  
Francesca Ciani ◽  
Michele Visone ◽  
Luigi Sacchettino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Effect ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Therapy Dogs ◽  
Behavioral Reactions ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Critical Phase ◽  
Shelter Dogs ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
The Impact

Previous studies regarding the Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) have mainly focused on the beneficial effects of human–animal interactions on human health; whereas the impact of such activities on the welfare of the animals involved has received limited attention. So far, few studies have addressed this issue by evaluating the physiological and behavioral reactions of therapy dogs during the interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential effect of AAI on the cortisol levels of shelter dogs. Five dogs participated in weekly AAI working activities with adult inmates held at a prison of the South of Italy for two months. Saliva samples were collected every two weeks in three conditions: at the kennel (baseline), after transportation and at the end of the working sessions. The results revealed a significant decrease in the cortisol baseline at the end of the AAI program, suggesting that the activities carried out with humans and in a different environment could improve the welfare of dogs housed in kennels. Moreover, we found that transportation significantly increased subjects’ cortisol levels, suggesting that it is a critical phase that deserves particular care.

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