Title: | Effects of a Novel Gel Formulation of Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) on Behavioral and Physiological Stress Responses in Dogs Undergoing Clinical Examination |
Author(s): | Puglisi I; Masucci M; Cozzi A; Teruel E; Navarra M; Cirmi S; Pennisi MG; Siracusa C; |
Address: | "Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy. Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology (IRSEA), 84400 Apt, France. Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy. Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 2076-2615 (Print) 2076-2615 (Electronic) 2076-2615 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The veterinary visit is necessary for safeguarding the health of dogs, but it can be stressful and threaten both the welfare of the patient and the accuracy of the examination. This randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study aims at evaluating how dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) in a novel gel formulation influences the behavioral and physiological stress responses of 28 dogs undergoing a standardized clinical examination, while staying in the waiting room (WR) and visited in the examination room (ER). Behavioral responses were studied through behavioral categories and subjective scales (WR and ER). Autonomic response considered heart rate (WR and ER), blood pressure (WR and ER), respiratory rate (ER), and rectal temperature (ER). Neuroendocrine response considered salivary cortisol (WR and ER). In the waiting room, the use of DAP was associated with a significant reduction of lip licking (p = 0.0189), an increase in panting (p = 0.0276), and a reduction close to significance (p = 0.0584) of low body postures. No significant differences were observed within the physiological responses. In the examination room, neither behavioral nor physiological differences were found" |
Keywords: | dog appeasing pheromone dogs stress veterinary visit; |
Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEPuglisi, Ivana Masucci, Marisa Cozzi, Alessandro Teruel, Eva Navarra, Michele Cirmi, Santa Pennisi, Maria Grazia Siracusa, Carlo eng Switzerland 2022/09/24 Animals (Basel). 2022 Sep 19; 12(18):2472. doi: 10.3390/ani12182472" |