Plasma Cortisol Levels of Dogs at a County Animal Shelter
Hennessy, M. B., H. N. Davis, M. T. Williams, C. Mellott and C. W. Douglas. Plasma cortisol levels of dogs in a county animal shelter. Physiol Behav 62(3) 485-490, 1997.–Plasma cortisol levels were examined to assess the stress of dogs in a county animal shelter. Groups of dogs confined in the shelter for their 1st, […]
Social buffering of the cortisol response of adult female guinea pigs
When housed in spacious, mixed age/sex colonies, male guinea pigs form small harems of females with which attachment-like social bonds are established. A previous study indicated that the bonded male, but not an unfamiliar male from the same colony, could reduce the plasma cortisol response of a female when exposed to a novel environment. We […]
Human interaction moderates plasma cortisol and behavioral responses of dogs to shelter housing
Abstract Housing in an animal shelter is a stressful experience for dogs. This study examined the effects of different forms of human interaction on concentrations of circulating cortisol and stress-related behaviors of dogs within 40 h of admittance to a county animal shelter. Blood samples were collected before and after 30-min sessions in a secluded […]
Using hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal measures for assessing and reducing the stress of dogs in shelters: A review
Dogs admitted to animal shelters exhibit behavioral and physiological signs of stress. Among these is activation of the body’s primary stress-responsive system, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. HPA activity provides a metric for assessing both the dog’s physiological response to the shelter as well as the effectiveness of attempts to reduce this response. Glucocorticoid measures of […]
Factors determining the effects of human interaction on the cortisol levels of shelter dogs
The stress experienced by dogs admitted to animal shelters not only impacts welfare, but may lead to behavior that threatens successful adoptions. This stress is reflected in an elevation in the plasma cortisol levels of newly admitted dogs. We previously found 30 min of human interaction reduced the plasma cortisol response dogs showed to shelter […]