Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Physiological And Behavioral Stress-Induced Responses Of Dogs During Veterinary Examinations, Jessica Ellen Vester

Honors Projects

This study investigated whether stress responsiveness in dogs is more significant when the owner is present or absent during a veterinary examination. The study consisted of two experimental groups: "owner absent" and "owner present." Both groups consisted of 25 dogs each, totaling 50 dogs observed. A veterinarian and veterinary assistant recorded the dog's behavioral and physiological stress responses. Each group's behavioral and physiological stress-induced responses were compared using a Fischer Exact test and an Analysis of Covariance. The findings showed that dogs whose owners are present during the veterinary examination display fewer stress responses than dogs whose owners are absent …

Effect Of Acute And Repeated Noise Exposure On The Behaviour And Lipid Peroxidation In Brain Tissue Of Male And Female Mice, Gabriella Korsós, Kinga Fodor, Annamária Kiss, Anna Blázovics, Sándor György Fekete

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Despite the increasingly obvious sex differences, male animals are still predominantly used to study stress and related disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of repeated noise stress in female and male mice. In the experiment, 12 male and 12 and female SPF/VAF 6-week-old Crl:CD1(lcr) mice were used. After 5 days of acclimatization all animals were placed in the open-field for three consecutive days where each mouse spent 10 min daily without any noise treatment in order to get used to the circumstances of the test. On day 9 to record baseline behaviour the animals were …

Evaluation Of Hippocampal Allostatic Load-Associated Factors In Animal Models Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Relevance To Human Ptsd, Dennis Parker Kelley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with elevated allostatic load, nearly double the risk for metabolic syndrome, reduced hippocampal volume, and contextual memory processing deficits. Emerging evidence suggests that these stress effects may predispose individuals to the development of PTSD, and there is a known relationship between chronic stress and metabolic dysfunction. In this work, we utilized two rat models of PTSD to explore these connections. We used an acute predator odor stressor to investigate the relationship between PTSD-like behaviors and mitochondrial dysfunction in the hippocampus of rats, and we observed that conditioned place avoidance was associated with reduced mitochondrial …

Trace Elements, Oxidative Stress Biomarkers And Hemato-Biochemical Indices Of Goat Kids Affected With Nutritional Dependent Locomotor Disturbances, Issam Eljalii, Taha Fouda, Wael El-Deeb, Abdulaziz Almujalli, Sabry M. El-Bahr

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This study aimed to investigate the biomedical significant of trace elements, oxidative stress and hemato-biochemical indices in the diagnosis of locomotor disturbances of affected goat kids. Blood samples were collected from 22 goat kids affected with locomotor disturbances. An equal number of healthy goat kids was used as a control. Clinical examination showed anemia and an incoordination in affected animals compared to the control. Malondialdehyde (MDA), creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) values were significantly higher in affected animals than in the control, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) values were significantly lower. Concentrations of copper (Cu), …

No Difference In Corticosterone Concentrations Between Missouri Three-Toed Box Turtles Living In An Urban And A Rural Site, Bennett A. Lamczyk, Jamie L. Palmer, Corinne P. Kozlowski, Stephen Blake, Sharon L. Deem

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Baseline health data for species of conservation concern are important for understanding threats to the long-term viability of populations. One indication of health is physiological stress among individuals. Corticosterone (CORT) is frequently used to quantify stress in free-living reptile populations, as high values may be associated with reduced fitness. Herein, we describe and validate methods for quantifying blood CORT levels in three-toed box turtles (Terrapene mexicana triunguis). We subsequently use this information to evaluate stress levels in 2 populations of free-living three-toed box turtles in Missouri, USA. To our knowledge, this is the first quantification of CORT levels …

Associations Among Stress, Anxiety, Depression, And Emotional Intelligence Among Veterinary Medicine Students, Julia Wells, Kylie Watson, Robert E. Davis, Syed Siraj A. Quadri, Joshua R. Mann, Ashutosh Verma, Manoj Sharma, Vinayak K. Nahar

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background: Veterinary students are faced with immense pressures and rigors during school. These pressures have contributed to elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (SAD) among veterinary students relative to the general population. One proposed concept to help students combat SAD is that of emotional intelligence (EI). We explored the relationship between EI and SAD among veterinary students at a college in the Southeast United States. Methods: A crosssectional study design was implemented among a convenience sample of 182 veterinary medical students. The survey instrument contained 56 items that elicited information about students’ demographics, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, and …

Cortisol In Hair As A Measure Of Chronic Stress During Sow Gestation And The Pattern Of Cortisol In Blood During Parturition In Sows, Talia Everding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, as it influences many metabolic processes to maintain glucose homeostasis during stressful experiences, including physical and psychological stress. It can be detected in biological matrices such as blood and hair and is released rapidly during sudden stressors and continuously during longterm stress. Blood cortisol fluctuates rapidly in response to acute stressors like pain, exertion, and fear; in hair cortisol accumulates steadily over the period of hair growth and may be useful for detecting chronically elevated cortisol resulting from long-term stress. The objective of this research was to, 1) determine the influence of a …

Comparison Of Performance Parameters, Stress, And Immunity Levels Of Native Andcommercial Layers Reared In Different Cage Densities In Turkey, Uğur Özentürk, Ahmet Yildiz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this study, production performance, stress, and immunity levels of native Turkish and imported commercial laying hens were investigated in two different cage densities. In the trial, a total of 06 groups were formed by using two different cage densities (312.50 and 468.75 cm$^{2}$/hen) on each of 03 different laying hen hybrids of Isa Brown (IB), Atak-S (A-S) and Novogen White (NW). The trial was carried out with 09 replicates in each group having 10 birds per replicate making 540 birds in total. Water and feed were provided as ad libitum. It was found that the native hybrid showed lower …

Assessment Of Changes In The Saliva Cortisol Level Of Horses During Different Waysin Recreational Exploitation, Boguslawa Dlugosz, Tomasz Próchniak, Monika Stefaniuk-Szmukier, Marta Basiaga, Jaroslaw Luszczynski, Magdalena Pieszka

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to evaluate the saliva cortisol levelsof recreational horses dependent on the type of horse activity. A total of 68 horses were included in the experiment and divided into groups according to recreational activity, type of horse, age, term of saliva collection, and sex. Saliva samples were obtained from each horse at 3 measurement points: in the morning (6 a.m.), in the evening (6 p.m.), and immediately after work. The overall analysis shows that the term of sample collection, recreational activity, and age influence cortisol concentration. The diurnal concentration of saliva cortisol does not differ …

Nursing Campus Therapy Dog, Deborah A. Hall

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

An acknowledged bond has existed between humans and animals throughout history. Therapeutic physical and psycho-social effects of these bonding relationships have been noted in health care settings. Professional nursing education is known to be one of the most demanding and stressful fields of study. Students begin to experience extreme stress early in their nursing education. An animal-assisted intervention with a therapy dog is an innovative and inexpensive action that can help decrease the stress, anxiety, and depression students experience in higher education.

The focus of this dissertation portfolio was an animal-assisted intervention with a nursing campus therapy dog. The initial …

Physiological And Behavioural Evaluation Of Common Anaesthesia Practices In The Rainbow Trout, Kieran C. Pounder, Jennifer L. Mitchell, Jack S. Thomson, Tom G. Pottinger, Lynne U. Sneddon

Lynne Sneddon, PhD

Anaesthetic drugs are commonly administered to fish in aquaculture, research and veterinary contexts. Anaesthesia causes temporary absence of consciousness and may reduce the stress and/or pain associated with handling and certain invasive procedures. The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a widely-used model species with relevance to both aquaculture and natural ecosystems. This study sought to establish the relative acute impact of commonly used anaesthetics on rainbow trout when used for anaesthesia or euthanasia by exploring their effects on aversion behaviour and stress physiology. Five widely used anaesthetics were investigated at two concentrations reflective of common laboratory practises: MS-222, benzocaine, 2-phenoxyethanol, …

Genomic Approaches To Identify Important Traits In Avian Species, Bhuwan Khatri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focusses on identifying different molecular markers that have impact on overall poultry production. Chapter one reviews microRNA (miRNA), copy number variation (CNV) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) as markers suggested in different avian species by various studies. It reviews modern genomic approaches that are employed for next generation sequencing data analysis and verification.

Chapter two seeks to identify and validate the muscle specific miRNAs in the breast muscle of modern broilers and its foundational chicken line. Small RNA sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed mature miRNAs in the breast muscles of these two chicken lines. Results showed …

Designing A Stress Free Vet Visit: A Systematic Review, Naedia Clarke

Honors College

The purpose of this study was to create a systematic review of articles pertaining to stress measurement and management of dogs and cats in order to use the information to find a way to reduce stress associated with a visit to the veterinarian. The corpus for this review contains 42 articles with 33 primary research studies and 9 secondary research studies. The information deduced during the review showed that a majority of studies on animal stress take place outside of the USA. The review also showed that a visit to a vet practice begins with client-staff communication. This collected knowledge …

Oxidative Stress Biomarkers And Cardiac Troponin I In Arabian Horses With Strangles, Wael M. El-Deeb, Ahmed M. Elmoslemany

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

In order to investigate the levels of oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in horses with strangles, fifty horses with strangles and twenty healthy controls were included in this study. Blood and serum samples were tested for levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), malondialdehyde (MDA), super oxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The levels of cTnI were increased in ten diseased cases while normal cTnI levels were found in the others (n=40). The levels of MDA were increased in the horses with strangles when compared with the healthy ones. The …

Central Role Of Vasotocin In The Neuroendocrine Regulation Of Stress Responses And Food Intake In Chickens, Gallus Gallus, Gurueswar Nagarajan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is well known that arginine vasotocin (AVT) in birds is involved in physiological homeostasis such as cardiovascular, osmotic regulation as well as reproductive functions. Pertinent to these physiological functions, AVT immunoreactive (-ir) neurons in the hypothalamus have been found associated with hemorrhage, dehydration, oviposition and other physiological regulation. Evidence, however, suggests that AVT also plays significant roles in modulating behavior, memory, stress, and food intake. This dissertation research addresses the latter two neuroendocrine functions of AVT in detail within the chicken brain. First, the functional role of AVT-ir neurons in conjunction with corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH)-ir neurons in the …

Physiological And Behavioural Evaluation Of Common Anaesthesia Practices In The Rainbow Trout, Kieran C. Pounder, Jennifer L. Mitchell, Jack S. Thomson, Tom G. Pottinger, Lynne U. Sneddon

Anesthesia and Analgesia Collection

Anaesthetic drugs are commonly administered to fish in aquaculture, research and veterinary contexts. Anaesthesia causes temporary absence of consciousness and may reduce the stress and/or pain associated with handling and certain invasive procedures. The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a widely-used model species with relevance to both aquaculture and natural ecosystems. This study sought to establish the relative acute impact of commonly used anaesthetics on rainbow trout when used for anaesthesia or euthanasia by exploring their effects on aversion behaviour and stress physiology. Five widely used anaesthetics were investigated at two concentrations reflective of common laboratory practises: MS-222, benzocaine, 2-phenoxyethanol, …

Guidelines For The Use And Interpretation Of Assays For Monitoring Autophagy (3rd Edition), Daniel J. Klionsky, Rodrigo Franco, More Than 2,000 Co-Authors

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes.

For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that …

Laboratory Routines Cause Animal Stress, Jonathan P. Balcombe, Neal D. Barnard, Chad Sandusky

Jonathan Balcombe, PhD

Eighty published studies were appraised to document the potential stress associated with three routine laboratory procedures commonly performed on animals: handling, blood collection, and orogastric gavage. We defined handling as any non-invasive manipulation occurring as part of routine husbandry, including lifting an animal and cleaning or moving an animal's cage. Significant changes in physiologic parameters correlated with stress (e.g., serum or plasma concentrations of corticosterone, glucose, growth hormone or prolactin, heart rate, blood pressure, and behavior) were associated with all three procedures in multiple species in the studies we examined. The results of these studies demonstrated that animals responded with …

Linking Social Behavior And Stress Physiology In Feral Mares (Equus Caballus): Group Transfers Elevate Fecal Cortisol Levels, Cassandra M.V. Nuñez, James S. Adelman, Jessica Smith, Laurence Gesquiere, Daniel I. Rubenstein

Cassandra M.V. Nuñez

Feral horses (Equus caballus) have a complex social structure, the stability of which is important to their overall health. Behavioral and demographic research has shown that decreases in group (or band) stability reduce female fitness, but the potential effects on the physiological stress response have not been demonstrated. To fully understand how band stability affects group-member fitness, we need to understand not only behavioral and demographic, but also physiological consequences of decreases to that stability. We studied group changes in feral mares (an activity that induces instability, including both male and female aggression) on Shackleford Banks, NC. We found that …

Linking Social Environment And Stress Physiology In Feral Mares (Equus Caballus): Group Transfers Elevate Fecal Cortisol Levels, Cassandra M.V. Nuñez, James S. Adelman, Jessica Smith, Laurence R. Gesquiere, Daniel I. Rubenstein

Cassandra M.V. Nuñez

Feral horses (Equus caballus) have a complex social structure, the stability of which is important to their overall health. Behavioral and demographic research has shown that decreases in group (or band) stability reduce female fitness, but the potential effects on the physiological stress response have not been demonstrated. To fully understand how band stability affects group-member fitness, we need to understand not only behavioral and demographic, but also physiological consequences of decreases to that stability. We studied group changes in feral mares (an activity that induces instability, including both male and female aggression) on Shackleford Banks, NC. We found that …

Stress And Reproductive Hormones In Grizzly Bears Reflect Nutritional Benefits And Social Consequences Of A Salmon Foraging Niche, Heather M. Bryan, Chris T. Darimont, Paul C. Paquet, Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards, Judit E. G. Smits

Physiology Collection

Physiological indicators of social and nutritional stress can provide insight into the responses of species to changes in food availability. In coastal British Columbia, Canada, grizzly bears evolved with spawning salmon as an abundant but spatially and temporally constrained food source. Recent and dramatic declines in salmon might have negative consequences on bear health and ultimately fitness. To examine broadly the chronic endocrine effects of a salmon niche, we compared cortisol, progesterone, and testosterone levels in hair from salmon-eating bears from coastal BC (n = 75) with the levels in a reference population from interior BC lacking access to salmon …

Effects Of Behavior Responses On The Vasovagal Tonus Index In Healthy Dogs, Walasinee Moonarmart, Kripitch Suttummaporn, Thapana Jarutummsiri, Rungrote Osathanoniri

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The vasovagal tonus index (VVTI) is a time-domain analysis method of heart rate variability acquired over a short period. It is a useful measurement for evaluating severity and prognosis heart failure in dogs. Behavior responses can be used to evaluate stress in each dog individually. Stress during clinical examination may interfere with the VVTI since it influences the sympathetic nervous system. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of behavior responses during clinical examination on the VVTI. Data set obtained from physical examination, systolic blood pressure measurement, electrocardiography, VVTI calculation, and video recording were collected from 50 …

A Non-Invasive Assay For Monitoring Stress Responses: A Comparison Between Wild And Captive-Reared Rainbowfish (Melanoteania Duboulayi), Amina Zuberi, Sinan Ali, Culum Brown

Aquaculture Collection

The stress response of wild and captive reared rainbowfish (Melanoteania duboulayi) following chasing by a simulated predator was examined. Cortisol release rate was monitored using a flow through system by measuring water borne hormone levels. Tests using known cortisol concentrations revealed that the technique yielded 95% of the cortisol present in the water. Cortisol release rates increased several fold in both populations after being chased but peaked at different time periods. Wild fish showed a typical stress response with release rate rising to (2.29±0.22 ng g⁻¹ h⁻¹) 2 h after exposure followed by rapid recovery. The captive-reared …

Identifying Blood Biomarkers And Physiological Processes That Distinguish Humans With Superior Performance Under Psychological Stress., Amanda M. Cooksey, Nausheen Momen, Russell Stocker, Shane C. Burgess

College of Veterinary Medicine Publications and Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Attrition of students from aviation training is a serious financial and operational concern for the U.S. Navy. Each late stage navy aviator training failure costs the taxpayer over $1,000,000 and ultimately results in decreased operational readiness of the fleet. Currently, potential aviators are selected based on the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB), which is a series of multiple-choice tests that evaluate basic and aviation-related knowledge and ability. However, the ASTB does not evaluate a person's response to stress. This is important because operating sophisticated aircraft demands exceptional performance and causes high psychological stress. Some people are more resistant to …

The Effect Of Stocking Density On Stress Reaction In Broiler Chickens During Summer, Mehmet Kenan Türkyilmaz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of stocking density on the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H:L), blood corticosterone concentration, immune response, and some performance parameters in broilers during summer. In all, 300 1-day-old commercial broiler chicks (Ross 308) were housed at densities of 15, 20, and 25 birds/m^2, with 2 replicates of each. H:L ratio and blood corticosterone concentration were used to measure the level of stress in the birds. Newcastle disease (ND) antibody titers were also analyzed to determine the level of immune response with a commercial ELISA kit. Mean H:L ratio, corticosterone concentration, and …

Protein Profile And Plasmid Content Of Lactococcus Lactis Subsp. Lactis Ll52 And Lactococcus Lactis Subsp. Cremoris Lc79 Strains Under Several Stress Conditions, Rahmi̇ Lale, Çağla Tükel, Mustafa Akçeli̇k

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Differences in the protein and plasmid content of 2 Lactococcus lactis strains, L. lactis subsp. lactis LL52 and L. lactis subsp. cremoris LC79, under the stresses of high and low temperature, osmotic shock, and low pH were determined. We identified 3 new proteins with molecular masses of 16.0, 29.4, and 45.0 kDa as high temperature stress response specific in strain LL52. High temperature stress did not cause any changes in the protein content of strain LC79. Proteins that were specific for salt stress and low pH stress responses ranged between 16.0 and 40.5 kDa, and 24.8 and 107.5 kDa, respectively, …

Effects Of E And C Vitamins On The Growth And Immunity Of The Angora Goat Kids Exposedto Stress, Hali̇t İmi̇k, Meli̇h Aytaç, Behi̇ç Coşkun, Hati̇ce Fi̇danci

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of administration of vitamin E and C on the live weight gain, anti-body levels against Brucella melitensis (Rev.1) vaccine and liveability of Angora goat kids separated from their mothers at the age of 21 days, and then exposed to stress. Forty kids were used in this study. They were divided into four groups having ten kids per group. This study was conducted with the control group (+) in which the kids were not separated from their mothers until the wean-ing period, a group(-) which was exposed to stress and being …