A Look Inside the Health and Welfare of Canine and Feline Breeds

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Special Issue of Animals, entitled “A Look Inside the Health and Welfare of Canine and Feline Breeds”, which will explore the welfare issues facing dog and cat breeds.

The incredible diversity found among the world’s canine and feline breeds has long fascinated scientists, clinicians, and pet owners alike. However, this same diversity presents a complex set of challenges when it comes to the health and welfare of individual animals. This Issue aims to facilitate a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of these crucial topics.

In particular, we aim to explore the welfare concerns that specific breeds have, including ethological, physical, and environmental needs, as well as ethical considerations regarding breeding practices. Furthermore, the breed-specific prevalence and management of various diseases are investigated to provide critical insights for preventative care and veterinary treatment.

A significant focus is understanding breed-related differences in emotions, including susceptibility to behavioral problems (e.g., aggressivity, anxiety or fear), and the influence of breed on behavior and temperament. Finally, this Issue explores the fascinating field of social and cognitive skills, analyzing how breed heritage impacts a dog’s or cat’s ability to learn, problem-solve, and interact with humans and conspecifics.

By gathering these diverse perspectives, this publication serves as an important resource for researchers, veterinarians, and anyone committed to improving the lives of purebred dogs and cats.

We encourage the submission of original manuscripts and reviews that delve deeper into the various aspects of the welfare and health of dog and cat breeds. In this Special Issue, research areas may include the following topics:

• Welfare-relevant aspects of selection; 
• Animal welfare (including acquisition motivations and practices, husbandry and training);
• Animal management and breeding; 
• Welfare assessment within the human–animal relationship; 
• Human–animal interactions (including human interpretation of behavior, human perception of the breed, portrayal of animals in the media);
• Animal behavior (including breed-related behavior and temperament, cognitive abilities, emotions, conspecific interactions);
• Animal health (including epidemiological and disease-specific studies, and breed-related diseases, genetic diseases).

Dr. Greta Veronica Berteselli
Dr. Simona Cannas
Dr. Stefano Paolo Marelli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.