Special Issue "Advances in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Human-Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Helen Zulch MRCVS
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dogs Trust, 17 Wakley St, London EC1V 7RQ, UK
Interests: dog; behavior; pain; temperament; working dog; olfaction
Dr. Melissa Upjohn MRCVS
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dogs Trust, 17 Wakley St, London EC1V 7RQ, UK
Interests: animal welfare assessment; impact assessment; human behaviour change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine has developed extensively over the last couple of decades, and we currently have a better understanding than ever before of why animals—particularly companion animals—exhibit behaviours deemed problematic by people. However, there are still gaps in our understanding of all aspects of the field, from why problems develop through to identifying the best-tailored treatment for an individual based on its circumstances. In addition, a good understanding of specific techniques to prevent problems developing in the first place is lacking in many areas.

This Issue invites the submission of original manuscripts covering any aspect of veterinary behavioural medicine or the clinical behaviour of animals. Areas of particular interest include: a) investigations into the inter-relationship between physical health and behaviour; b) assessments of the benefits of specific treatment modalities, both behavioural modification and medication based; c) assessments of the efficacy of preventative interventions, including aspects such as the relative impact of genetic and environmental influences and interventions on behaviour.

Dr. Helen Zulch MRCVS
Dr. Melissa Upjohn MRCVS
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 papers will be 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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 monthly 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 1800 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.

Keywords

  • veterinary behaviour
  • behaviour
  • medical behavioural
  • pain
  • psychopharmacy
  • behavioural assessment
  • prevention

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission, see below for planned papers.

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Behavioural and physiological correlates of the Canine Frustration Questionnaire (CFQ)
Authors: Kevin J. McPeake; Lisa Collins; Helen Zulch; Daniel Mills
Affiliation: 1 The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK 2 Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK 3 Dogs Trust, 17 Wakley St, London EC1V 7RQ, UK 4 Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 7TS, UK
Abstract: Frustration is a negative emotional state which plays a key role in certain behaviour problems in dogs. The Canine Frustration Questionnaire (CFQ) is the first psychometric tool developed to assess frustration tendencies in dogs based on owner report. Whilst the CFQ has demonstrated concurrent validity with a range of owner reported measures, currently there are no published studies that assess behavioural and physiological correlates of this trait. A novel behaviour test battery was developed to induce frustration in dogs. Behaviour tests were created to map onto the items and principal components (PCs) of the CFQ. A group of 44 dogs were recruited and filmed whilst undertaking the test battery. The CFQ was completed by each owner and scores were calculated for each. Selected behavioural measures were assessed from this footage, and a range of hypotheses tested with the aim of establishing convergent validity with aspects of the CFQ and exploring discriminant validity between PCs within the CFQ. In addition, for 39 of these dogs a saliva sample was collected pre- and post- testing, and a cortisol assay was performed using an ELISA kit to provide a physiological measure of arousal. A range of expected behavioural test measures such as vocalising and lunging positively correlated with CFQ scores. Seventeen dogs with pre-test salivary cortisol levels of >4ng/ml were excluded as they exceeded the threshold for ‘stress’. For the 22 dogs included in the analysis, cortisol change pre- to post-test battery, and absolute post-test cortisol levels positively correlated with CFQ PC5 ‘Frustration coping’ score, as well as the number of tests where vocalisation occurred. These results provide first evidence of convergent validity between frustration tendencies as measured by owner report through the CFQ with both behavioural and physiological measures.

Title: Impact of Classical Counterconditioning (Quiet Kennel Exercise) on Barking in Kenneled Dogs
Authors: Stephany Spano; Samantha Zurlinden; Sara Bennett
Affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
Abstract: Excessive barking, which is often the primary source of noise pollution in dog kennels, has been proven to have a negative impact on welfare. Many facilities, especially animal shelters, have limited staff and resources, so it is important to minimize barking in the most simple and easily implemented way. This pilot study was conducted in one ward of day-time boarding kennels at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine Health and Wellness Center. A Quiet Kennel Exercise (QKE) was implemented that utilized classical counterconditioning in order to change the negative emotional state, that may cause barking, to a positive emotional state. Therefore, the motivation behind the barking is removed, so barking should decrease. This study aims to show proof of concept that clinical recommendations which suggest strategies to decrease barking through classical counterconditioning are effective. During the initial baseline period, data was collected three times per day. Data collected included decibel readings, number of dogs present, and number of dogs barking. People passing through the ward acted as they normally would. Then, the QKE period began and for 10 days people passing through the ward were asked to simply toss each dog a treat, regardless of the behavior of the dog in the kennel. The same data was recorded as in the baseline week. Preliminary descriptive results show improvement in the maximum level of barking after QKE, and there appears to be a trend with the most improvement in the afternoon. However, statistical analysis is still pending.

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