Special Issue "Biomarkers of Stress in Companion Animals"
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Companion Animals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2022.
Special Issue Editors
Interests: animal welfare; veterinary physiology; animal behavior
Interests: dog behavior; veterinary physiology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, companion animals have been considered progressively as part of the family. Their role within our society ranges from “simple” companionship to a wide variety of practical tasks, such as hunting, assisting people with disability, working with military forces, or playing sports. Whatever the role, companion animals may be subjected to different stressors which could reduce their welfare and their performances.
This Special Issue aims to explore and understand the possible assessment of stress levels in companion animals measuring, through validated biomarkers, the significance of both psychological perception of the environmental pressure and the body’s reaction to it.
You are invited to submit a manuscript on multiple systems involved in the stress response, including behavioral and physical signs which can be measured through biological indicators of homeostasis displacement
Prof. Angelo Gazzano
Dr. Asahi Ogi
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
- companion animals
- stress
- animal welfare
- stress coping
- stress marker
- dog
- cat
- rabbit
- exotic pets
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: How stressful is maternity? Study about Cortisol and Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate coat and claws concentrations in bitches from mating to 60 days post-partum
Authors: Fusi J; Peric T; Probo M; Cotticelli A; Faustini M; Veronesi MC
Affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio,
2/a, 33100 Udine, Italy
Abstract: In dogs, the phase from mating to the end of weaning lasts about 120 days and encompasses many aspects that,
interacting, contribute to increase the allostatic load. Coat and claws, useful for long-term changes assessment,
have the advantage of being collectable without invasiveness. In the present study, Cortisol (C) and
Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) concentrations monthly changes in coat and claws were studied in
bitches from mating to the end of weaning, to assess Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis activation
during pregnancy and post-partum period. Results from 16 Dobermann Pinscher bitches showed a trend of
increase of coat C from mating to 60 days post-partum, with significant changes between mating and
parturition-60 days post-partum (P<0.01), and between pregnancy diagnosis and 30-60 days post-partum
(P<0.05). Claws C trend showed significant increases between mating and 30-60 days post-partum (P<0.05),
and between pregnancy diagnosis and 60 days post-partum (P<0.01). DHEA(S) in both matrices showed nonsignificant
changes. The results suggest that maternity could play a pivotal role in the HPA axis activation,
with subsequent chronic secretion of C, determining an increase in the allostatic load in the mothers. Neither
maternal parity nor litter-size played a significant role in the accumulation of C and DHEA(S) in both matrices.