Pets

Research suggests that older adults might obtain health benefits from pet ownership; however, results are mixed. Pet attachment is suggested as both a mechanism for the relationship and a reason for differences in the association of pet ownership with health outcomes. This systematic review examines evidence for the relationship between pet attachment and health outcomes among older adults. The Open Science Foundation-registered review began with 20,795 candidate articles. We limited our review to the 58 articles that consisted of original research, published in peer-reviewed journals between 1965 and June 2025, written in English, included older adults (age ≥ 50 years) or were limited to only older adults, and examined the relationship between pet attachment and health outcomes. The articles included analyses of psychological (n = 53), social (n = 27), or physical (n = 2) health outcomes. Pet attachment was assessed with 19 tools; most frequently the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (n = 21) and the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (n = 8). The studies were not consistently of high quality according to OCEBM criteria. Except for grief, which was consistently related to pet attachment, the findings do not support a clear relationship between pet attachment and health outcomes in older adults. Findings suggest that the relationship between pet attachment and health outcomes may be more pronounced in younger than in older adults.

Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics are of interest for their potential gastrointestinal and immunological benefits in pet health. This study aimed to assess whether a unique blend of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus clausii, Bacillus coagulans (Weizmannia coagulans), FOS, GOS, and a postbiotic yeast extract could provide beneficial gut and immunological effects when fed to healthy, adult dogs. Twenty-four healthy adult beagle dogs (mean age 5.17 yrs) were fed the probiotic, prebiotic, and yeast chew (PPYC) or control chew (CC) supplement for 31 days, accompanied by fecal and blood sampling. Following 31 days, PPYC fed dogs had decreased (p < 0.05) fecal calprotectin concentration, a biomarker indicative of reduced intestinal inflammation, compared with dogs receiving the CC. In the PPYC group, blood C-reactive protein levels, an indicator of tissue inflammation, tended (p = 0.11) to be reduced. In addition, dogs receiving the PPYC supplement showed an increase in the IL-17a cytokine (p < 0.05). Despite dogs being in a clinically healthy state, changes in some dysbiosis-related bacterial strains were observed. There was an increase (p < 0.05) in the % of total bacteria of Blautia in the PPYC group by the end of the study, as well as an increase in the percent change from Day 0 of C. hiranosis (p < 0.05). Increased alpha diversity, a measure related to the resilience to environmental change, was observed in the PPYC group (p < 0.05). These results suggest that after consuming a supplement containing probiotics, prebiotics and a postbiotic yeast extract, markers of gut and systemic health were improved in otherwise healthy dogs.

Ensuring blood group compatibility is essential in canine transfusion medicine, and Dog Erythrocyte Antigen (DEA) 1 is the most clinically relevant erythrocyte antigen due to its immunogenicity. However, information on its prevalence in Mexico is scarce. This study assessed the distribution of DEA 1 in client-owned dogs from Veracruz–Boca del Río, southeastern Mexico, and applied antigen frequencies to generate theoretical incompatibility scenarios in untyped populations. A cross-sectional study was conducted using blood samples from 192 clinically healthy dogs. DEA 1 typing was performed using a commercial immunochromatographicassay. Frequencies were compared using chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated with the Wilson method. Of all dogs sampled, 60.9% (95% CI: 53.6–67.8) were DEA 1-positive. No statistically significant differences were observed by sex or municipality (p > 0.05). Although frequencies varied among breeds, no significant association between breed and DEA 1 status was detected (p > 0.05). Based on observed antigen proportions, mathematical estimations were calculated to illustrate how DEA 1 distribution alone may contribute to potential donor–recipient mismatching when typing is not performed. These estimations are theoretical values and do not represent clinically documented sensitization or transfusion reactions. This study provides the first report of DEA 1 distribution in southeastern Mexico and establishes baseline information that may support future research on canine transfusion practices and donor selection.