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The effect of transport on Cortisol and Glucose serum concentrations were assessed in rabbits during summer and winter. Animals were divided into high (HSA, 307 cm2/rabbit), medium (MSA, 373 cm2/rabbit) and low space allowance (LSA, 475 cm2/rabbit) transport groups, and rabbits slaughtered directly in the farm were used as control group (C). During summer, cortisol and glucose concentrations were significantly higher in HSA (high space allowance), MSA and LSA than in C rabbits (P

Background Measurement of hair cortisol is a noninvasive technique used for several purposes in humans and in animals. Objectives To measure hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in dogs with spontaneous hypercortisolism (HC) and determine whether it can represent a useful diagnostic test for this syndrome. Animals Twenty-two dogs with spontaneous HC before treatment, 28 sick control dogs (SCD), and 40 healthy dogs. Methods In this prospective, observational clinical study, the HCC was measured by an RIA assay after extraction in HC dogs, in dogs with other chronic diseases, and in healthy dogs. The diagnostic accuracy of HCC was evaluated by subjecting data from dogs with HC and dogs with other chronic diseases to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results Median (range) cortisol concentration in dogs with HC was 4.53 pg/mg (0.32–74.62 pg/mg) and was significantly higher than in SCD (1.49 pg/mg, 0.13–14.19 pg/mg) and healthy dogs (1.28 pg/mg, 0.34–5.38 pg/mg). Within the 3 groups, there was a large overlap of HCC. The area under the ROC curve was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.67–0.92). A cut-off value of HCC of 1.93 pg/mg revealed 91% sensitivity and 61% specificity to diagnose HC. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Hair cortisol concentrations are higher in dogs with HC compared to SCD and healthy dogs. It is a noninvasive technique that should be further investigated as a possible diagnostic procedure for the diagnosis of HC in dogs.

The aim of this investigation was to study the welfare of three captive groups of cotton-top tamarins housed in different zoological parks. Ethological observations were conducted over one year. In addition, fecal samples were collected and the concentrations of glucocorticoids, androgens, and progestagens were measured. Within each group, no significant differences in fecal cortisol concentrations were found between subjects. The fecal concentrations of testosterone and progesterone significantly differed depending on the sex and the age of the animals. A significant association was found among hormone concentrations, exhibit dimension, and group composition. A highly significant correlation was uncovered between all hormones considered and the space available for each subject. Significant differences in behavioral patterns were observed among groups, including social-individual, affiliative-aggressive, and anogenital-suprapubic scent marking. Correlations between hormone measurements and behaviors were detected. In conclusion, this study confirmed the associations between some behaviors exhibited by these nonhuman primates and both cortisol and testosterone; these data also highlight the role played by progesterone in these behaviors.