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Canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CCDS) is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative disorder in dogs. Minimal research has been performed to investigate how clinical signs may be impacted by other medical conditions. A cross-sectional study was performed using the Canine Cognitive Assessment Scale (CCAS) to evaluate cognitive impairment as reported by owners. Owner-reported health-related measures included behaviour changes, the body condition score, and veterinary diagnoses of disease. The responses from 804 dogs in the last 25% of their expected lifespan were analysed. Factors were identified in the owner-reported behavioural signs of disease representing pathologies in four body systems: musculoskeletal–neurological, digestive, metabolic, and dermatological, with the items comprising these factors also compiled into a cumulative measure of health. The results showed a strong correlation between the CCAS score and both the musculoskeletal–neurological factor and the overall cumulative measure of health. Moderate correlations between the CCAS score and the digestive factor and metabolic factor were also observed. The correlation between the dermatological factor and the CCAS score was weak. This study highlights the need to screen dogs for concurrent diseases when using scales to assess cognitive impairment and to monitor dogs who have health conditions, particularly those that are painful, for the onset of cognitive impairment.

In Portugal, the relinquishment of dogs and cats is a major problem. Thus, the authors developed a questionnaire to understand the factors influencing the relinquishment of companion animals in Portugal. With a view to analyze the factors behind relinquishment by companion animal guardians, the authors analyzed surveys completed by 72 participants, divided into two groups: REL (relinquisher, n = 36), i.e., guardians who had relinquished a companion animal and NREL (non-relinquisher, n = 36) i.e., guardians who had never relinquished a companion animal. The only significant factors for the REL group were the presence of children and the type of dwelling (apartment). Additionally, the duration of guardianship of the companion animal before relinquishment (REL group) was significantly shorter if there were children in the household than if there were no children.

Anthropomorphic figures of nonhuman animals are omnipresent in various forms of mass media (e.g., movies, books, and advertising). The depiction of companion and wild animals, including nonhuman primates (e.g., chimpanzees), as possessing human characteristics or behaviors can influence these animals’ desirability as companions. Ultimately, this can distort general public perception of what constitutes “normal” wild behavior, as well as the conservation status of these animals. Therefore, anthropomorphic animal representations can contribute to the spread of misleading messages that may have highly unpredictable effects. In the present review, we have highlighted various articles from the academic literature which focus on anthropomorphised animals, noting the main thematic issues. We suggest that further studies on this topic are needed to deepen such a complex and not yet clarified topic.

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal is used to treat patients suffering from acute respiratory failure. However, the procedure is hampered by the high blood flow required to achieve a significant CO2clearance. We aimed to develop an ultralow blood flow device to effectively remove CO2combined with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). DESIGN: Preclinical, proof-of-concept study. SETTING: An extracorporeal circuit where 200 mL/min of blood flowed through a hemofilter connected to a closed-loop dialysate circuit. An ion-exchange resin acidified the dialysate upstream, a membrane lung to increase Pco2and promote CO2removal. PATIENTS: Six, 38.7 ± 2.0-kg female pigs. INTERVENTIONS: Different levels of acidification were tested (from 0 to 5 mEq/min). Two l/hr of postdilution CRRT were performed continuously. The respiratory rate was modified at each step to maintain arterial Pco2at 50 mm Hg. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Increasing acidification enhanced CO2removal efficiency of the membrane lung from 30 ± 5 (0 mEq/min) up to 145 ± 8 mL/min (5 mEq/min), with a 483% increase, representing the 73% ± 7% of the total body CO2production. Minute ventilation decreased accordingly from 6.5 ± 0.7 to 1.7 ± 0.5 L/min. No major side effects occurred, except for transient tachycardia episodes. As expected from the alveolar gas equation, the natural lung Pao2dropped at increasing acidification steps, given the high dissociation between the oxygenation and CO2removal capability of the device, thus Pao2decreased. CONCLUSIONS: This new extracorporeal ion-exchange resin-based multiple-organ support device proved extremely high efficiency in CO2removal and continuous renal support in a preclinical setting. Further studies are required before clinical implementation.

Simple Summary Dogs are genetically predisposed to communicate with humans in collaborative ways, and life experience enhances this ability. The role of canine personality on this predisposition is unknown. This study used a test where dogs encountered an unsolvable problem. The aim of the study was to understand whether dog personalities could predict their tendency to look at the owner, approach and engage with the task, and show distress during the task. We also compared dogs with life experience in Animal Assistance Interventions and dogs with no work, training, or sport experience. The results indicate that the dogs with a personality more sensitive to uncertain situations looked at the owner more and engaged less often with the task, suggesting they were expecting directions from the owner. Dogs with a personality more sensitive to obtaining rewards and avoiding punishment looked at the owner less often. Dogs with a high tendency to avoid punishment also abandoned and returned more often to the task, possibly as a sign of frustration. Finally, Animal-Assisted Intervention dogs looked more at the owner and had fewer task orientations, confirming the enhancing effect on looking. As personality differences reflect genetic predispositions, it is very important to know the role of personality on cognitive traits that are important to dogs that work and collaborate with humans. Abstract Dogs are biologically predisposed to communicate with humans in cooperative contexts. They show individual differences in dog–human communication and inhibition, potentially enhanced by life experience, e.g., Animal-Assisted Interventions. This study aimed to investigate whether dogs’ personality, defined by biologically meaningful neural circuits described in the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality (RST), predicted dogs’ communication, task orientation, emotional state, and approach of an unsolvable task. We also investigated the differences between dogs experienced in Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) and inexperienced dogs. The results indicated that a high sensitivity to the RST personality trait related to managing uncertainty (Behavioural Inhibition System, BIS) predicted fewer task orientations but increased referential and non-referential looking, which we interpreted as a way to obtain directions from the owner. Conversely, a high sensitivity to the traits reflecting tendencies to approach rewards (Behavioural Approach System, BAS) and avoid punishment (Fight–Flight–Freeze System, FFFS) predicted lower looking. High sensitivity to the FFFS also predicted more frequent task orientations, which we interpreted as frustration. Finally, the dogs in the AAI program looked more at their owner and were less oriented towards the task. These results provide empirical evidence of individual differences tied to the psychobiological personality traits in canine cognitive skills. Understanding such cognitive profiles may have an enormous impact on activities that rely upon dog–human collaborative interaction.

The urgent need to reduce the number of dogs that are abandoned or relinquished to shelters is now widely recognised by the scientific community, veterinarians, dog trainers and breeders. The occurrence of problematic behaviours is the most common reason why dogs are relinquished, abandoned or, in countries where it is allowed, even euthanased.1 Such behaviours can be a significant source of distress for owners,2,3 and this may eventually lead to a breakdown in the dog-human relationship. Early separation of a puppy from its mother and littermates is a husbandry strategy that may increase the animal’s chances of exhibiting potentially problematic behaviours as an adult.4 The reason for this is rooted in a puppy’s ontogenetic dynamics. Dogs go through a socialisation period that ranges from the end of the neonatal period (ie, two-and-a-half to three weeks of age) to between 12 and 14 weeks of age,5,6 although the effective period can be significantly shorter.7 During this period, social experiences and stimuli have a greater effect on the development of social and environmental behaviour patterns, including those associated with learning, which will define a dog’s temperament and behaviour in later life.8,9 When exposure to these experiences and stimuli is traumatic or absent, the puppy’s social behavioural patterns may develop abnormally.10 Dogs that are appropriately socialised as puppies are less likely to exhibit behavioural problems as adults,11 and this has been highlighted in a recent study evaluating whether where puppies are sourced from (ie, pet shop or breeder) is associated with potentially problematic behaviours later in life.12 The …

Early detection of lung cancer (LC) is a priority since LC is characterized by symptoms mimicking other respiratory conditions, but it remains the leading cause of oncological disease death. Properly trained dogs can perceive the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) related to cancer thanks to their acute sense of smell. The use of dogs for LC detection could be advantageous: reliably trained dogs would represent a valuable, cost-effective, non-invasive method of screening, which gives a clear-cut yes/no response. However, whether sniffer dogs are able to maintain their discriminative capacity under long-term control, and in different types of environments, needs further investigation. In this study, we sought to test two hypotheses: firstly, if dogs can be trained to perceive LC-related VOCs in human urine, a substrate which is not influenced by the carrier materials and may thus be a good candidate for large-number screening; and secondly, whether trained dogs retain their performance stability over time, even if the environment in which the tests are carried out varies. We have selected three family dogs that underwent a one-year training period (two weekly training sessions) by the clicker training method. At the end of the training, the dogs underwent two separate test phases, in two different locations, one year apart. All the other procedures had been maintained unchanged. The donors of the samples submitted to the dogs were recruited by the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milan, Italy. The results show that the dogs had different sensitivity (range: 45%-73%) and specificity rates (range: 89%-91%), and were deceived neither by lung conditions (that the dogs did not consider) nor by the existence of tumors in the beginning stage, that were correctly reported by the dogs. The one-year interruption of the research work and the changes in the test environment did not induce statistically significant differences in the dogs' perceptive capacity. To our knowledge, so far, these issues have never been highlighted.

While the presence of squirrels in households is growing, little data is published on their status in captivity. A web-based questionnaire for owners was devised eliciting information about them, their squirrels and their squirrels’ husbandry and health. One hundred owners answered the survey, with most respondents being located in Europe (n = 81). Only data from these respondents were analysed. Twenty-five percents of the owners housed an invasive non-native species of European Union concern (S. carolinensis and T. sibiricus), some of which were younger than three years of age and all but one were sexually intact. This is of particular concern, as the acquisition of these invasive species is illegal since 2015 (European Union Regulation 1143/2014), due to the severe threats they pose to biodiversity. Moreover, escapes derived from improper keeping of intact specimens may augment feral populations or establish new colonies. Among 81 cases, only 5% were neutered, mostly for health reasons. Sixty-three percents of the squirrels had health problems, particularly dermatologic (52%) and intestinal disorders (34%). Most owners reported to visit the veterinarian only if their pet was ill rather than for preventive care. This is the first survey on pet squirrel ownership reported to date. Information that emerges from this study will be useful in implementing rational veterinary strategies for managing pet squirrels properly and, in parallel, meeting the challenges arising from private keeping of alien species.

Many studies have analyzed the behavior of puppies during their socialization period, while little attention has been paid to the transitional period, when vision and hearing develop. Here, we compared the average age of sensory and motor development, and the behavior among a total of 25 puppies. Each litter was videotaped during 1-hour daily sessions on postnatal days 10-21 and coded for the following mutually exclusive behavioral categories: sleeping, suckling and moving. The moving category included side-to-side head swinging, exploring, rolling and allogrooming. The opening of the eyelids, appearance of the startle response and ability to stand up with either the front or hind legs were identified. The duration and frequency of puppy behaviors varied significantly with breed and season of birth. Breed and gender differences in gross motor and sensory development were also observed. These findings may turn out to be crucial to enhance the welfare, standards of rearing, and behavioral interventions aimed at improving adaptability to novel stimuli in pet dogs.

A 2-year-old male mixed breed sheepdog was presented with a history of worsening recurrent tail chasing (TC) and biting by 2 months of age. Physical examination and blood tests showed no health problems, except for mild leukocytosis. Behavior analysis excluded the presence of other compulsive behaviors, but aggressive behavior during TC was reported. Neurological examination showed aggressive behavior in a dog that was otherwise quiet until few months before the consultation. A forebrain disorder such as a congenital or a degenerative disease could not be ruled out. In vivo computed tomography brain scan revealed widened sulci and symmetrical lateral ventricular enlargement, which were associated with cerebral atrophy with acquisition of contrast enhancement. A diagnosis of brain atrophy probably due to a degenerative disease was made. After 5 days, the dog was euthanized following the owner's request due to deteriorating condition. In dogs showing repetitive and potentially compulsive disorders, veterinarians should be aware that a structural disorder as a brain atrophy should be included in differentials.

Simple Summary The Cat/Dog–Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) is a questionnaire aimed to assess specific aspects of the pet–owner relationship. While the entire scale can be administered to both dog and cat owners, its validity and reliability have never been tested on dogs. Furthermore, validity and reliability of a scale may change depending on the respondents’ language and cultural background. Since the C/DORS was developed in English, we aimed to translate it into Italian and assess its validity and reliability on a sample of Italian dog owners. The response scale was modified to improve the variability of the owners’ responses. Overall, validity and reliability were good. The scale had the same three-factor structure (Perceived Emotional Closeness = PEC, Pet–Owner Interactions = POI, Perceived Costs = PC) reported for the original English version, although some items were removed because they did not fit the statistical model. The PEC subscale had the highest correlations with the subscales of the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. Finally, being a student owner was associated with higher PEC and POI scores. Conversely, owning a dog with behavioural problems was associated with lower PEC and higher PC. Owners whose dogs lived outdoors reported lower POI. Pet dog owners reported higher PEC than AAI dog owners. Abstract The Cat/Dog–Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) can be administered to both dog and cat owners. However, the scale as a whole has never been validated on a sample of dog owners. Furthermore, it has never been translated into Italian. The aim of this study was to translate the C/DORS into Italian, modify its response scale in order to improve the degree of response variability, and test its validity and reliability on a sample of dog-owners. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the same three-factor structure (Perceived Emotional Closeness = PEC, Pet–Owner Interactions = POI, Perceived Costs = PC) as the original English version, although some items had to be removed because of low- or cross-loadings. The validity of the construct was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, by the correlations between each of the subscales and the C/DORS total score, and by the correlations with the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. Cronbach’s α values for each subscale were above acceptable levels. Student owners scored higher on PEC and POI than owners with other occupations. Owners of dogs with behavioural problems scored lower on PEC and higher on PC. Keeping the dog outdoor was associated with lower POI. Finally, pet dog owners scored higher on PEC than AAI dog owners.

Synchrony—the coordination of behavior between interacting partners—is a complex phenomenon requiring the perception and integration of multimodal communicative signals. Originally conceptualized by developmental psychologists to study the human-human relationship, it could also apply to cross-species interactions. Here, we examined synchrony patterns as a potentially important mechanism to evaluate human-dog interactions during animal-assisted activities. Four dog handler-dog dyads were videotaped before (T 0 ), during (T 1 ), and after (T 2 ) 45-minute sessions of animal-assisted activities and coded for the following synchrony patterns: gaze synchrony, joint attention, and touch synchrony. Both partners' salivary cortisol and heart rate and dogs' behaviors were measured to identify any signs of stress that would lower levels of synchrony. All dyads showed synchronous behaviors in T 0 and T 1 , whereas these were absent in T 2 . On average, the highest frequency was recorded in T 1 ( P P

Early diagnosis of cancer using effective screening methods is crucial for successful treatment. Recently, much attention has been given to the use of odors emitted in the form of volatile organic compounds as diagnostic biomarkers. Studies on special training of dogs to detect different cancers using various odor samples (breath, urine, cancer tissue) have provided promising results. This systematic review highlights the scientific reports testing canine olfaction to detect cancer, dividing them according to the cancer's primary site. Several lines of evidence suggest that dogs may play a critical role in cancer research and diagnosis, eventually be major contributors to a reduction in mortality for certain cancers. Future directions that this field of research should take include efforts to overcome some methodological weaknesses and a certain heterogeneity of performance found across the different studies. Finding adequate responses to the challenges that lie ahead requires also a clear disclosure of what chemical compounds dogs respond to and the quantity of these compounds. Finally, the welfare of dogs involved in these practices should be considered.

People often develop strong emotional connections with their dogs and consider them to be members of the family. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel validated tool, the Mourning Dog Questionnaire, to recognise and evaluate the mourning process in people who have lost a dog. The research model was based on a grid of five different questionnaires: the Pet Bereavement Questionnaire, the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale, the Animal-Human Continuity Scale, the Positivity Scale, and the Testoni Death Representation Scale. The Italian version of the survey was posted on social networks. A sample of 369 Italian dog owners filled in the questionnaire (mean age &plusmn, SD 42.00 &plusmn, 10.70 years). Reliability indices were good for all instruments. The total scores of the five questionnaires correlated with each other. The results from the Mourning Dog Questionnaire support the negative view of life after the death of a pet and people&rsquo, s tendency to humanise their pet, since dog owners perceived animals no differently from humans in terms of emotions, needs and legal rights. Findings arising from the use of the Mourning Dog Questionnaire will help the implementation of rationality-based strategies to improve the wellbeing, resilience and quality of life of people in the world experiencing the loss of a pet.

Simple Summary Oxytocin and vasopressin have been shown to have opposite effects on the expression of anxiety and fear responses in rodents. In the present study, we analyzed the salivary fluctuations of these neuropeptides in both behaviorally normal dogs and dogs with separation distress in response to a three-minute separation from the owner, in a new environment. Dogs with a previous diagnosis of separation distress showed more anxiety-related behaviors and higher concentrations of vasopressin than control dogs when separated from the owner. Further research is needed on the potential use of salivary vasopressin as an early, non-invasive biomarker of anxiety-related disorders in pet dogs. Abstract Physiological biomarkers of canine anxiety have not been extensively investigated to date. To identify new biomarkers in dogs, we compared behaviorally normal dogs (Control group, N = 13) to dogs diagnosed with separation problems (Case group, N = 13) as they were introduced into a novel environment in the presence of two strangers and subjected to a short episode of separation and reunion with the owner. During the separation phase, dogs in the Case group explored significantly less than controls and were significantly more persistent in expressing passive stress-coping strategies aimed at seeking proximity to their owners. When the owners returned, dogs with separation distress spent significantly more time jumping up on the strangers than control dogs did. Salivary oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations did not differ between samples taken before and after the separation. However, vasopressin concentrations immediately after separation were significantly higher in the Case than in the Control group and remained higher, although not significantly so, 10 min later. These results indicated that dogs with separation distress became more anxious than typical dogs when separated from their owner in an unfamiliar environment and provided preliminary support for the use of salivary vasopressin as a possible biomarker for anxiety-related responses in dogs.

Poor knowledge is available on the effectiveness of reading to dogs in educational settings, particularly in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this study, we test the hypothesis that reading to a dog improves propensity towards books and motivation to read after the end of the programme, as well as reading and cognitive skills in children with ASD. The study is a prospective, randomized controlled trial, consisting of testing and re-testing after a 10 sessions reading programme with and without the presence of a dog. Nine Children with ASD (6&ndash, 11 years old) were randomly assigned to a control (CG, reading without a dog, n. 4) or experimental group (EG, reading to a dog, n. 5). Children&rsquo, s attendance at reading sessions was recorded at each session. Parents&rsquo, perceptions were evaluated at the end of the programme to detect changes in children&rsquo, s attitudes and motivation toward reading. Psychologist-administered validated reading (Cornoldi&rsquo, s MT2 reading test, test of reading comprehension, TORC, metaphonological competence test, MCF) and cognitive tests (Wechsler intelligence scale for children Wisc IV, Vineland) to all children, at baseline and at the end of the reading programme. Compared with CG children, children in the EG group participated more frequently in the reading sessions, and they were reported to be more motivated readers at home after the programme. However, there were no differences on reading and cognitive tests&rsquo, scores either within each group of children or between groups. Further studies are warranted in order to understand whether and how incorporating dogs into a reading programme is beneficial to Children with ASD at the socio-emotional and cognitive level.

Several researches have evidenced that cancer cells can produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are released not only in breath but also in other organic fluids, such as blood and urine. This study has evaluated the olfactory capability of trained dogs to detect human lung cancer VOCs in urine. We recruited 150 subjects from European Institute of Oncology (IEO) divided into three groups: 57 patients with lung cancer (group 1); 38 patients with lung disease, other than cancer (group 2); 55 healthy co ntrol subjects (group 3).The results are referred to the last 45 days of training, and evidenced that dogs reached a mean success rate that exceeded 80%, with a sensitivity of 0,72 and a specificity of 0,94 for two out of three dogs enrolled. The important novelty is that dogs can discriminate lung cancer not only from healthy subjects, but also from patients with other lung diseases. The results obtained so far are encouraging and lead us to persevere with the training session in order to improve the succe ss rate, reaching values as close as possible to 100%. If so, we believe that, in the future, dogs may be used to perform early diagnostic tests, useful in improving the chances of survival in cases of human lung cancer.

There is longstanding recognition of the adverse effect of stressful experiences during early critical developmental periods and the later association with problematic behavioral issues in dogs. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the origin/source of puppies (pet shop vs. breeder) was associated with later potential problematic behaviors. We did a cross-sectional survey of Italian dog owners, who were asked to complete an online version of our Relazione Cane-Proprietario questionnaire, providing information about themselves, their dogs, and whether the animals exhibited any of 16 potential problem behaviors. Pearson χ 2 test of independence was applied in 2 × 2 contingency tables and binary logistic regressions to analyze the effects of source of acquisition on behavioral patterns while controlling for various owner- and dog-related variables. The odds of displaying owner-directed aggression were significantly greater for the dogs that had been purchased from a pet store as puppies than those purchased from a breeder (control group). We also found an association between a dog's pet store origin and other potential problem behaviors, including house soiling, body licking, and separation-related behavior, but this relationship was confounded by the effect of a set of owner-related factors. These findings indicate that obtaining puppies from pet stores may predispose them to potentially exhibit owner-directed aggression as adults. We suggest that further research in prevention of problem behaviors in adult dogs should be aimed at identifying the root causes of pet store-related behavioral issues, without ignoring confounding at a household level.

We investigated the attitudes of veterinary students towards animals and their welfare in Italy. Regression analyses revealed predictors that are significant in differentiating students&rsquo, scoring tendency based on their gender, familiarity, and intention to work with a specific animal species, type of diet, and membership in an animal rights association. Female students, who were mostly familiar with pets and aspired to work with species other than livestock, following an animal-free diet and being a member of an animal rights association, had a significantly greater odds of having a high Animal Attitude Scale score (AAS), i.e., very positive attitude towards animals, versus a less positive attitude. Conversely, the familiarity with livestock and preference for working with livestock significantly increased the odds of a low AAS. Overall, students considered all of the Brambell Report&rsquo, s Five Freedoms important for animal welfare protection. However, students scored higher for companion animals than for livestock, particularly regarding the freedom to express normal behaviour and the absence of fear and distress. This study suggests that veterinary students place less importance on the psychological aspects of welfare for livestock, and there is a tendency for students who are mostly familiar, or aspire to work, with livestock to have a less positive attitude towards non-human animals and their welfare. These findings should be considered within the veterinary educational curriculum due to their potential impact on animal welfare.

Unwelcome behaviors in pet dogs may have serious implications for the quality of life of both the animals and their owners. We investigated owners' perceptions about their dogs' behavioral issues as well as other factors that might be predictive of potential canine problematic behaviors. We distinguished between "undesirable behaviors" (behaviors that were unpleasant to the owners) and "problematic behaviors" (behaviors that the owners found difficult to overcome). We designed an online survey eliciting information about owners, their dogs, their relationship with their dogs, and whether the animals exhibited any of 15 potentially problematic behaviors. The largest proportion of respondents (65%) reported that their dogs exhibited undesirable, but not problematic, behaviors and were not interested in their modification. Only 32% of the respondents considered the behavior to be both undesirable and problematic and wished to change it. The owners' perception of a problem was associated with reports of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. The owner's gender, marital status, and attitude toward the dog as his/her child as well as the dog's age, size, age at acquisition, and breed emerged as robust predictors. Compared with all other behavioral categories, reported aggressive canine behaviors were 3 times more likely to elicit an owner's wish to address them. This study revealed that the behaviors of dogs may be perceived differently by their owners, and the type of perception may influence the owner's actual willingness to change those behaviors. Moreover, we identified the most robust set of factors that, either individually or combined, would help predict a dog's potential problematic behaviors and an owner's attitude toward them, which will be useful in improving rational prevention and treatment strategies.

Background: Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal has been proposed to achieve protective ventilation in patients at risk for ventilator-induced lung injury. In an acute study, the authors previously described an extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal technique enhanced by regional extracorporeal blood acidification. The current study evaluates efficacy and feasibility of such technology applied for 48 h. Methods: Ten pigs were connected to a low-flow veno-venous extracorporeal circuit (blood flow rate, 0.25 l/min) including a membrane lung. Blood acidification was achieved in eight pigs by continuous infusion of 2.5 mEq/min of lactic acid at the membrane lung inlet. The acid infusion was interrupted for 1 h at the 24 and 48 h. Two control pigs did not receive acidification. At baseline and every 8 h thereafter, the authors measured blood lactate, gases, chemistry, and the amount of carbon dioxide removed by the membrane lung (VCO2ML). The authors also measured erythrocyte metabolites and selected cytokines. Histological and metalloproteinases analyses were performed on selected organs. Results: Blood acidification consistently increased VCO2ML by 62 to 78%, from 79 ± 13 to 128 ± 22 ml/min at baseline, from 60 ± 8 to 101 ± 16 ml/min at 24 h, and from 54 ± 6 to 96 ± 16 ml/min at 48 h. During regional acidification, arterial pH decreased slightly (average reduction, 0.04), whereas arterial lactate remained lower than 4 mEq/l. No sign of organ and erythrocyte damage was recorded. Conclusion: Infusion of lactic acid at the membrane lung inlet consistently increased VCO2ML providing a safe removal of carbon dioxide from only 250 ml/min extracorporeal blood flow in amounts equivalent to 50% production of an adult man.

Simple Summary Although cortisol is usually considered the main reference for the assessment of stress, in some animal species it has been shown that prolactin can be used as a biomarker of both acute and chronic stress. Behavioural parameters can also be used to assess the state of welfare and stress. This study was aimed at evaluating the possible relationship between serum prolactin, serum cortisol and behavioural signs of stress in domestic dogs. To reduce the possible influence of some factors, the study was performed on a homogeneous sample formed by 40 castrated male Spanish Greyhound dogs housed in a dog shelter. The weak negative correlation found between serum cortisol and prolactin values agrees with results obtained in other studies, indicating that prolactin response might be an alternative to cortisol response. Abstract Prolactin has been recently regarded as a potential biomarker of both acute and chronic stress in several species. Since only few studies until now have focussed on domestic dogs, this study was aimed at evaluating whether prolactin, cortisol and stress behaviour correlated with each other in sheltered dogs. Both cortisol and prolactin analysis were performed in serum samples through a hormone-specific ELISA kit. For each dog, a stress score was calculated by summing the number of occurrences of stress-related behaviours. The presence/absence of fear during the time spent in the collection room was also scored for each individual. Results revealed a weak negative correlation between cortisol and prolactin levels. Neither of the hormones was correlated with the stress score, nor did their values seem to be influenced by showing fear in the collection room. The weak negative correlation found between cortisol and prolactin values agrees with results obtained in other studies, indicating that prolactin response might be an alternative to cortisol response. This, together with the high serum prolactin levels compared to those reported by other authors for healthy domestic dogs, may indicate that prolactin might be a good biomarker of chronic stress, and although further studies are needed to better understand the potential role of prolactin in the evaluation of canine welfare.

Agility, one of the last dog activities to gain formal recognition, tests both dog's athleticism and dog–handler affinity. Although this activity seems to be enjoyed by dogs, it can be a stressful event. The level of stress in dogs can be measured by behavioral and physiological parameters. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of stress-dependent behavioral changes in a group of 17 agility dogs before, during, and after competition, coupled with the pre- and post-race salivary levels of cortisol, which is a key stress indicator. Different behavioral patterns were found in the dogs studied. They displayed several behaviors referable to stress: restlessness was observed at all time points ( P P P

INTRODUCTIONNitric oxide is a critical regulator of endothelial functions and vascular smooth muscletone. In a previous work, we demonstrated that under physiological conditions NO in-fusion markedly raises the formation of bioactive molecules, such as nitrosylhemoglobin[HbFe(II)NO], without evoking significant hemodynamic responses (Aldini