Comparison of immunofluorescence and chemiluminescence assays for measuring ACTH in equine plasma.

Background: The chemiluminescence (CL) and immunofluorescence (IF) assays yield different results for basal adrenocorticotropin hormone concentrations [ACTH] in pony plasma. It is unclear whether this difference also occurs in basal samples from horses or samples from ponies following thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation.

Objectives: To compare the results of [ACTH] analysis by CL and IF methods in basal samples from horses and pony samples following TRH stimulation.

Predicting early risk of chronic kidney disease in cats using routine clinical laboratory tests and machine learning.

Background: Advanced machine learning methods combined with large sets of health screening data provide opportunities for diagnostic value in human and veterinary medicine.

Hypothesis/objectives: To derive a model to predict the risk of cats developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) using data from electronic health records (EHRs) collected during routine veterinary practice.

Animals: A total of 106 251 cats that attended Banfield Pet Hospitals between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2017.

Socio-demographic factors associated with pet ownership amongst adolescents from a UK birth cohort.

Background: In developed nations, pet ownership is common within families. Both physical and psychological health benefits may result from owning a pet during childhood and adolescence. However, it is difficult to determine whether these benefits are due to pet ownership directly or to factors linked to both pet ownership and health.

Psychological Health Benefits of Companion Animals Following a Social Loss.

Background And Objectives: In later life, the loss of a spouse due to divorce or widowhood is common and can lead to elevated depressive symptoms and loneliness. Research suggests that companion animal (CA) may be beneficial for psychological health, but limited research has explored whether CA can buffer negative consequences of social losses.

Research Design And Methods: This study uses data drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine changes in depressive symptoms and loneliness in relation to a social loss among those with/without a CA.

A transcriptomic atlas of mammalian olfactory mucosae reveals an evolutionary influence on food odor detection in humans.

The mammalian olfactory system displays species-specific adaptations to different ecological niches. To investigate the evolutionary dynamics of olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) subtypes across mammalian evolution, we applied RNA sequencing of whole olfactory mucosa samples from mouse, rat, dog, marmoset, macaque, and human. We find that OSN subtypes, representative of all known mouse chemosensory receptor gene families, are present in all analyzed species.

Exploring the Handler-Dog Connection within a University-Based Animal-Assisted Activity.

There has been an increase in research concerning the quality of dyadic interactions between humans and dogs in university-based animal assisted activities (AAAs). While interactions between students and dogs are commonly an area of focus, studies examining interactions between handlers and their dogs are needed. We coded 10-min long video-recorded observations ( = 151) using a mixed methods approach to capture the duration and frequency of dog-directed handler behavior (i.

Physics of animal health: on the mechano-biology of hoof growth and form.

Global inequalities in economic access and agriculture productivity imply that a large number of developing countries rely on working equids for transport/agriculture/mining. Therefore, the understanding of hoof conditions/shape variations affecting equids' ability to work is still a persistent concern. To bridge this gap, using a multi-scale interdisciplinary approach, we provide a bio-physical model predicting the shape of equids' hooves as a function of physical and biological parameters.

A longitudinal assessment of periodontal disease in Yorkshire terriers.

Background: Periodontal disease is the most common oral disease of dogs and has been associated with systemic disease. The purpose of the present study was to determine the extent of periodontal disease in a population of Yorkshire terrier dogs with and without a tooth brushing regimen. Each dog was assessed under general anaesthesia two to five times between 37 and 78 weeks of age.

Genomes from bacteria associated with the canine oral cavity: A test case for automated genome-based taxonomic assignment.

Taxonomy for bacterial isolates is commonly assigned via sequence analysis. However, the most common sequence-based approaches (e.g.

Measuring Human-Animal Attachment in a Large U.S. Survey: Two Brief Measures for Children and Their Primary Caregivers.

Researchers in the human-animal interaction (HAI) field face a challenge in generalizing the impact of pet ownership and companion animal interaction from small samples to larger populations. While researchers in Europe and Australia have included measures of pet ownership and attachment in surveys for some time (e.g.

Insulin Resistance as a Result of Body Condition Categorized as Thin, Moderate, and Obese in Domesticated U.S. Donkeys (Equus asinus).

Donkeys are often kept, especially in industrialized countries, as companion animals. Donkeys have greater digestive efficiency and tend to expend less energy than horses or ponies, which contributes to obesity in nonworking donkeys. Obesity in all equine species increases risk of chronic health conditions such as laminitis and insulin resistance.

Metabolomic profiling to identify effects of dietary calcium reveal the influence of the individual and postprandial dynamics on the canine plasma metabolome.

Short-term feeding studies have highlighted a phenomenon in Ca regulation that raises concerns around Ca absorption in dogs that may make an impact on commercial diets near to the maximum recommended level. A recent study to determine responses in dogs fed one of two diets differing in dietary Ca over 40 weeks found no evidence to suggest a concern across a range of biological parameters hypothesised to be affected by Ca. Unforeseen consequences of dietary Ca could have occurred and metabolic profiling was deemed a suitable data-driven approach to identify effects of dietary Ca.

Accelerometer activity tracking in horses and the effect of pasture management on time budget.

Background: Accelerometry is an accepted means of quantifying human physical activity. Quantitative physical activity tracking could be beneficial for studies into equine health and disease prevention, for example in relation to obesity management.

Objectives: Validate accelerometer use in grazing horses, determine between-day repeatability, and assess the effects of pasture size on time budget (i.

The Equine Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Impacts of Age and Obesity.

Gastrointestinal microbial communities are increasingly being implicated in host susceptibilities to nutritional/metabolic diseases; such conditions are more prevalent in obese and/or older horses. This controlled study evaluated associations between host-phenotype and the fecal microbiome / metabolome. Thirty-five, Welsh Mountain pony mares were studied across 2 years (Controls, = 6/year, 5-15 years, Body Condition Score (BCS) 4.

Effects of the long-term feeding of diets enriched with inorganic phosphorus on the adult feline kidney and phosphorus metabolism.

Renal disease has a high incidence in cats, and some evidence implicates dietary P as well. To investigate this further, two studies in healthy adult cats were conducted. Study 1 (36 weeks) included forty-eight cats, stratified to control or test diets providing 1·2 or 4·8 g/1000 kcal (4184 kJ) P (0 or approximately 3·6 g/1000 kcal (4184 kJ) inorganic P, Ca:P 1·2, 0·6).

Association between life span and body condition in neutered client-owned dogs.

Background: There is an association between overweight status and life span in kenneled dogs, but a similar association has not been reported for pet dogs.

Objectives: To examine the effects of being overweight in middle age on the life span of neutered client-owned dogs.

Animals: Fifty-thousand seven-hundred eighty seven middle-aged neutered client-owned dogs attending a network of approximately 900 veterinary hospitals across North America.

Influence of dietary restriction and low-intensity exercise on weight loss and insulin sensitivity in obese equids.

Background: The importance of including exercise with dietary modification for the management of obese equids is not clearly understood.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a practical low-intensity exercise regimen, in addition to dietary restriction, on indices of insulin sensitivity (SI) and plasma adipokine concentrations in obese equids.

Animals: Twenty-four obese (body condition score [BCS] ≥ 7/9) horses and ponies.