Affiliation:
1. Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
2. Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
3. Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
Abstract
Animals exhibit behavioral changes during illness, including lethargy, anorexia, fever, adipsia, and anhedonia, which are believed to comprise an adaptive evolutionary strategy. Exploratory and social behaviors generally decrease during illness, but behavioral changes of dogs during
illness have not been described. The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel canine behavior test during subclinical illness induced by dietary Fusarium mycotoxin. Twelve mature female beagle dogs received 3 treatment diets: a control diet (control), a diet formulated with grains
contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxin (toxin), and the toxin diet together with a toxin binding agent (binder). All dogs received each diets for 14 d in a Latin square design with a 7-d washout period between diet trials. The test consisted of individually releasing dogs into the center aisle
of the housing room for 4 min per day, during which interactions with familiar dogs in adjacent kennels were recorded by an observer outside the room who was blind to treatment groups. Total interactions, orientation, and attempted physical contact with other dogs were less frequent during
the toxin and binder diet treatments. Conversely, frequencies of physical proximity and olfactory contact with familiar dogs in adjacent kennels were not associated with diet. In conclusion, induction of subclinical gastrointestinal illness influenced aspects of social interactions in beagle
dogs. A clinical assessment sheet integrating these findings was developed to aid in early identification of subclinical illness in research dogs based on behavior.
Publisher
American Association for Laboratory Animal Science
Subject
Animal Science and Zoology