The zoonotic potential of Clostridium difficile from small companion animals and their owners

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Katie Osborn, Rabold D, Espelage W, Abu Sin M, Eckmanns T, Schneeberg A, Neubauer H, et al.

Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in humans range from asymptomatic carriage to life-threatening intestinal disease. Findings on C. difficile in various animal species and an overlap in ribotypes (RTs) suggest potential zoonotic transmission. However, the impact of...

Animal-assisted intervention in the ICU: a tool for humanization

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Katie Osborn, Megan M. Hosey, Janice Jaskluski, Stephen T. Wegener, Linda L. Chlan, Dale M. Needham

The combination of an aging population and advances in critical care medicine is resulting in a growing number of survivors of critical illness [1]. Survivors’ descriptions of their stay in an intensive care unit (ICU) are frequently filled with traumatic events, and include experiences...

The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Katie Osborn, Helen Louise Brooks, Kelly Rushton, Karina Lovell, Penny Bee, Lauren Walker, Laura Grant, Anne Rogers

There is increasing recognition of the therapeutic function pets can play in relation to mental health. However, there has been no systematic review of the evidence related to the comprehensive role of companion animals and how pets might contribute to the work associated with managing a...

Effects of therapeutic horseback riding on post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Rebecca A Johnson, David L. Albright, James R. Marzolf, Jessica L. Bibbo, Hayley D. Yaglom, Sandra M. Crowder, Gretchen Carlisle, Amy Willard, Cynthia L. Russell, Karen Grindler, Steven Osterlind, Marita Wassman, Nathan Harms, Marcy Wilhelm-South

Background Large numbers of post-deployment U.S. veterans are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI), leading to an urgent need for effective interventions to reduce symptoms and increase veterans’ coping. PTSD includes anxiety,...

Child-Canine Bonding in Children with ASD: Findings Within and Across Case Studies

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Kathryn Struik, John-Tyler Binfet

 The demand for support for families impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to grow, and one increasingly popular avenue of support is the use of companion canines. Parents searching for service canines trained to work with children with ASD, however, face formidable...

Private Animal Welfare Standards—Opportunities and Risks

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Frida Lundmark, Charlotte Berg, Helena Rockilnsberg

The current shift moves the governance of animal welfare away from the government towards the private market and the consumers. We have studied the intentions, content, and on-farm inspection results from different sets of animal welfare legislation and private standards with an aim to highlight...

Exploring the Gaps in Practical Ethical Guidance for Animal Welfare Considerations of Field Interventions and Innovations Targeting Dogs and Cats

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Louisa Tasker, Susan F Getty, Joyce R Briggs, Valerie A.W. Benka

Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis silvestris catus) are common species targeted by nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations, veterinarians and government agencies worldwide, for field interventions (e.g., population management, rabies vaccination programs) or...

In the Eye of the Beholder: Owner Preferences for Variations in Cats' Appearances with Specific Focus on Skull Morphology

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Mark J Farnworth, Rowena M.A. Packer, Lorena Sordo, Ruoning Chen, Sarah M. A. Caney, Danielle A Gunn-Moore

Changes in the popularity of cat breeds are largely driven by human perceptions of, and selection for, phenotypic traits including skull morphology. The popularity of breeds with altered skull shapes appears to be increasing, and owner preferences are an important part of this dynamic. This...

A Comparison of Cats (Felis silvestris catus) Housed in Groups and Single Cages at a Shelter: A Retrospective Matched Cohort Study

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Malini Suchak, Jacalyn Lamica

When cats are relinquished to shelters, they frequently experience a great deal of stress. Shelters often try to control certain aspects of their environment, such as housing, to help them relax. Some cats are placed in small group rooms upon entry, whereas others are placed in single cages....

The Impact of Excluding Food Guarding from a Standardized Behavioral Canine Assessment in Animal Shelters

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Heather Mohan-Gibbons, Emily D Dolan, Pamela Reid, Margaret R Slater, Hugh Mulligan, Emily Weiss

Many shelters euthanize or restrict adoptions for dogs that exhibit food guarding while in the animal shelter. However, previous research showed that only half the dogs exhibiting food guarding during an assessment food guard in the home. So, dogs are often misidentified as future food guarders...

Online Relinquishments of Dogs and Cats in Australia

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Susan J Hazel, Caitlin J Jenvey, Jonathan Tuke

The aim of this study was to analyze dog and cat advertisements on a popular online trading website in Australia in February 2016. A total of 2640 ads for dogs and 2093 ads for cats were classified as being relinquished on Gumtree. A total of 23% of dog ads and 62% of cat ads were for free...

Surrenderers' Relationships with Cats Admitted to Four Australian Animal Shelters

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Sarah Zito, Mandy Paterson, John Morton, Di Vankan, Pauleen Bennett, Jacquie Rand, Clive J.C. Phillips

The surrender of cats to animal shelters results in financial, social and moral burdens for the community. Correlations of caretaking and interactions with surrendered cats were calculated, to understand more about humans’ relationships with surrendered cats and the contribution of...

Email Reminders Increase the Frequency That Pet Owners Update Their Microchip Information

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Katie Goodwin, Jacquie Rand, John Morton, Varun Uthappa, Rick Walduck

Many stray animals presented to shelters in several first world nations have incorrect contact details associated with their microchip and, consequently, cannot be reunited with their owners. This study investigated whether sending email reminders increased the frequency that pet owners updated...

Speaking Up: Veterinary Ethical Responsibilities and Animal Welfare Issues in Everyday Practice

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Elein Hernandez, Anne Fawcett, Emily Brouwer, Jeff Rau, Patricia V Turner

Although expectations for appropriate animal care are present in most developed countries, significant animal welfare challenges continue to be seen on a regular basis in all areas of veterinary practice. Veterinary ethics is a relatively new area of educational focus but is thought to be...

A Case Study in Citizen Science: The Effectiveness of a Trap-Neuter-Return Program in a Chicago Neighborhood

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Daniel D. Spehar, Peter J. Wolf

The use of trap-neuter-return (TNR) as a method of managing free-roaming cat populations has increased in the United States in recent decades. Historically, TNR has been conducted most often at a grassroots level, which has led to inconsistent data collection and assessment practices....

Search Methods Used to Locate Missing Cats and Locations Where Missing Cats Are Found

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Liyan Huang, Marcia Coradini, Jacquie Rand, John Morton, Kat Albrecht, Brigid Wasson

A least 15% of cat owners lose their pet in a five-year period and some are never found. This paper reports on data gathered from an online questionnaire that asked questions regarding search methods used to locate missing cats and locations where missing cats were found. The most important...

Attitudes of Veterinary Teaching Staff and Exposure of Veterinary Students to Early-Age Desexing, with Review of Current Early-Age Desexing Literature

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alannah Jupe, Jacquie Rand, John Morton, Sophie Fleming

Approximately 50% of cats admitted to Australian shelters are kittens, and 26% of dogs are puppies, and, particularly for cats, euthanasia rates are often high. Cats can be pregnant by 4 months of age, yet the traditional desexing age is 5–6 months, and studies in Australasia and Nth...

Equine-Facilitated Therapy and Trauma: Current Knowledge, Future Needs

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Marlys Staudt, Donna Cherry

Equine-facilitated therapy (EFT) is a relatively new treatment for trauma and PTSD. EFT as well as animal assisted interventions in general have been introduced and implemented in mental health treatment for children and adults, though the research in support of these interventions has not kept...

Evaluation of the Dogs, Physical Activity, and Walking (Dogs PAW) Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Elizabeth Richards, N. Ogata, C. Cheng

Background. To facilitate physical activity (PA) adoption and maintenance, promotion of innovative population-level strategies that focus on incorporating moderate intensity, lifestyle PA are needed. Objectives. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the Dogs, Physical...

It's Raining Cats and Dogs in Children's Books

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Janet Alsup

Animals appearing in children’s books are nothing new. From The Cat in the Hat and The Velveteen Rabbit, to The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Olivia the Pig, animals are a recurrent presence in popular picture books. There are also many memorable animal figures in novels popular with teens,...