An online survey investigated variables that are related to grief, guilt and loneliness following companion animal loss. Variables of interest were: relationship, species, time since death, type of death, attachment, social support, and demographic variables. Female and male participants over eighteen (n = 85) who had lost a companion animal within the last six months completed the survey. Individuals who classified their pets as good companions reported significantly less grief relative to those who considered their pets to be their children (p < 0.001) and best friends (p = 0.001). Those who labeled their animal as “my child” had significantly higher attachment scores when compared to those who labeled their pet as “a good companion” (p = 0.012). Older age was predictive of significantly lower grief, situational guilt, and loneliness. High grief participants considered their pets to be their children and reported the highest state guilt, loneliness and attachment scores.

An online survey investigated variables that are related to grief, guilt and loneliness following companion animal loss. Variables of interest were: relationship, species, time since death, type of death, attachment, social support, and demographic variables. Female and male participants over eighteen (n = 85) who had lost a companion animal within the last six months completed the survey. Individuals who classified their pets as good companions reported significantly less grief relative to those who considered their pets to be their children (p < 0.001) and best friends (p = 0.001). Those who labeled their animal as “my child” had significantly higher attachment scores when compared to those who labeled their pet as “a good companion” (p = 0.012). Older age was predictive of significantly lower grief, situational guilt, and loneliness. High grief participants considered their pets to be their children and reported the highest state guilt, loneliness and attachment scores.

No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / C.G. Aldrich / Novel ingredients have been a source of innovation and growth in the pet food market. Further, with rising trends in the humanization of pet food, there has been increased competition between the human food systems and pet food industry for high quality ingredients. Next-generation distillers dried grains (NG-DDG) are a sustainable alternative protein source that show a strong potential for use in companion animal diets. The objectives of this work were to determine the effect of NG-DDG on the extrusion of dry kibbles, the utilization of diets by dogs, the palatability of diets by dogs and cats, and to evaluate the amino acid profile and protein quality through a chick growth assay. Corn gluten meal (CGM) and soybean meal (SBM) were used as standards for comparison. Diets were extruded over 3 days in a complete block design. During extrusion, the NG-DDG kibbles had less radial expansion (P<0.05) compared to the CGM and SBM kibbles (2.62 vs. average 3.10 mm²/mm², respectively). The NG-DDG kibble also required a smaller (P<0.05) mass restriction-valve opening to increase die back-pressure. No other differences in extrusion parameters or kibble texture were observed. Twelve beagle dogs were arranged in a 3x3 replicated Latin Square and were each fed the 3 experimental diets to evaluate digestibility by use of titanium dioxide. Diet produced with CGM was more digestible (P<0.05) in terms of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fat, and gross energy. Additionally, dogs fed NG-DDG diets had larger (P<0.05) fecal mass than both CGM and SBM (55.65 vs 35.91 and 43.25 g/d, respectively), and a higher (P<0.05) fecal score than dogs fed the CGM diet (3.63 vs. 3.27). Diets were fed to both dogs and cats to assess palatability via a two-bowl test. Dogs had a preference (P<0.05) for CGM over SBM and NG-DDG, but cats showed a preference (P<0.05) for SBM and NG-DDG over CGM. To assess protein quality, one-day old chicks (CobbxCobb; n=120) were fed semi-purified diets containing test ingredients at a 10% crude protein inclusion level, as well as spray dried granulated egg (SDG) and a nitrogen-free basal diet (NEG) to serve as positive and negative controls, respectively. Chicks were arranged in a randomized block design with 6 chicks per pen, 1 pen per battery, and 4 pens per treatment. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) of each treatment was calculated as weight gain (g) per protein intake (g). All experimental treatments had a lower (P<0.05) PER value than the positive control. The PER for NG-DDG and CGM did not differ from each other and had the lowest value of all treatments (P<0.05; average 1.17). In summary, next-generation distillers dried grains can be used to make a similar kibble to CGM and SBM, are similar to SBM in terms of digestibility, and would be an acceptable source of protein in companion animal diets when paired with a supplemental protein source.

The efficiency of five natural antioxidants (curcumin, cranberry, pomegranate, grape seed extract (GSE) and açai berry) in reducing lipid oxidation in dog food was tested in comparison to the synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Lipid oxidation was evaluated after 12 days of storage at 55C and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) was measured as an indicator of lipid oxidation. In project one, the natural antioxidants were added at 0.2% and BHA at 0.02% of the food (DM basis) and samples were collected on day 12 and analyzed for TBARS. Compared with the control treatment, TBARS values were lower (p<0.01) for four antioxidant treatments (curcumin, cranberry, pomegranate and GSE) but not for the açai berry treatment (p<0.39). The four antioxidants showed similar efficacy at lowering lipid oxidation as BHA and therefore may have the potential to substitute BHA in dog food. In project two, we evaluated the effects of GSE and curcumin at two inclusion rates (0.1 and 0.2% of food DM) on TBARS and omega-3 fatty acid (FA) content over 12 days of storage at 55C. By day 12, our results showed no significant differences in TBARS values between the BHA and the 0.1% GSE treatment, however BHA was still more effective than the 0.1% GSE as the differences in fold increase in TBARS were lower for BHA (19.4%) than for the 0.1% GSE (75.5%) treatment. Omega-3 FA loss tended (P>0.11) to be greater at the lower inclusion rate which correlated with the increased TBARS values at the 0.1% when compared to the 0.2% inclusion rate. Curcumin and GSE were most effective at maintaining omega-3 FA content at the 0.2% inclusion rate and showed no significant differences from the BHA treatment. In conclusion, BHA in dog food can be effectively substituted by GSE, cranberry, curcumin and pomegranate at the inclusion rate of 0.2% of food DM.

Biliary diseases are uncommon, potentially fatal causes of acute abdomen in dogs. Little information is present comparing the performance of computed tomography (CT) to ultrasound in identifying canine biliary pathology. Thirty-five client-owned dogs presenting for acute abdomen signs received an abdominal ultrasound and contrast-enhanced abdominal CT. Two authors reviewed the randomized, anonymized CT and ultrasound studies. Twenty-eight dogs had biliary pathology and seven dogs serving as controls had no evidence of biliary disease. The final diagnoses of patients with biliary pathology included cholelithiasis, gallbladder mucoceles, cholangiohepatitis/cholangitis, extrahepatic biliary obstruction, gallbladder wall edema, gallbladder wall mass, and cystic mucosal hyperplasia. Computed tomography was more accurate in identifying cholelithiasis than ultrasound. No statistical difference in the odds to identify other biliary pathology was identified between ultrasound and CT. Findings from this study suggest CT may be used in place of ultrasound in canine patients presenting for acute abdominal signs of biliary origin.

Com mais de 50 milhões de cães de companhia, o Brasil é o segundo maior mercado mundial para este segmento, com uma grande variedade de produtos e serviços, sendo alguns deles tipicamente humanos, revelando um movimento de antropomorfização dos animais de companhia. A antropomorfização permite um estreitamento dos laços entre o homem e o animal, mas gera expectativas irreais sobre o comportamento deste, o que pode trazer graves consequências, como o abandono. Isto pode ocorrer tanto com animais comprados ou recebidos de presente quanto com adotados, mas há diferenças entre estes modos de aquisição. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar semelhanças e diferenças no processo de aquisição de cães e investigar a vinculação entre o homem e o cão. Foi utilizado um questionário disponibilizado na Internet para compreender a aquisição e uma escala para avaliar o vínculo (Dog Attachment Questionnaire), aplicados em até um ano da aquisição e um ano depois. A maioria dos animais é adotada (61,3%), seguido por 26,3% de cães comprados e 12,1% de animais recebidos de presente. Adotar esteve relacionado a aquisições sem planejamento, pessoas divorciadas, com menor escolaridade, animais esterilizados, mais velhos, oriundos da rua, sem raça definida, escolhidos pela própria pessoa, que residem em casas, com maior número de cães. Comprar esteve mais associado a maior renda, pós-graduação, morar em apartamento, pessoas mais jovens, casadas ou solteiras, aquisições planejadas, animais de porte pequeno, de raça. Ganhar um cão de companhia esteve mais associado a menor escolaridade, menor renda, morar em chácara/sítio/fazenda, animais esterilizados, de porte grande. O vínculo é favorecido pela pessoa ser do sexo feminino, jovem, solteiro ou divorciado, com escolaridade e renda médias, que escolhem seus próprios animais e são inteiramente responsáveis por eles, os quais são esterilizados, pegos da rua, sem planejamento e residem em casas com mais animais. O vínculo é desfavorecido pela pessoa ser do sexo masculino, mais velho, casado, com alta escolaridade e renda, que mora em apartamento ou chácara/sítio/fazenda, sem outros animais, cuja responsabilidade por eles é dividida, tendo o animal sido escolhido por terceiros e de uma raça específica. Não houve relação direta entre o vínculo e o modo de aquisição, mas diversas relações indiretas indicam que o vínculo é maior para quem adotou um cão de companhia do que para quem comprou um cão. No passar de um ano, o valor do vínculo diminuiu. Para evitar que este quadro se perpetue, é importante incentivar a adoção em detrimento da compra de cães de companhia, além de educar as crianças sobre o real valor dos animais e alterar a forma com que animais são representados na cultura e na mídia / With more than 50 million companion dogs, Brazil is the second largest world market for this segment, with a broad variety of products and services, including some that are typically human, revealing the anthropomorphic view of companion animals. Anthropomorphism allows the bonding between humans and animals, but it creates unreal expectations regarding the behavior of animals, which may cause grave consequences, such as abandonment. This may happen to purchased animals or animals received as gifts as well as to adopted animals, but there are differences between these types of acquisition. This research intended to identify similarities and differences in the process of acquiring a companion dog and to investigate the human-animal bond. Two Internet-based questionnaires were used, one to understand the acquisition process and one to measure the strength of the attachment to companion dogs (Dog Attachment Questionnaire). They were applied until one year of the acquisition of the dog and one year later. Most dogs are adopted (61.3%), followed by 26.3% of purchased dogs and 12.1% of dogs received as gifts. Adopting was associated with unplanned acquisitions, divorcees, lower education, older and neutered animals, taken as strays, mongrels, and chosen by the owner, residents at houses with more than one dog. Purchasing was associated with higher income, post-graduation, living in an apartment, younger people, married or single, planned acquisition, small animals and breed dogs. Receiving a dog as a gift was associated with lower education and income, living in a country house or farm, big and neutered animals. The human-animal bond is strengthened by the following factors: being young, female, single or divorced, with medium education and income, that chooses its own pet and is solely responsible for it, neutered dogs, strays, unplanned acquisition, living in a house, with more dogs. The human-animal bond is weakened by older, male, married owners, with high education and income, living in apartment or country house or farm, without other animals, shared responsibilities regarding the dog, animal chosen by others and having a specific breed. No direct association was found between bond and type of acquisition; however, several indirect associations indicate that the bond is stronger for those who adopted their companion animal than for those who purchased it. In one year period, the bond weakened. In order to avoid that this scenario perpetuates itself, its imperative to incentive adoption opposed to purchase of companion dogs, to educate children about the real value of animals and change the way they are represented culturally and in the media.

Com mais de 50 milhões de cães de companhia, o Brasil é o segundo maior mercado mundial para este segmento, com uma grande variedade de produtos e serviços, sendo alguns deles tipicamente humanos, revelando um movimento de antropomorfização dos animais de companhia. A antropomorfização permite um estreitamento dos laços entre o homem e o animal, mas gera expectativas irreais sobre o comportamento deste, o que pode trazer graves consequências, como o abandono. Isto pode ocorrer tanto com animais comprados ou recebidos de presente quanto com adotados, mas há diferenças entre estes modos de aquisição. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar semelhanças e diferenças no processo de aquisição de cães e investigar a vinculação entre o homem e o cão. Foi utilizado um questionário disponibilizado na Internet para compreender a aquisição e uma escala para avaliar o vínculo (Dog Attachment Questionnaire), aplicados em até um ano da aquisição e um ano depois. A maioria dos animais é adotada (61,3%), seguido por 26,3% de cães comprados e 12,1% de animais recebidos de presente. Adotar esteve relacionado a aquisições sem planejamento, pessoas divorciadas, com menor escolaridade, animais esterilizados, mais velhos, oriundos da rua, sem raça definida, escolhidos pela própria pessoa, que residem em casas, com maior número de cães. Comprar esteve mais associado a maior renda, pós-graduação, morar em apartamento, pessoas mais jovens, casadas ou solteiras, aquisições planejadas, animais de porte pequeno, de raça. Ganhar um cão de companhia esteve mais associado a menor escolaridade, menor renda, morar em chácara/sítio/fazenda, animais esterilizados, de porte grande. O vínculo é favorecido pela pessoa ser do sexo feminino, jovem, solteiro ou divorciado, com escolaridade e renda médias, que escolhem seus próprios animais e são inteiramente responsáveis por eles, os quais são esterilizados, pegos da rua, sem planejamento e residem em casas com mais animais. O vínculo é desfavorecido pela pessoa ser do sexo masculino, mais velho, casado, com alta escolaridade e renda, que mora em apartamento ou chácara/sítio/fazenda, sem outros animais, cuja responsabilidade por eles é dividida, tendo o animal sido escolhido por terceiros e de uma raça específica. Não houve relação direta entre o vínculo e o modo de aquisição, mas diversas relações indiretas indicam que o vínculo é maior para quem adotou um cão de companhia do que para quem comprou um cão. No passar de um ano, o valor do vínculo diminuiu. Para evitar que este quadro se perpetue, é importante incentivar a adoção em detrimento da compra de cães de companhia, além de educar as crianças sobre o real valor dos animais e alterar a forma com que animais são representados na cultura e na mídia / With more than 50 million companion dogs, Brazil is the second largest world market for this segment, with a broad variety of products and services, including some that are typically human, revealing the anthropomorphic view of companion animals. Anthropomorphism allows the bonding between humans and animals, but it creates unreal expectations regarding the behavior of animals, which may cause grave consequences, such as abandonment. This may happen to purchased animals or animals received as gifts as well as to adopted animals, but there are differences between these types of acquisition. This research intended to identify similarities and differences in the process of acquiring a companion dog and to investigate the human-animal bond. Two Internet-based questionnaires were used, one to understand the acquisition process and one to measure the strength of the attachment to companion dogs (Dog Attachment Questionnaire). They were applied until one year of the acquisition of the dog and one year later. Most dogs are adopted (61.3%), followed by 26.3% of purchased dogs and 12.1% of dogs received as gifts. Adopting was associated with unplanned acquisitions, divorcees, lower education, older and neutered animals, taken as strays, mongrels, and chosen by the owner, residents at houses with more than one dog. Purchasing was associated with higher income, post-graduation, living in an apartment, younger people, married or single, planned acquisition, small animals and breed dogs. Receiving a dog as a gift was associated with lower education and income, living in a country house or farm, big and neutered animals. The human-animal bond is strengthened by the following factors: being young, female, single or divorced, with medium education and income, that chooses its own pet and is solely responsible for it, neutered dogs, strays, unplanned acquisition, living in a house, with more dogs. The human-animal bond is weakened by older, male, married owners, with high education and income, living in apartment or country house or farm, without other animals, shared responsibilities regarding the dog, animal chosen by others and having a specific breed. No direct association was found between bond and type of acquisition; however, several indirect associations indicate that the bond is stronger for those who adopted their companion animal than for those who purchased it. In one year period, the bond weakened. In order to avoid that this scenario perpetuates itself, its imperative to incentive adoption opposed to purchase of companion dogs, to educate children about the real value of animals and change the way they are represented culturally and in the media.

Rising temperatures all over the world has correlated with more frequent heat stroke related injuries and death. This statistic not only applies to humans, but to canines as well, who have similar body temperature thresholds. Recent studies have demonstrated that serum histones, released after cell death from heat stroke, play a role in heat stroke related injuries and death. This proposal aims to determine the severity of the effects caused by serum histone release after heat stroke by exposing selected canine cell lines to cell lysate and purified histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, which have been found to be associated with heat stroke injuries. Effectiveness of the histones will be determined by measuring the levels of apoptosis, NETosis, and necrosis in the cells, as well as the expression levels of heat shock proteins. Further research will also be done to determine whether toll-like receptors present on the cell surface are responsible for the mechanism utilized by serum histones to damage tissue in the body.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are currently more than 60 million pet dogs in the United States. This is an increase of nearly eighteen percent since 1991, coinciding with a growing area of research on human’s relationships with companion animals and companion animals’ place in society. For years dogs have been thought of as “man’s best friend” because of their loyalty and faithfulness. The increasing popularity of activities such as canine daycare and puppy school suggests that dogs have become more than a best friend to some and even an integral part of the American family unit. The bond and emotional connection between humans and canines is a unique relationship, yet the depth of that relationship is not fully understood academically. In order to contribute to our understanding of this special bond, I conducted seven in-depth interviews with canine companions. My research allowed me to explore how contemporary Americans understand their relationship with their companion dogs. Not only was I able to shed more light on how people think about and treat their canine companions, but I also investigated what benefits are reaped from relationships with dogs. Based on my informants’ reflections and stories, it became clear that their canines were more than just pets. The people in my study described dogs as their best friends, babies and even sons. My interviewees described canine companions who are active participants in their families and in human social life in general. Those who hope to understand this life cannot afford to ignore the canine companion’s changing and important contributions to society.