A hipoventilação secundária ao procedimento anestésico é comum na prática anestésica, e, sendo assim, o emprego de técnicas de ventilação mecânica é adotado como forma de minimizar e/ou evitar os efeitos deletérios da hipoventilação. Porém, o uso de ventiladores mecânicos não é isento de risco, e atelectasias podem se formar mesmo quando são utilizados. Para análise em tempo real do pulmão, a técnica de tomografia por impedância elétrica vem sendo empregada em conjunto com outros meios de monitoração, tendo se demonstrado um meio útil de avaliação da ventilação pulmonar de maneira não invasiva, passível de ser utilizada à beira do leito e sem emissão de radiação. Estudos utilizando o tomógrafo de impedância elétrica em cães são escassos. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a ventilação de cães submetidos à anestesia inalatória e à ventilação mecânica utilizando a técnica de tomografia por impedância elétrica. Foram utilizados onze cães com peso superior a 16 kg e classificados como baixo risco anestésico (ASA I ou II). Os animais receberam acepromazina e meperidina como medicação pré-anestésica, propofol como indutor e isofluorano na manutenção da anestesia. Foram mantidos em ventilação mecânica controlada a pressão, com FiO2 de 0,6 e pressão de pico de 10 cmH2O durante os primeiros 90 minutos de anestesia. Foram então realizadas manobras de recrutamento alveolar e instituição de pressão positiva ao final da expiração (PEEP) de 5 cmH2O, e os animais foram avaliados por mais 35 minutos. Os parâmetros foram avaliados 30, 60 e 90 minutos após a indução da anestesia e 5 e 35 minutos após o recrutamento e instituição da PEEP. Apesar de não ter havido diferença estatisticamente significativa nos parâmetros de oxigenação e distribuição da ventilação, foi visível a melhora clínica e nas curvas de oxigenação e impedância. As curvas de impedância geradas a partir dos dados obtidos pelo tomógrafo de impedância elétrica acompanharam as curvas de melhora na oxigenação. O fato de, no estudo, terem sido utilizados animais hígidos e submetidos à ventilação mecânica e FiO2 de 0,6 desde o início pode ter contribuído para não ter havido melhora estatisticamente significativa, embora clinicamente visível. As manobras de recrutamento utilizadas também foram conservadoras em comparação aos outros trabalhos realizados. Infere-se que, se utilizássemos animais doentes e com FiO2 de 1, poderíamos ter obtido um grau maior de atelectasias nos primeiros 90 minutos de anestesia e/ou, se tivéssemos utilizado manobras de recrutamento menos conservadoras, poderíamos ter obtidos melhora estatisticamente significativa após as manobras e instituição da PEEP. A tomografia de impedância elétrica parece ser um bom meio de monitoração do pulmão em tempo real em cães submetidos à anestesia inalatória. / Hypoventilation secondary to anesthesia is common and, therefore, the use of mechanical ventilation techniques is adopted in order to minimize and/or prevent the deleterious effects of hypoventilation. However, the use of mechanical ventilators has risks, and atelectasis can develop even when they are used. For real-time analysis of the lung, the technique of electrical impedance tomography has been used in conjunction with other means of monitoring, having demonstrated to be useful for assessing pulmonary ventilation in a noninvasively way, and also can be used at the bedside and without radiation emission. There are not many studies using electrical impedance tomography in dogs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ventilation of dogs subjected to inhalation anesthesia and mechanical ventilation using the technique of electrical impedance tomography. We used eleven dogs weighing more than 16 kg and classified as low anesthetic risk (ASA I or II). The animals were premedicated with acepromazine and meperidine, anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with isoflurane. Ventilation was then instituted with FiO2 of 0.6 and peak pressure of 10 cm H2O during the first 90 minutes of anesthesia. Alveolar recruitment maneuvers were realized and pressure positive end- expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 5 cmH2O was initiated. The animals were evaluated for more 35 minutes then. The parameters were measured at 30, 60 and 90 minutes after induction of anesthesia and 5 and 35 minutes after recruitment. Although there was no statistically significant difference in the parameters of oxygenation and ventilation distribution, clinical improvement was visible as was the oxygenation and impedance curves. The impedance curves generated from the data obtained with the electrical impedance tomograph followed the improvement in oxygenation curves. The fact that in this study we used healthy animals undergoing mechanical ventilation with FiO2 of 0.6 right from the beginning, may have contributed to no improvement statistically significant but clinically visible. Recruitment maneuvers used were also conservative in comparison to other papers. We think that, if we used animals and patients with FiO2 of 1, we could have obtained a higher degree of atelectasis in the first 90 minutes of anesthesia and/or, if we had used less conservative recruitment maneuvers, we could have obtained statistically significant improvement after maneuvers and institution of PEEP. The electrical impedance tomography seems to be a good means of real time monitoring the lung of dogs undergoing inhalation anesthesia.

Agonistas colinérgicos (neostigmina), administrados por via espinhal, potencializam a analgesia dos opióides por aumentar a concentração de acetilcolina no líquido cérebro-espinhal. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a duração e a eficácia analgésica, assim como a ocorrência de efeitos adversos, da neostigmina e morfina, isoladas ou associadas, administradas por via peridural em cães submetidos à cirurgia ortopédica nos membros pélvicos. Foram utilizados 30 cães de diferentes raças, machos ou fêmeas, de comportamento dócil submetidos à cirurgia ortopédica. Os cães foram prémedicados com meperidina (4 mg/kg IM); após 30 minutos, indução anestésica com propofol (5 mg/kg) e manutenção da anestesia com isofluorano. Após estabilização da anestesia, um cateter peridural era introduzido e a anestesia peridural foi realizada com lidocaína 2% (5 mg/kg). No final da cirurgia, os animais eram distribuídos aleatoriamente em 3 grupos de 10 e recebiam tratamento analgésico pelo cateter peridural como segue: grupo MOR, 0,1 mg/kg de morfina; grupo NEO, 5 µg/kg de neostigmina; e grupo MOR+NEO, associação de 0,1 mg/kg de morfina e 5 µg/kg de neostigmina. Soluções ajustadas com solução NaCl 0,9% até um volume total de 0,4 ml/kg, sendo o estudo caracterizado como prospectivo, clínico, tipo cego. Variáveis paramétricas mensuradas: frequência cardíaca (FC), frequência respiratória (f), temperatura retal (T°C) e as pressões arteriais sistólica, média e diastólica (PAS, PAM e PAD). Analgesia pós-operatória verificada por meio da escala analógica visual (EAV) e escala numérica descritiva (END). Tempos de avaliação: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 e 24 horas após o final da cirurgia. Caso o animal recebesse nota maior ou igual a quatro para EAV ou END, era realizado resgate analgésico com morfina 0,2 mg/kg (IV), morfina 0,1 mg/kg (peridural) mais meloxican 0,2 mg/kg (IV). Não houve diferenças significativas entre os grupos quanto aos valores demográficos e às variáveis paramétricas. Realizou-se resgate analgésico em 7 animais do grupo NEO, 4 do grupo MOR e 2 do grupo MOR+NEO. O grupo MOR+NEO apresentou menores valores nos escores de dor (EAV) no tempo 1 h em relação ao grupo NEO e no tempo 4 h em relação ao grupo MOR. Quanto aos efeitos adversos, não houve diferenças entre os grupos. A neostigmina como agente isolado não foi eficaz para o tratamento da dor pósoperatória, e a associação de morfina e neostigmina apresentou benefícios sem aumentar a incidência dos efeitos adversos comumente observados quando comparado ao uso isolado da morfina. / The epidural administration of cholinesterase inhibitor drug (nesotigmine) improves morphine analgesia for increased acetylcholine concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible analgesic effects of neostigmine and the possible potentiation of morphine analgesia in dogs undergoing orthopaedic pelvic limb surgery. Thirty healthy dogs, males or females, from several breeds were selected. They were sedated with meperidine (4 mg/kg IM). 30 minutes later, anestesia was induced with propofol (5 mg/kg IV) and anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane. An epidural catheter was inserted and local anaesthesia was performed with lidocaine 2% (5 mg/kg). At the end of surgical operation, the animals were randomly distributed into three groups of 10 animals each and received the analgesic treatment via epidural catheter using a factorial design: MOR group received 0.1 mg/kg morphine, while NEO group received 5 µg/kg neostigmine and MOR+NEO group received the combination of 0.1 mg/kg of morphine plus 5 µg/kg of neostigmine. In all cases, drug administration was completed with 0.4 ml of 0,9% NaCl. The study was characterized as a prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Parametric variables measured were heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (f), rectal temperature (T °C) and noninvasive estimation of systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure (SBP, DBP, and MAP). Postoperative analgesia was evaluated on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a descriptive numerical scale (DNS) at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 24 hours after the end of the surgery. When the VAS and DNS were equal or greater than four, postoperative analgesia was supplied with morphine 0.2 mg/kg (IV), morphine 0.1 mg/kg (epidural) plus meloxicam 0.2 mg/kg (IV). There were no statistically significant differences in demographic and parametric variables between the groups. Supplemental analgesia were administered in 7 animals of NEO group, 4 animals of MOR group and 2 animals of MOR+NEO group. Animals of MOR+NEO group showed lower values in pain scores (VAS) than animals of NEO group at time 1 hour and animals of MOR group at time 4 hours. The incidence of side effects was similar between the three treatment groups. In short, neostigmine alone was not effective in treatment postoperative pain in dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgery. The analgesics effects of neostigmine plus morphine showed benefits without increasing the incidence of adverses events commonly observed when compared to the use of morphine alone.

o cão GRMD (Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy) é um excelente modelo de estudo sobre a ação da terapia celular para aplicação a DMD - Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne, que ocorre em humanos, devido à similaridade clínica entre ambos. Estas doenças têm em comum a herança recessiva ligada ao cromossomo X; e são causadas pela ausência de uma proteína chamada distrofina, a qual está presente no sarcolema das fibras musculares. O ponto da estrutura da mutação no gene da distrofina é responsável pelo fenótipo GRMD; e é possível encontrarmos indivíduos com características clínicas bem diferentes uns dos outros. Atualmente não existe um tratamento específico para a distrofia muscular de Duchenne; e os estudos sobre o desenvolvimento clínico e morfológico da distrofia muscular visam, através de avaliações constantes, estabelecer uma padronização fenotípica para estes animais com vistas a controlar resultados pré-clínicos adequadamente e assegurar-Ihes uma boa qualidade de vida; para que tenham condições de ser submetidos aos protocolos de terapia celular em desenvolvimento no canil GRMD Brasil; e, com isto, conhecer claramente a ação efetiva da terapia celular versus desenvolvimento morfológico desta doença degenerativa progressiva dos cães. Realizou-se o acompanhamento clínico e morfológico. de 12 cães GRMD, 06 fêmeas e 06 machos, do nascimento aos 12 meses de idade. Avaliando-se o aparelho locomotor, notou-se que entre a primeira (cinco meses de idade) e última avaliação (12 meses), houve uma piora com evolução significativa na assimetria postural, aumento do ângulo do tarso e carpo, adução dos membros, dissociação da cintura pélvica, além de alterações na mobilidade ativa dos joelhos durante a atividade de marcha. A avaliação andrológica dos cães distróficos indicou maiores taxas de anormalidade espermática (defeitos maiores e menores) comparada à de cães normais aos 12 meses de idade; ao passo que as fêmeas manifestaram maturidade sexual aos 09 meses. O acompanhamento hematológico mensal mostrou valores próximos do ideal para cães saudáveis, sendo que os exames realizados com os animais entre seis e doze meses de idade foram aqueles que indicaram maiores alterações em relação aos valores de referência para a espécie. Concentrações médias para hemácias, hemoglobina e hematócrito foram menores que a média para esta faixa etária. Quanto às avaliações bioquímicas séricas, CK é uma ferramenta importante para diagnóstico e acompanhamento da distrofia muscular em cães, devido às suas oscilações e aumentos indiscutíveis em indivíduos doentes. AL T e AST também demonstraram aumentos muito acima dos valores normais durante todas as faixas etárias avaliadas. Finalmente, os parâmetros cardíacos avaliados nos cães distróficos foram significantemente diferentes comparados àqueles encontrados em cães sadios normais, porém sem deficit à fisiologia cardíaca nos GRMOs / The dog GRMD (Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy) is an excellent model to study the action of cell therapy for application to DMD - from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which occurs in humans; clinic due to the similarity between the two. These diseases have in common the legacy recessive linked to chromosome X, and are caused by the absence of a protein called dystrophin, which is present in sarcolema of muscle fibers. The point of the structure of mutation in the dystrophin gene is responsible for the phenotype GRMD, and you can find individuais with c1inical features quite different from each other. Currently there is no specific treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and the studies on the c1inical development of muscular dystrophy and morphological aim, through constant assessments, establish a standardized phenotypic for these animais in order to monitor pre-clinical results properly and maintain a good quality of life for them so that they have conditions to be submitted to the protocols of cell therapy being developed as kennel GRMD Brazil, and with it, knowing clearly the effective action of cell therapy versus the morphological development of this progressive degenerative disease of dogs. It was checked the c1inical and morphological of 12 dogs GRMD, 06 females and 06 males, from birth to 12 months of age. Judging by the locomotive system, it was noted that among the first (five months old) and last assessment (12 months), there was a worsening trend with significant asymmetry in posture, increasing the angle of the tarsus and carpus, adduction of the members, decoupling of the pelvic belt, as well as changes in the mobility of active knees during the activity running. Reproductive assessment of dystrophic dogs indicated higher rates of abnormal sperm (defects larger and smaller) compared to normal dogs at 12 months of age, while females expressed sexual maturity to 09 months. The monthly blood monitoring showed values close to ideal for healthy dogs, and the examinations performed with the animais between six and twelve months of age were those who indicated major changes in relation to the baseline for the species. Average concentrations for red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit were lower than the average for this age group. As for serum biochemical assessments, CK is an important tool for diagnosis and monitoring muscular dystrophy in dogs, due to its indisputable fluctuations and increases in individuais patients. AL T and AST also showed increases greatly above the normal values for ali ages evaluated. Finally, the cardiac parameters measured in dystrophics dogs were significantly different compared to those found in normal healthy dogs, but without the deficit in cardiac physiology GRMDs

As lesões medulares acometem anualmente milhares de pessoas e animais em todo o mundo, causando diversos prejuízos econômicos e psicológicos. As principais causas das lesões medulares são traumas automobilísticos e doenças do disco intervertebral. Muito embora a medicina esteja bastante avançada no campo da neurocirurgia, a cura para esse tipo de lesão ainda esta longe de ser obtida. O avanço das pesquisas no campo da terapia celular em lesões medulares surge como uma esperança para os pacientes crônicos. Neste trabalho buscamos avaliar a reposta do tratamento com células-tronco de medula óssea fetal canina em cães com lesão medular crônica toracolombar. Nosso trabalho se baseia em parâmetros clínicos, comportamentais, de imagem e fisioterápicos. Antes de adentrar no experimento, todos os cães foram submetidos a vários exames pré-operatórios (hemograma, exames bioquímicos, eletrocardiograma) para então serem encaminhados para o exame de ressonância nuclear magnética visando um diagnostico mais preciso da lesão. Após esse exame, os cães foram avaliados por fisioterapeutas veterinários que não pertenciam ao nosso grupo de pesquisa para se estabelecer uma pontuação no teste comportamental de Olby. Os animais também tiveram alguns outros reflexos testados (dor profunda, reflexo de panículo). Após a primeira avaliação, os animais foram submetidos à procedimento cirúrgico de descompressão da medula espinhal e aplicação de células-tronco da medula óssea fetal canina. Durante o procedimento foram injetados 1x106 células diretamente em 3 pontos distintos da medula espinhal. Após o procedimento os cães foram encaminhados para a fisioterapia, e por 3 meses, foram submetidos a diversos exercícios de reabilitação com o intuito de potencializar um possível efeito benéfico da terapia celular. Durante a fisioterapia, os animais foram filmados com o intuito de acompanhar a sua evolução, e após o termino da fisioterapia foram novamente avaliados pelos fisioterapeutas. Ao final do experimento 7 animais foram operados e os resultados obtidos demonstraram um aumento do reflexo de marcha em 6 deles. O único animal que não apresentou essa melhora da marcha foi aquele acometido por outra patologia associada à compressão medular. Esses resultados nos levam a sugerir uma ação benéfica da terapia celular em cães portadores de lesão medular crônica. Por outro lado sugere continuar recrutando animais com o objetivo de aprimorar as técnicas utilizadas, para conseguir resultados cada vez melhores. / Spinal cord injuries annually involve thousands of people and animals worldwide, causing economic and psychological damages. The main causes of spinal cord injuries are vehicular traumas and intervertebral disc diseases. Although medicine is very advanced in neurosurgery field, the cure for this type of injury is still far from being achieved. Research progresses in cell therapy for spinal cord injuries appear to be a hope for chronic patients. In this article we aimed to evaluate clinical responses to the treatment using canine fetal bone marrow stem cells in dogs with thoracolumbar chronic spinal cord injury. Our study was based on the evaluation of clinical signs, animal behavior, imaging and physiotherapy aspects. Before clinical-surgery trial, all dogs underwent to preoperative tests as hemogram, blood chemistry, electrocardiogram and to nuclear magnetic resonance exam, in order to stablish more accurate diagnosis of the injury. Following clinical exams, Olby score was determined by evaluating animal behavior. Olby tests were performed by external scientific research group, composed by veterinary phisiotherapists, in order to guarantee blind evaluation. Animals were also tested to deep pain and panniculus reflexes. s, After being evaluated, animals underwent surgical spinal cord decompression and to a 1x106 stem cells injection in three different sites of the spinal cord. After the procedure, dogs were referred to physiotherapy for three months, undergoing to a variety of rehabilitation exercises in order to improve cell therapy hypothetical benefic effect. During therapy, animals were filmed in order to monitor their evolution, and after the end of physiotherapy they were re-evaluated by physiotherapists. At the end of the experiment, 7 animals were operated and had resulted in an increase of reflex motion in 6 of them. The only animal that showed no such improvement was the one whos had other pathology associated with the spinal cord compression, these results lead us to believe in a beneficial action of cell therapy in dogs with chronic spinal cord injury and suggests continue recruiting animas with the aim of improving the techniques used to achieve better results.

Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are neuropeptides with diverse effects on social behavior, cognition and stress responses. Recent studies suggest that OT facilitates and responds to affiliative forms of human-animal interaction (HAI). However, previous studies measuring OT and AVP in dogs have been limited to measures from blood or urine, which present concerns related to the invasiveness of sample collection, the potential for matrix interference in immunoassays, and whether samples can be collected at precise time points to assess event-linked endocrine responses. Previous studies from our laboratory validated salivary measures of OT and AVP in dogs, however, it is currently unknown whether these measures respond dynamically to aspects of HAI. Here, we investigated the effects of affiliative forms of HAI on both plasma and salivary OT and AVP in dogs. We employed a within-and between-subjects design with a group of Labrador retrievers and Labrador retriever x golden retriever crosses (23 females, 15 males). Half of the dogs engaged in 10 min of free-form friendly interaction with a human experimenter (HAI condition), and the other half rested quietly in the same environment, without human interaction (control condition). We collected blood and saliva samples before, and immediately following both experimental conditions, and all samples were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) following previously validated protocols. Dogs participating in HAI exhibited a significant increase in both salivary OT (+ 39%) and plasma OT (+ 5.7%) whereas dogs in the control group did not. Salivary AVP showed no change in the HAI group but increased significantly (+ 33%) in the control group. Plasma AVP decreased significantly following HAI (13%) but did not change across time in the control condition. Within the dogs exposed to HAI, increases in salivary OT, and decreases in plasma AVP, were predicted by the extent of affiliative behavior between the dog and human (indexed by scores from a principal components analysis of social behaviors between the dog and human). Collectively our results suggest that measures of salivary OT and AVP provide useful biomarkers in studies of HAI, and afford a flexible and non-invasive toolkit than can be employed in diverse research contexts.

Abstract Multifunctional enzyme type 2 (MFE-2) is a peroxisomal enzyme participating in the breakdown of fatty acids in eukaryotes. Depending on the organism, MFE-2 is composed of two to four functional units, out of which the two enzymatic ones, 2-enoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) hydratase 2 and (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, are found in the all MFE-2s. These units are responsible for the catalysis of the second and third steps of the peroxisomal β-oxidation of various CoA thioesters of fatty acids and fatty acyl derivatives. Their (R)-stereospecificity and ability to accept a broad range of fatty acid CoA esters as substrates, in addition to the fact that they do not share any sequence similarity with the classical mitochondrial counterparts, make the enzymatic units of MFE-2 structurally very interesting. In this study, the three-dimensional structures of the (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 units were solved by crystallographic methods. The crystal structure of the (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase unit of rat MFE-2 reveals a dimeric enzyme with an α/β short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) fold. A unique feature of (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, however, is the separate C-terminal domain, which completes the active site cavity of the adjacent monomer and extends the dimeric interactions. The 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 unit is a dimer with a unique two-domain structure proposed to evolve via gene duplication. The fold consists of two side-by-side arranged repeats of the hot-dog fold motifs, thus being highly reminiscent of the tertiary structures of the (R)-specific 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase of the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis pathway and the β-hydroxydecanoyl thiol ester dehydrase of fatty acid synthesis type II, both from prokaryotic sources. The importance of the N-domain in the binding of bulky substrates was shown by the enzyme-product complex structure, which also indicates the active site. For the first time, it was shown that the eukaryotic hydratase 2 uses an Asp/His catalytic dyad in catalysis. Moreover, a novel catalytic mechanism was proposed for (R)-specific hydration/dehydration. The solved structures also provide a molecular basis for understanding the effects of the patient mutations of MFE-2. They also allow disussion of the possible organisation of the three units in full-length MFE-2 of mammals.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate how does child's age affect the identification and categorization of audio and audio-visual recordings of dog barks expressing the emotion of anger, sadness and happiness. The key importance was in to reveal in what age is the child able to distinguish safely among dog's emotions and the situations during which the recordings were taken. Moreover, the study also researches in what age is the child able to match the typical expressions of the human's facial muscles. The study also aimed to research the influence of gender, experience with the dog and type of the recording (audio/video) on respondent's final decision. 265 children from nursery and primary schools in the age of 4 to 12 years were included in the study. The same version of the questionnaire was given to all of the respondents and every one of them evaluated identical recordings. The questionnaire and secondary material were arranged in the form of illustrations and coloured codes due to the lower age limit of children. It has been shown that age and type of emotion captured in the recording played important role when children were identifying and categorizing them. The success of correct responds was rising with the higher age of children, whereas concrete misinterpretations appeared among...

Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Kadri Koppel / Palatability of pet food is an important factor influencing food purchase decision of pet owners. In industry, single- or two-bowl methods are traditionally used to determine food acceptance or preference by pets but shortcomings exist to these methods. The first objective of this study was to propose and develop a preference ranking procedure. Preliminary testing consisted of five phases each lasting five days. Each day twelve beagles were presented 5 treats encased in identical rubber toys (“kongs”). The order of selection was considered as the ranking of preference. The five phases consisted of training, testing lab-baked treats formulations with five varieties of fats, starches and proteins, and commercial foods. The dogs generally ranked 1-2 flavors above others, indicating this procedure could be a more efficient method to determine preference since more samples can be evaluated simultaneously. The second objective was to validate this procedure by following the same process as the preliminary test. The results from phases 2 to 4 showed a similar pattern. For phase 5, various treat formulations were tested by combining the most to least preferred ingredients in each category. The results proved that the ranking of the formulations resembled the preference of the dogs for individual ingredients. Therefore, this procedure was concluded to be reliable. The third objective was to use descriptive sensory analysis to study the sensory characteristics of the treats and gain insights on the drivers of dogs’ preference. Five highly trained panelists profiled the aroma of the treats and the data was analyzed with the preference results collected from the dogs. The external preference maps showed that fish and meaty aromatics tended to be liked by the dogs and grain and musty/dusty aromatics appeared to be disliked. The last objective of this study was to further explore the applications of this procedure by studying the effect of toy/puzzle toy of the treat and ingredient dosage/ratio. With the same dogs, Styrofoam cups (puzzle toy alternative) and kongs were evaluated separately with the same treats. The results collected with Styrofoam cups were similar but less discriminating than kongs. It potentially suggested that the difficulty level of the toy can affect the significance of the dogs’ preferences. No significant preference was observed when testing the treats with different ratio of the most and the least preferred protein sources, although the human descriptive panel was able to provide different profiles for the samples. In conclusion, the preference ranking procedure is a reliable test method but more research is necessary to further explore applications.

A articulação do cotovelo é complexa e tem grande relevância clínica nos atendimentos aos pequenos animais. Esta região já foi bem explorada em pesquisas anteriores pelos métodos radiográficos e tomográficos, porém, ainda há poucos estudos relacionados à ultrassonografia. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever a anatomia ultrassonográfica da articulação do cotovelo de cães e comparar com os achados das demais modalidades de diagnóstico por imagem. Dessa forma, demonstrar a capacidade da técnica de identificar as principais estruturas desta articulação e seu potencial uso em regiões onde a tomografia computadorizada e ressonância magnética não estiverem disponíveis. Dez animais com peso entre 5 kg e 15 kg foram radiografados e selecionados para o estudo ultrassonográfico. O protocolo para a descrição ultrassonográfica foi estabelecido dividindo-se as áreas da articulação em porções proximal, média e distal; e faces lateral, cranial, medial e caudal. A avaliação foi realizada nos planos longitudinais, transversais e oblíquos e as estruturas musculoesqueléticas foram descritas conforme sua arquitetura, ecogenicidade e ecotextura. Como parte complementar deste estudo um dos animais foi submetido aos exames de tomografia computadorizada e ressonância magnética. Em relação às estruturas visibilizadas, o exame ultrassonográfico foi eficiente para as análises muscular, tendínea e ligamentar. Os contornos ósseos e regiões sede de alterações de importância clínica, como processo coronóide medial da ulna e processo ancôneo também foram visibilizados, porém de forma limitada. O conhecimento prévio da anatomia ultrassonográfica normal da articulação do cotovelo, assim como das vantagens e limitações da técnica, permitem a realização de estudos subsequentes, relacionados às possíveis identificações de alterações musculoesqueléticas. / The elbow is a complex joint and has a great clinical relevance at the small animal medicine care. Previous research of this region has been explored using radiographic and tomographic methods, however, there are few studies related to ultrasonography. The aim of this study was to describe the ultrasonographic anatomy of the elbow joint of dogs and compare it with the findings of other types of diagnostic imaging. Thus, demonstrate the ability of this technique to identify the main structures of this joint and its potential use in regions where computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are not available. Ten animals weighing between 5 kg and 15 kg were radiographed and selected to the ultrasonographic study. The protocol was established for the ultrasonographic description dividing the articular areas in proximal, middle and distal; and lateral cranial, medial, and caudal faces. The approach was made in longitudinal, transverse and oblique planes and the musculoskeletal structures were described according to the architecture, echogenicity and echotexture. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance scans were made in one animal as an additional part of this study. Regarding visualized structures, the ultrasonography was efficient for muscle, tendon and ligament analysis. Bone contours and regions that have clinical significance such as medial coronoid process and anconeus process were identified, but with limited access. Prior knowledge of the normal sonographic anatomy of the elbow joint as well as the technical advantages and limitations allow pursuing further studies related to the possible identification of musculoskeletal disorders.

Le bien-être animal est considéré un phénomène multidimensionnel basé sur les conditions et les expériences de vie de chaque individu, et lié aux fonctions organiques et à la sensibilité de l’individu même. L’étude des émotions animales est complexe mais les hypothèses sur leurs états émotifs peuvent être formulées sur la base de mesures neurophysiologiques, comportementales et cognitives. Des études récentes ont montré que la latéralité cérébrale et comportementale, la fréquence cardiaque et l'activité cérébrale (mesurée par électroencéphalographie sont des paramètres qui permettent d’évaluer la perception de la valence et du niveau stimulant des émotions chez l’animal et l'Homme. Le but principal de ce projet de thèse était d’étudier la perception que les chiens et les chevaux ont du contenu émotionnel des signaux humains et l’impact potentiel que peuvent avoir ces signaux sur l’état émotionnel de ces animaux et par conséquent sur leur bien-être. Dans ce but, nous avons présenté à ces animaux des stimuli exprimant diverses émotions. Nous avons utilisé une approche intégrée combinant l’analyse de la latéralité comportementale, de la fréquence cardiaque, de l’activité cérébrale et du comportement des sujets afin de répondre à 2 questions: 1) les chiens et les chevaux perçoivent-ils le contenu émotionnel des signaux humains? 2) Les chiens et les chevaux attribuent-ils une valence et une intensité différentes selon les émotions humaines perçues. Les résultats de ce travail de thèse montrent que les chiens et les chevaux traitent différemment les signaux émotionnels en fonction de leur valence et de leur intensité. La perception de la voix de l'homme par le cheval est modulée par la valence des interactions homme-cheval antérieures et par les conditions de vie des chevaux. En ce qui concerne les chiens, nos résultats montrent qu’ils discriminent et perçoivent les émotions contenues dans les signaux visuels, auditifs et olfactifs humains différemment, et nous fournissent de nouvelles connaissances sur le fonctionnement émotionnel du cerveau du chien. Les résultats de ce travail de thèse apportent un cadre théorique pour définir des paramètres utiles à l'évaluation du bien-être animal. / Animal welfare is considered to be a multidimensional phenomenon based upon life experiences and conditions, characterized by how an individual feels and functions. The study of emotions in animals is difficult but assumptions of emotional states are usually derived from neurophysiological, behavioral and cognitive measurements. Recent literature shows that cerebral and behavioral laterality, cardiac activity and brain activity (measured by electroencephalography) are suitable parameters to examine animals’ and human emotional processing along the valence and arousal dimensions. The main aim of the present research project was to investigate dogs and horses perception of the emotional content of human signals that potentially affects animals’ affective state and welfare. An integrated approach combining the analysis of behavioral lateralization, cardiac and brain activity, and subjects’ behavior was applied in order to answer to the following questions: 1) Do dogs and horses perceive the different emotional content of human signals? 2) Do dogs and horses attribute a different valence and intensity to the human emotions perceived? Overall, the results of this thesis project demonstrate that dogs and horses process differently emotional signals according to their valence and intensity. In particular, horses perception of a human voice is modulated by the valence of the prior horse-human interactions and by subjects’ living conditions. As for dogs, results demonstrate that they discriminate and perceive differently the emotional content of human visual, auditory and olfactory signals, providing new insights into the emotional functioning of the canine brain. The current research offers a theoretical framework for defining useful parameters to evaluate animal welfare.