HPA Activation: A Comparison between Shelter and Companion Dogs

Abstract

Cortisol is considered to be a significant indicator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation in dogs. HPA activation is one of the most commonly used measures of stress in animal research. Saliva was used in this study as a noninvasive measure of cortisol. When dogs are entered into shelters they are exposed to many stressors that may influence their immune system and temperament, and can affect their prospects of adoption. Better understanding of stress-induced physiological changes in dogs bridges gaps in knowledge needed to improved welfare of these animals. Saliva swabs were used to collect saliva samples from 2 groups of dogs; county shelter dogs and companion dogs, to determine if there was a difference in cortisol levels between the two groups. The samples were analyzed using a cortisol immunoassay kit and a plate reader. We predict that there is a difference between the groups and that the salivary cortisol levels of the shelter dogs are higher than in the dogs kept as pets. Funding Source: Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship