Investigating risk factors that predict a dog’s fear during veterinary consultations

Abstract

Attending the veterinary clinic is an integral part of the physical welfare of every companion dog. However, some dogs experience their veterinary visits negatively, which poses a risk of injury to the veterinary staff, their guardian (owner) and themselves. It may also influence the regularity of non-urgent veterinary appointments. To date there have been conflicting reports relating to the proportion of dogs that show fear during their veterinary visits. In this study, we explored the risk factors associated with fear during veterinary examination and in novel situations (including first time at the veterinary clinic) from 26,555 responses in the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire database. According to their guardians, 41% of companion dogs displayed mild to moderate fearful behaviour when examined by a veterinarian, and 14% exhibited severe or extreme fear. A similar trend was observed with dogs responding fearfully when in unfamiliar situations, including the dog’s first time at the veterinary clinic. Chi-squared tests showed every bivariate relationship between fear and the environmental and demographic factors measured was significant (p < 0.05). The most important predictors of fear in a veterinary examination were, in order: the dog’s breed group (27.1%), their history of roles or activities (16.7%), where they were sourced (15.2%), their weight (12%), the age of other dogs in the household (9.5%) and dog owner experience (6.3%). However, combined these risk factors only explain a total of 7% of variance of fear observed during veterinary examination. This suggests that fear exhibited during veterinary visits is common in dogs, but that the environment or human-animal interactions are likely to contribute more to prevalence and severity of this problem than the demographic factors measured here. We conclude by highlighting opportunities for future research aimed at facilitating less stressful veterinary visits for dogs and their guardians.

Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs

“…In contrast, Labrador Retrievers were seldomly fearful. These results are in agreement with previous studies, ranking mixed breed dogs high in fearfulness 9,13,35,40 and Labrador Retrievers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers low in fearfulness 35,41,45,46 . Fear of surfaces and heights was the most often observed in Rough Collie and mixed breed dogs.…”

“…Specifically, 17% of dogs showed fear of other dogs, 15% fear of strangers and 11% fear of novel situations. Prevalence of total fearfulness 12,16 and prevalence of fear subtraits 9,15,16,35 were quite similar in previous studies as well. Fear of surfaces and heights appears to be highly prevalent in our study population, as 23.5% of dog owners reported that their dogs were highly fearful of different surfaces and heights.…”

Serotonin and Tryptophan Serum Concentrations in Shelter Dogs Showing Different Behavioural Responses to a Potentially Stressful Procedure

“…Considering the conflicting findings on the relationship between TRP and 5-HT peripheral levels, as well as the evidence on the effects of 5-HT on dog behaviour, the aim of this study was twofold: (1) to investigate the possible correlation between TRP and 5-HT serum concentrations in dogs that, differently from similar previous studies, were on a normal feeding regimen; (2) to assess potential differences in dogs’ TRP and 5-HT peripheral concentrations in relation to their behavioural response to a potentially stressful procedure, which in this case was represented by a veterinary examination [ 34 , 35 ].…”

Surgical and Behavioral Relationships With Welfare

“…These can include low-stress handling methods, playing music, and suitable housing. This is an increasing area of research, and many resources are available by which staff can learn and practice these techniques (30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37). Effective pharmacological interventions include trazodone, gabapentin, and transmucosal dexmedetomidine, as well as the use of pheromones (26,(38)(39)(40)(41)(42).…”