Salivary Vasopressin as a Potential Non–Invasive Biomarker of Anxiety in Dogs Diagnosed with Separation–Related Problems

Abstract

Physiological biomarkers of canine anxiety have not been extensively investigated to date. To identify new biomarkers in dogs, we compared behaviorally normal dogs (Control group, N = 13) to dogs diagnosed with separation problems (Case group, N = 13) as they were introduced into a novel environment in the presence of two strangers and subjected to a short episode of separation and reunion with the owner. During the separation phase, dogs in the Case group explored significantly less than controls and were significantly more persistent in expressing passive stress-coping strategies aimed at seeking proximity to their owners. When the owners returned, dogs with separation distress spent significantly more time jumping up on the strangers than control dogs did. Salivary oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations did not differ between samples taken before and after the separation. However, vasopressin concentrations immediately after separation were significantly higher in the Case than in the Control group and remained higher, although not significantly so, 10 min later. These results indicated that dogs with separation distress became more anxious than typical dogs when separated from their owner in an unfamiliar environment and provided preliminary support for the use of salivary vasopressin as a possible biomarker for anxiety-related responses in dogs.

Evaluation of salivary vasopressin as an acute stress biomarker in healthy dogs with stress due to noise and environmental challenges

“…In the latest study of salivary AVP in dogs, dogs diagnosed with separation-related problems showed higher salivary AVP levels than a control group when separated from their owner. This result supports further exploration of the use of salivary AVP as an early, non-invasive biomarker of canine anxiety-related disorders [ 30 ].…”

Where Do We Stand in the Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) Positive-Emotion Assessment: A State-of-the-Art Review and Future Directions

“…In dogs, vasopressin increase has been associated with acute stress responses (Hydbring-Sandberg et al, 2004) and was also reported in dogs with separation anxiety (Pirrone et al, 2019). Further, lower free, but higher total plasma AVP has been found in aggressive dogs (MacLean et al, 2017b).…”

“…Therefore, biomarkers play an important role and serve as a proxy when assessing emotion and positive well-being in animals (e.g., von Borell et al, 2007 ; Schmied et al, 2008 , 2010 ; Reefmann et al, 2009a , b ; Coulon et al, 2013 , 2015 ; Briefer et al, 2015 ; Kowalik et al, 2017 ). Heart rate (HR) ( Csoltova et al, 2017 ), heart rate variability (HRV) ( Bergamasco et al, 2010 ; Katayama et al, 2016 ; Travain et al, 2016 ), surface temperature ( Travain et al, 2015 , 2016 ; Csoltova et al, 2017 ), oxytocin ( Odendaal and Meintjes, 2003 ; Mitsui et al, 2011 ; Rehn et al, 2014 ; Nagasawa et al, 2015 ), vasopressin ( Hydbring-Sandberg et al, 2004 ; MacLean et al, 2017a , b , 2018 ; Pirrone et al, 2019 ), cortisol ( Hennessy et al, 1998 , 2006 ; Coppola et al, 2006 ; Bergamasco et al, 2010 ; Shiverdecker et al, 2013 ), and alpha-amylase ( Contreras-Aguilar et al, 2017 ; Hong et al, 2019 ) have been implemented and showed potential usefulness in indirect and noninvasive assessment of positive-emotion in dogs.…”

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Prospective Clinical Trial Evaluating the Efficacy of the Assisi Anti-anxiety Device (Calmer Canine) for the Treatment of Canine Separation Anxiety

“…In the current study, the video data were coded and analyzed with all study investigators and statistician remaining blind, providing further confidence in the results. Future studies could also involve the use of biomarkers, such as salivary vasopressin, to evaluate efficacy, provided additional work has been done to support their use ( 33 ).…”