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Impact of chewing on cognitive performance in dogs

USER-ALT Sarah Krichbaum and others , Auburn University , Alabama , USA

Good animal welfare involves more than providing for the individual ' s functional needs ; it may also require environmental enrichment to tackle behavioural indicators of adverse mental states such as aggression , lethargy and stereotypies . The authors investigated the effects of chewable toys on the performance of dogs in cognitive tests and its relationship to fearfulness . They found that in dogs with high levels of fearfulness , a higher frequency of chewing resulted in better performance in working memory and maze tests . However , in dogs with lower levels of fearfulness , higher-frequency chewing resulted in a poorer performance in the tests . The study appears to be the first to show a connection between chewing and cognitive performance in dogs .

Applied Animal Behaviour Science https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . applanim . 2023.106078

Effect of an auditory aid on chest compression rate in resuscitation

USER-ALT Ashley Genetti and Efa Llewellyn , Royal ( Dick ) School of Veterinary Studies , Edinburgh , UK

An appropriate chest compression technique is the cornerstone of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation for patients that suffer cardiac arrest . The authors compared the compression-rate accuracy of 20 veterinary surgeons and 16 veterinary nurses when performing resuscitation on a canine manikin , either with or without an auditory aid – listening to the Bee Gees ' song Stayin ' Alive , Queen ' s Another One Bites the Dust or a traditional metronome . Their findings showed that hearing either the Queen song or the metronome was helpful in encouraging the clinician to maintain a compression rate in the required range of 100 – 120 compressions per minute . Ironically , Stayin ' Alive did not provide a suitable soundtrack to these resuscitation efforts .

Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care https :// doi . org / 10.1111 / vec . 13351

Improving the early detection of cognitive decline in older dogs

USER-ALT Robert Hunter and others , Veterinary Health Research Centers , Overland Park , Kansas , USA

Canine cognitive decline ( CCD ) is common in older dogs and shows many physiological and behavioural similarities to dementia in human patients . The treatment options in either species are currently limited . The authors describe the scope and goals of the Dogs Overcoming Geriatric Memory and Aging ( DOGMA ) initiative , which will investigate the development of CCD in a large and varied population of client-owned dogs . The project will collect data on blood biomarkers , assess comorbidities and use wearable technologies to track and evaluate biometric data associated with neurodegeneration . Its organisers hope that the study will provide insights into novel treatment strategies for dogs and shed light on similar disease mechanisms in humans .

American Journal of Veterinary Research https :// doi . org / 10.2460 / ajvr . 23.02.0032

16 Veterinary Nursing Journal