IDEXX Supports Human-Animal Bond Research

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) today announced funding for a new research project at Colorado State University to study the impact of temperament and stress on the health and success of working dogs. This pilot study aims to measure the Allostatic Load (AL) of dogs, which is understood as the ‘wear and tear’ on the body due to chronic or frequent stressors. Widely published in human health literature, AL in humans is affected by genetics and personality, and high AL is a predictor of negative health outcomes including heart disease and cognitive decline. After successfully validating AL in primates, the research team seeks to validate canine AL for the first time. “Developing a reliable method of measuring chronic stress will help ensure we are taking proper care of working dogs as well as pet dogs,” said the Principal Investigator of this project, Barbara Wolfe, DVM, Ph.D., DACZM, Colorado State University. “If successful, this tool could be utilized to predict success in working dogs and identify when working dogs are experiencing unhealthy levels of stress.” This study will analyze early life events and lifestyle factors that may influence AL in Labrador Retrievers raised to be trained as guide dogs as well as Labrador Retrievers raised as pets. Researchers will use blood sampling to compare biomarkers associated with AL to these lifestyle and event factors to determine any association between AL and potential stressors. While many studies to date have used a single biomarker, such as cortisol, to determine canine stress, measuring AL tests multiple biomarkers of stress which allows for a more accurate measure of the accumulation of stress over time. “This project reflects HABRI’s deep commitment to animal care and welfare,” said Steven Feldman, President of HABRI. “Understanding how to improve the lives of our canine companions is crucial to strengthening the human-animal bond.”

The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation today announced it has awarded a $6,000 grant to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Nursing for a pilot research study, Biobehavioral Effects of Therapy Dog Visitation in Elderly Intensive Care Unit Patients, to investigate how brief visits from therapy dogs can reduce stress in older intensive care unit (ICU) patients. “Elderly patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit are at risk for anxiety that negatively affects physical health,” said primary researcher Sandra Branson, PhD, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor at the UTHealth School of Nursing. “Limited evidence suggests the effectiveness of therapy dog visits in improving these biological responses. We’re hoping this study will help fill the gap and potentially translate into regular practice in ICUs.” Further exploring the effects of therapy dogs on stress in elderly ICU patients, the study aims to provide research-based evidence proving the efficacy of brief, 10-minute therapy dog visits in improving stress associated with being in an ICU. The 18-month study will observe two groups of 10 elderly participants in the ICU; one group will receive a 10-minute therapy dog visits at random and the other will receive usual care without the visits. Patients’ psychosocial, endocrine, and inflammatory responses will be measured immediately before and after the 10-minute care session and compared between the two groups. It is predicted that participants who receive the therapy dog visits will show greater reductions in the measured responses. The results of this study could yield therapy dog visits as a regular, low-risk and low-cost treatment intervention for patients in the ICU. “HABRI’s grant to UTHealth will help advance the science that demonstrates the benefits of companion animals for disease recovery and healthy aging,” said HABRI Executive Director Steven Feldman. “The deployment of therapy...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced today key findings from its benchmark survey of U.S. pet owners. The survey found that growing importance and knowledge of the human-animal bond drive actions to improve both human and animal wellbeing. “These new results capture how pets are front-and-center in our lives, a trend accelerated by the pandemic,” said Steven Feldman, president of HABRI. “Pets are so important, especially to our mental health, that more than 1-in-5 pet owners said a doctor or therapist had recommended pet ownership.” HABRI first fielded its benchmark survey in 2016, providing a window into how attitudes, knowledge and behaviors have changed over the last five years. Important increases were noted in those reporting health benefits related to pet ownership and time spent with pets. • 76% of pet owners report that their personal health has improved as a result of owning a pet, up from 71% in 2016 (+5%) • 87% of pet owners say that they have experienced mental health improvements from pet ownership, up from 74% in 2016 (+13%) • 83% of pet owners say they spend most of or a big part or most of the day with their pets, up from 78% in 2016 (+5%) Connected to these increases, more people are aware of and talking about the human-animal bond with each other and with their medical professionals. 97% of pet owners are aware of at least one scientifically-documented health benefit of the human-animal bond 64% of pet owners have had a conversation with someone in the past year about the health benefits of pet ownership 22%, more than 1-in-5, pet owners have had a pet recommended for their health by a doctor or therapist 63% of pet owners have discussed the health benefits of the human-animal bond with their veterinarian (75% of Gen Z/Millennials), up from 56% in 2016 (+7%) Results strongly indicate that the more pet owners learn about scientific research on the benefits of the human-animal bond, the more likely they are to take...