VN June 2020

Vetnews | June 2020 37 Bits and Bobs I Stukkies en Brokkies Professor Hannes Lohi from the University of Helsinki speculates whether this is a cause or consequence. "Activity and stimuli have already been found to have a positive effect on behaviour, in both dogs and humans. Of course, the lesser activity of fearful dogs can also be down to their owners wanting to avoid exposing their dogs to stressful situations. It may be that people just are not as active with fearful dogs," Lohi points out. Furthermore, significant differences between breeds were identified in the study. Spanish water dogs and Shetland sheepdogs expressed social fearfulness the most, while wheaten terriers were among the bravest breeds. The Cairn terrier and the Pembroke Welsh corgi expressed only little fearfulness towards other dogs. "Differences between breeds support the notion that genes have an effect on fearfulness, as well as onmany other mental health problems. This encourages us to carry out further research especially in terms of heredity. All in all, this study provides us with tools to improve the welfare of our best friend: diverse socialisation in puppyhood, an active lifestyle and carefully made breeding choices can significantly decrease social fearfulness," Lohi sums up. (Source: www.sciencedaily.com ) v Wearable device may detect heart rate, breathing in pets Scientists have designed a wearable tech device that can detect animals’ vital signs — such as heart rate and breathing — through fur. The findings could enhance the work of sniffer dogs, as well as enabling pet owners to monitor their companions’ health in real time. Globally, as the cost of healthcare is increasing and that of smartphones and wearable technology is decreasing, mobile health and wearable health monitoring devices are becoming more and more prevalent. Additionally, the world’s population is aging at a dramatic rate, and in some countries, access to healthcare professionals remains limited. In this context, health tracking wearable tech is growing in popularity — so much so that researchers have now looked into using health tracking devices not just for humans but also for their furry companions. Firat Güder, from the department of bio-engineering at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, and his team of researchers have developed a wearable sensor that can track and monitor vital signs through fur and clothing. The researchers published their findings in the journal Advanced Functional Materials . Güder and colleagues explain in their paper that the current selection of wearable devices for pets is underwhelming because existing technology requires direct contact with the skin or fails when the tissue is wet. Furthermore, such devices tend to be expensive or disposable, and they can cause irritation and allergic reactions. In contrast, the device that Güder and his team have designed comprises a composite material that includes a stretchable silicone membrane that encapsulates water or hydrogels. These mediums allow the propagation of acoustic waves, making the device function as a stethoscope. The stretchy material can neatly wrap around the shape of the fur, clothing layer, or body part to which a person applies it. Once they have been converted into a digital signal, the sound waves can transmit information to a mobile device, potentially enabling a pet owner to monitor their pet’s physiology in real time. The researchers tested the device’s ability to monitor heart and breathing rates in five humans and one Labrador retriever. The tests showed that the device works through four layers of clothing in humans and is also effective through fur. “The next step,” says Cotur, “is to validate our system further with animals, primarily focusing on sniffer dogs and then horses and livestock later on.” The researchers hope that their device will help make the data from sniffer dogs more reliable. The police currently use sniffer dogs for purposes such as detecting bombs and finding missing people. When a sniffer dog is about to find their target, their heart rate and breathing intensify. The authors of the new study say that their device may help establish a more accurate baseline for what constitutes normal breathing and heart rate. It could then show how much the dog’s vital signs diverge from the standard. This could make the dog’s reactions more reliable and quantifiable. In fact, it might be possible to feed their heart rate and breathing into an algorithm to indicate how“sure” the dog is that they have found their target. (Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com) v Urban dogs are more fearful than their cousins from the country <<< 36