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Dogs for Depression
The bacteria in your mouth… and that of your dog
Paws with Claws
Dogslife publications so far
Dogs for Depression
Dogs for Depression is a not for profit organisation which was set up in 2009. Dogs for Depression aims to raise awareness of the health and healing benefits of dog ownership for those suffering with anxiety, stress, depression, or another illness. It also aims to emphasise these benefits to medical professionals and clinicians. Dogs for Depression was inspired by its founder’s own personal experience of recovering from severe depression with the help of a rescue dog. The dog provided the owner with the strength and support to combat the illness, where medications could not. Dogs for Depression campaigns for psychological assistance dogs to become recognised in the same way that other assistance dogs are (e.g. for disabilities or medical conditions), and promotes rescue dog adoption.
Dogs can help people with depression because they can act as therapy dogs. The psychological and physiological benefits of our relationships with animals is becoming well known. The presence of a dog can be calming, and stroking a dog is soothing and is known to improve mood, lower blood pressure, and lower stress levels. Since a close bond is formed between an owner and their dog, emotional support is provided in the form of loyalty and affection. Caring for an animal and receiving affection in return is very rewarding and can boost self-esteem. Dogs are also able to understand when we feel upset or down and respond. Dogs are not judgemental, offer unconditional love, and can make you laugh!
Taking on a rescue dog gives a positive feeling because being able to help a rescue dog and give it a new home is an act of kindness and humanity, and can bring out a nurturing instinct. It is also a great responsibility, but in having to take care of a dog when feeling low, it can help to stick to daily routine, get outdoors, get exercise and meet people. This can enhance mood and ease depression as dogs are great ice-breakers and can help in social situations, reducing the feeling of being depressed, anxious or isolated. New friendships can be formed either from meeting other people when out walking with the dog, or taking part in a dog activity as a hobby, for example.
A dog is a new member of family, and the relationship grows over time, but owners may have to deal with challenges, for example when training them. This requires being self-aware and being able to see how mood affects the dog which encourages owners to manage their state of mind so that the dog is more responsive to their commands, therefore having a positive impact on mental health.
To find out more about Dogs for Depression, please click here: http://dogsfordepression.org.uk/
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The bacteria in your mouth… and that of your dog
The population of bacteria at any site in the body is called the “microbiome”, and is usually unique to the particular site and dog. The bacteria can be characterised by sequencing their DNA, and this data is used to calculate the types and numbers of bacteria at any site.
The types of bacteria present in the mouth are important, as they can affect an individual’s risk of developing dental or gum disease, and potentially systemic illnesses. The types of bacteria are affected by the age, food and health of the individual sampled. A recent study in Korea looked at the populations of bacteria in the mouths of dogs and their owners.
As you would expect, the populations of bacteria in the oral cavity of dogs and their owners differ considerably. A few species of bacteria were observed in both owners and their dogs, suggesting that there may be some oral transfer between the two species, although this was suspected to be rare. Furthermore, some of the bacteria found in dog mouths were potentially zoonotic (i.e. they could cause infection in people) or associated with periodontal disease in people.
The scientists suggested that regular tooth brushing and dental scaling might help to reduce the numbers of potential pathogens and the risks of accidental infection of their owners. No matter how much your dog loves you, you should try to avoid them licking you! To find out more about the study, you can read it here: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0131468
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Paws with Claws
 Dogs have claws at the end of their toes to enable them to grip onto surfaces (or, historically, prey). They also use them to help them to dig or climb, to protect themselves, and to groom and scratch. Claws are positioned close to the last bone in the digit, which they protect. Dogs also have dewclaws which sit on the inside of the paw, but which do not usually contact the ground when the dog walks. Dewclaws are typically present on the front paws, but occasionally they are present on the hind limbs as well.
Claws grow from the nail bed and are made of a rigid substance called keratin. They are composed of a hard outer surface and a softer under surface. They contain blood vessels and a nervous supply in the centre, which is known as the “quick”, although this does not extend to the end of the claw. In dogs without pigmentation of their claws, the quick can often be visualised as a red area in the centre of the claw, a little distance from its end. Claws normally wear down when the dog is exercised, which is balanced by the speed at which they grow.
Problems with claws are quite common in dogs, and we have seen a number reported to Dogslife. They are very susceptible to being traumatised as they are prominently positioned at the end of the limb and so are easily caught or trapped as dogs run or play. Because of the nerves and blood vessels in the claw, the damaged claw can bleed (sometimes very profusely), or become very painful, and the claw may need to be removed. Claws can occasionally develop infections at the nail bed, which result in the digit becoming swollen and painful. Dogs with poor sensation (due to neurological problems) can drag their digits when they walk a little, which in turn can wear the claws down on their top side. This can be avoided if they are protected with boots, or if the dog is walked on soft surfaces. Occasionally claws can overgrow if dogs are not exercised, in which case they may need to be trimmed. This is particularly true of the dew claws which often do not contact the ground so are less likely to wear normally, and thus they are more likely to become overgrown. If you suspect that your dog has a problem with one of their claws, contact your veterinary surgeon for advice.
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Dogslife publications so far
As many of you will know, Dogslife have published a number of scientific papers about the study so far. Our first paper, entitled ‘Dogslife: A web-based longitudinal study of Labrador Retriever health in the UK’, was published in January 2013. This paper explained how we set the project up, how successful the project was at recruiting participants by different methods, and some initial findings from the data collected (such as how long it is before dogs become ill for the first time or go to the vet in their first year of life). The paper concluded that Dogslife is representative of the “general” population of Labrador Retreivers, and that you need to use multiple different methods of contact (e-mail, post and telephone) with participants to maximise recruitment and retention of the cohort. If you would like to view this paper, please click here: http://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-6148-9-13
Our second scientific paper (published in May 2014), entitled ‘What can cohort studies in the dog tell us?’ reviewed how cohort studies have been used in canine medicine to date, and highlights the benefits of wider use of these studies in the future. This paper emphasised the benefits that findings from cohort studies have already yielded in the field of canine health. The potential to identify risk factors and inform an evidenced-based medicine approach to preventative health measures in dogs, is dramatically enhanced by using electronic information transfer. This means that cohort studies like Dogslife can have a great impact on dog health and welfare. To view this paper, please click here: http://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2052-6687-1-5
Dr Carys Pugh completed a large study which involved visiting participants as part of her PhD. From the data she collected, she published the scientific paper entitled ‘Validity of Internet-Based Longitudinal Study Data: The Elephant in the Virtual Room’ in April 2015. Internet-based data collection relies on well-designed and validated questionnaires, and although the theory behind designing and validating questionnaires is well described, there are few practical examples of how to approach validation available. Carys showed how the theory underpinning online questionnaire design and validation translates into practical data issues when applied to Internet-based studies such as Dogslife. She also concluded that validation should be regarded as an extension of questionnaire design, and that validation work should commence as soon as data are available. Please click here http://www.jmir.org/2015/4/e96/ to view this paper.
Our most recent scientific paper, again written by Carys using data collected as part of her PhD, was published in December 2015, and entitled ‘Dogslife: A cohort study of Labrador Retrievers in the UK’. In this paper, a selection of data from Dogslife such as the height, weight and lifestyle of 4307 Labrador Retrievers up to four years of age are reported. The paper concludes that the morphological detail and lifestyle information collected by the Dogslife project offers a unique insight into the lives of pedigree Labrador Retrievers in the UK. Indeed many newsletter articles over the last six months have been written using this data. These findings set a baseline for further analysis of the relationship between dog morphology, lifestyle and health. It is hoped that Dogslife will contribute to an evidence-based approach to healthy dog aging. To view this paper, please click here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587715002329
Huge thanks to all our participants for providing data on their Labrador Retrievers which makes the Dogslife project possible! Look out for more of our publications in the future; we will tell you about them in our monthly Newsletter and in the Study so far section of the website.
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