Precursores de distrés canino en base a una consulta bajo enriquecimiento ambiental dentro de una clínica veterinaria

Abstract

During veterinary consultation, environmental enrichment aims to adapt to the surroundings in such a way that the animal no longer exhibits undesired behaviors and can express its natural ones. This research evaluates the impact of providing rewards and the presence of the guardian during the consultation to determine the external factors that influence and promote signs of stress, distress, and calmness before, during, and after the implementation of each environmental enrichment protocol in a 2x2 factorial model within the Mimo's Veterinary Clinic. The study encompassed 24 male mongrel dogs, weighing between 2 to 10 kg and aged between 2 to 4 years, all of which had not previously attended the clinic. The results obtained were: the frequency of stress signs (p=264) most common is barking (54%) and howling (31%), increasing (p=0.0002) throughout the entire consultation process. Signs of distress remain unaffected (p=0.534) and increase during the process of consultation towards its conclusion (p=0.0088). Comfort reflected in tail wagging (52%) and lying down (43%) were similar unaffected (p=0.972), and were more common during and after the consultation (p=0.008). Finally, the physiological variables were also not affected (p>0.05). In enriched consultation, owners may cause the stress triggering factor, and the reward is not always a stimulus well-accepted. Therefore, further research should be done on hyperattachment during consultations and on the use of different rewards.