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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2025

Cortisol Measurement in Koala Phascolarctos cinereus Fur

Cortisol Measurement in Koala Phascolarctos cinereus Fur

Published on: August 23, 2019

Testing the Level of Cortisol in Dogs.

Kamila Kaszycka¹, Małgorzata Goleman¹, Wanda Krupa¹

¹Department of Ethology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI

|May 14, 2025

Summary

Non-invasive sampling methods like saliva and hair are increasingly preferred for measuring cortisol levels in dogs, reflecting stress effectively while prioritizing animal welfare. This shift moves away from blood sampling due to its stress-inducing nature.

Keywords:

blood claws cortisol dog faeces foetal fluids hair saliva urine

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Area of Science:

Veterinary Medicine
Animal Welfare Science
Endocrinology

Background:

Cortisol levels are key indicators of stress in dogs.
Traditional blood sampling can induce stress, raising ethical concerns.
Non-invasive methods offer a welfare-friendly alternative for assessing canine stress.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and analyze the use of different matrices for cortisol measurement in dogs.
To highlight the trend towards non-invasive sampling in canine stress research.
To discuss the implications for animal welfare and research ethics.

Main Methods:

Systematic literature review of over 18,000 articles.
Identification and analysis of 78 relevant studies.
Comparison of cortisol levels across various sample types (saliva, hair, urine, blood).

Main Results:

A significant trend towards using non-invasive matrices (saliva, hair, urine) for cortisol analysis.
Non-invasive samples reliably reflect acute and chronic stress responses.
Blood sampling is decreasingly used due to its stress-inducing effects.
Cortisol concentrations are influenced by environmental, genetic, and social factors.

Conclusions:

Non-invasive sampling enhances canine welfare and research ethics.
Different matrices provide complementary data for a comprehensive stress profile.
Future research should integrate behavioral measures and refine non-invasive techniques for better canine welfare evaluation.