AUTHENTIC SCIENCE RESEARCH
Students learn research methodology in the natural and social sciences by accessing scientific databases using on-line bibliographic search techniques, consulting doctoral-level research scholars, developing hypotheses and performing experiments to test them, and by writing research papers and making presentations at scientific symposia as appropriate
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE EFFICACY OF COMPRESSION WRAPS AS ANXIOLYTIC IN DOMESTICATED DOGS
BACKGROUND: Over 70% of domesticated dogs currently show signs of anxiety, negatively impacting both their own and their owner’s mental and physical health. Few effective methods for treating canine anxiety disorders exist, making pressure wraps a promising anxiolytic.
HYPOTHESIS: Pressure wraps may decrease clinical signs of anxiety in dogs.
METHODS: A systematic review was completed by searching numerous databases in order to identify relevant studies. Each paper was individually reviewed by myself and one other person using a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria. Included studies investigated the effects of pressure wraps on dogs with anxiety. Main outcomes of interest included were spontaneous locomotor activity, mean anxiety score, heart rate, rectal temperature, respiratory rate, skin temperature, activity, globally assessed anxiety scores, and behavioral anxiety symptoms.
RESULTS: A total of 204 unique studies were identified, of which four met the inclusion criteria. Different commercially available products were used in the reviewed studies including three pressure wraps (Anxiety Wrap, ThunderShirt, Lymed Dog) and one telemetry vest. Anxiety-evoking stimuli used in the experimental studies included short-term exposure to recorded firecracker or thunderstorm sounds or separation from their owner. The remaining open-label study evaluated the use of a pressure wrap in dogs with thunderstorm phobia living in their home environment and exposed to naturally occurring thunderstorms. Risk of bias in domains related to blinding of investigators or study participants was generally high. Domains with moderate risk of bias often reflected incomplete reporting of research methods and small sample sizes leading to imprecision in the estimate of the effect size. Most studies reported minimal benefits on behavior or heart rate.
CONCLUSION: This review indicates that pressure wraps can minimally reduce physiologic or behavioral signs of anxiety in dogs subjected to either loud sounds or separation from their owner.