It is believed that different dog breeds have different levels of pain sensitivity, although there is little scientific evidence for this. Or at least until now.
Scientists at the University of North Carolina in the United States conducted a study of 10 dog breeds and confirmed that these pets have different sensitivity to pain. While the results of the study don’t exactly match how veterinarians evaluate pain sensitivity in different breeds of dogs ScienceAlert.
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According to the study authors, ratings of pain sensitivity in different breeds of dogs are not always consistent between veterinarians and owners of these animals. The scientists decided to find out which dogs are more sensitive to pain and whether the results of veterinarians’ assessments depend on the dogs’ emotional reaction and behavior.
The scientists collected public data from veterinarians and pet owners about how they define pain sensitivity in different breeds of dogs. It is believed that the dogs that are most sensitive to pain are the least able to tolerate it. As a result of the study, scientists divided dog breeds into three groups according to this criterion:
- high sensitivity to pain – this includes breeds such as Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Maltese, Siberian Husky;
- average pain sensitivity – this includes breeds such as the border collie, Boston terrier, jack russell terrier;
- Low sensitivity to pain – this includes breeds such as the golden retriever, pit bull terrier, and Labrador retriever.
The new study involved 149 dogs of these breeds of different sexes, but all adults. Scientists have studied sensitivity to pain with the help of various objects that were pressed against the feet of animals. Also during the experiment, the scientists used a plush toy that moved and made various sounds to test the dogs’ emotional reaction when interacting with strangers.
It is believed that different dog breeds have different levels of pain sensitivity, although there is little scientific evidence for this. Or at least it wasn’t until now.
Photo: BBC
The results of the study showed that veterinarians do not always correctly assess pain sensitivity in dogs, but more importantly, there is such a difference in pain perception between dog breeds.
As the study showed, Maltese dogs have a very high pain tolerance, while Siberian Huskies actually have moderate pain sensitivity. It has also been found that Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers can tolerate pain better than any of the listed dog breeds.
On the other hand, some strains showed greater sensitivity to pain when affected by external stimuli, although in fact they tolerated pain quite well. Scientists want to explore this relationship in the future to understand its causes.
Scientists say they have found compelling evidence of differences in pain perception among these 10 dog breeds, but now we need to find the reasons that might explain this difference. Researchers believe that dogs can tolerate pain better if they are not affected by other unknown external stimuli.
to focus Already wrote that scientists told why dog owners should take poop off the streets and it’s not about aesthetics. Researchers warn that animal droppings strewn across lawns may be more dangerous than we think.
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