Stress and Companion Animals Flashcards
What are the 3 elements of the stress response?
Behavioural, neurological, hormonal
What effect does insulin have on appetite?
Suppression
What are the two “arms” of the stress response?
SAM - sympathoadrenomedullary pathway
HPA - hypthalamopuuitary-adrenal pathway
Hypothalamus secretes CRH causing both of these + POSITIVE feedback mechanism of CRH and adrenaline
How does SAM activation affect the immune system?
^ immune system activation
How does HPA activation affect the immune system?
Immunosupression
Which pathway is responsible for ending the stress response?
HPA -ve feedback on CRH
Which other hormones are released during the stress response?
AVP/ADH -> ^ACTH, ^ memory, ^ behavioural persistence esp. sexual/aggressino
PRL -> inhibits reproduction
Endorphins/encephalins -> analgesia and v arousal
Oxytocin - social bonds, encourages finding social partners - usually +ve emotions but also strengthens negative social associations eg. embarrassing experiences [seen less in cats!]
What two types of stimuli may cause chronic stress?
Frequent stressfull episodeds
Long term inescapable stress
-> sensitisation and GIT/urinary problems
What makes certain individuals more susceptible to adverse effects of chronic stress?
Genetics
Developmental effects (^/v HPA)
Environmental/socail effects
Learning
Disease - cytokines v CRH and blunt stress response
- hyperadrenocorticism/thyroidism/pseudopregnancy
Give some diseases associated with stress?
Immune related problems Skin disease FIC (idiopathic) GIT problems Metabolic diseases Cognitive dysfunction
How can stress affect the skin?
Bacterial (eg. 2ndry pyoderma)
Yeast
Allergies - FAD, food, atopy [allergy to skin/respiratory absorbed allergens] - esp Westies ^ permeability of skin to allergens
What are the clinical signs of FIC?
Dysuria - difficult/painful
Pollakiuria - ^ frequency
Heamaturia - blood
Periuria - urinating outside the littler box
Overgrooming - perineum and ventral abdomen
What are the pathological changes associated with FIC?
- GAG layer and urothelium changes
- Inflam infiltrate in submucosa
- Neurological abnormalities
- Abnormal stress response - low cortisol despite high CRH and ACTH and adrenal atrophy -> NO down regulation of SAM.
How is FIC diagnosed
Ruling out other causes of cytitus
== Intersitial cystitis
What diseases is FIC often found along side?
IBS
Fibromyalgia
What is the treatment for FIC?
^ water intake
Easy access to toiling locations
Analgesia for acute episodes
Cystaid/cystease/cystophan - hyaluronic acid and L-tryptophan
Stress reduction - avoid sudden changes, adequate resources, environmental enrichment
What are the various forms of GIT disturbance associated with stress?
- Ulceration due to v blood flow to gut
- IBS [irritable bowel syndrome]- neurological motility change, NO cellular changes in gut wall
- IBD [inflamaotry bowel disease]- Inflam infiltrates in SI or colon, chronic vomiting and diarrhoea
Biopsy needed to differentiate
How may stress be linked with metabolic diseases?
Addisons disease - hypoadrenocorticism [autoimmunity -> adrenal cortex destruction. Mineralocorticoids and Glucocorticoids v to different levels. Signs range from lethargy, appetite loos, V+D to severe hypovoleamic shock and death. Stress = trigger]
Hyperglyceamia [cats - stress -> hyperglycaemia similar to cats with untreated diabetes mellitus. May exceed renal threshold -> glycosuria. Chronic stress -> diabetes type 2]
Feline hepatic lipidosis [2ndry to stress or v food intake. Accumulation of fat in liver -> loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, jaundice, hepatic encepalopathy maybe]
How is stress linked to cognitive function?
Chronic exposure to ^ cortisol -> dmage in neurones esp PFC and hippocampus and hypothalamus
- confusion, anxeity, memory loss, learning difficulties
Give some studies on stress and disease
Sapolsky 2004 - why zebras don’t get ulcers
Buffington 2011 - FIC
Nelson 2011 - Behavioural endocrinology
Mills 2013 - Stress and phermomoptherapy
