The Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating Dogs
In recent years, many studies on the role of oxytocin (OXT) in the onset of parental care, regulation of social bonding, and modulation of the emotional state have been published. However, its possible regulation of maternal behavior in lactating dogs has not been investigated yet. For this reason,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/4/1130 |
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| author | Asahi Ogi Chiara Mariti Federica Pirrone Paolo Baragli Angelo Gazzano |
| author_facet | Asahi Ogi Chiara Mariti Federica Pirrone Paolo Baragli Angelo Gazzano |
| author_sort | Asahi Ogi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, many studies on the role of oxytocin (OXT) in the onset of parental care, regulation of social bonding, and modulation of the emotional state have been published. However, its possible regulation of maternal behavior in lactating dogs has not been investigated yet. For this reason, the present study aimed at assessing potential correlations between salivary oxytocin and maternal behavior in 25 lactating Labrador Retriever dogs. Salivary concentrations of OXT (sOXT) were unrelated to the amount of maternal care except for a weak negative correlation with sniffing/poking behavior. Moreover, sOXT was positively correlated with the percentage of male puppies. Sniffing/poking behavior, in turn, was positively correlated with the duration of time the mothers spent out of the whelping box, while the number of male puppies showed a positive correlation with lateral nursing, a position known to provide puppies the easiest access to the milk. Taken together, these results suggest that sOXT may not be strongly associated with maternal care dynamics but could be correlated with sex-biased parental investment in dogs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:18:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e3666ba0f9c349beb359953f59520b99 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:18:48Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-e3666ba0f9c349beb359953f59520b992023-11-21T15:40:53ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-04-01114113010.3390/ani11041130The Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating DogsAsahi Ogi0Chiara Mariti1Federica Pirrone2Paolo Baragli3Angelo Gazzano4Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyIn recent years, many studies on the role of oxytocin (OXT) in the onset of parental care, regulation of social bonding, and modulation of the emotional state have been published. However, its possible regulation of maternal behavior in lactating dogs has not been investigated yet. For this reason, the present study aimed at assessing potential correlations between salivary oxytocin and maternal behavior in 25 lactating Labrador Retriever dogs. Salivary concentrations of OXT (sOXT) were unrelated to the amount of maternal care except for a weak negative correlation with sniffing/poking behavior. Moreover, sOXT was positively correlated with the percentage of male puppies. Sniffing/poking behavior, in turn, was positively correlated with the duration of time the mothers spent out of the whelping box, while the number of male puppies showed a positive correlation with lateral nursing, a position known to provide puppies the easiest access to the milk. Taken together, these results suggest that sOXT may not be strongly associated with maternal care dynamics but could be correlated with sex-biased parental investment in dogs.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/4/1130oxytocinsalivadogmaternal carebehavior |
| spellingShingle | Asahi Ogi Chiara Mariti Federica Pirrone Paolo Baragli Angelo Gazzano The Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating Dogs Animals oxytocin saliva dog maternal care behavior |
| title | The Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating Dogs |
| title_full | The Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating Dogs |
| title_fullStr | The Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating Dogs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating Dogs |
| title_short | The Influence of Oxytocin on Maternal Care in Lactating Dogs |
| title_sort | influence of oxytocin on maternal care in lactating dogs |
| topic | oxytocin saliva dog maternal care behavior |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/4/1130 |
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