De Santis Marta, Soncin Margherita, Bertazzo Valentina, Martelli Luca, Fornasiero Diletta, Mutinelli Franco, Contalbrigo Laura
Italian National Reference Centre for Animal Assisted Interventions, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
Laboratory Medicine Service, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Aug 18;15(16):2421. doi: 10.3390/ani15162421.
Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are attracting interest as potential measures for dog welfare and human-dog interactions. The potential for detection and measurement of these two neuropeptides in canine saliva provides a viable alternative to more invasive collection methods. This scoping review aims to analyse the scientific literature measuring salivary OT and AVP in dogs, the methods employed, and the areas of research. A comprehensive search was conducted on the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest platforms, yielding a selection of peer-reviewed, primary research studies that specifically measured dog salivary OT and/or AVP. The final selection comprised 16 articles from 2017 to 2024, offering insights into the methods employed for the collection, processing, and analysis of dog saliva samples. The findings highlighted significant variability in OT and AVP salivary concentrations, which also depended on the methods employed. The research areas of the included articles were primarily linked to the social and maternal behaviour spheres. This study draws from extant research to present an overview of the challenges associated with measuring salivary OT and AVP in dogs. It provides a comprehensive picture of this multifaceted issue, which is crucial for accurately interpreting these peptides as indicators of dog welfare.
催产素（OT）和加压素（AVP）作为改善犬类福利及人犬互动的潜在手段正受到关注。在犬类唾液中检测和测量这两种神经肽的可能性为侵入性更强的采集方法提供了可行的替代方案。本综述旨在分析测量犬类唾液中OT和AVP的科学文献、所采用的方法以及研究领域。我们在科学网、Scopus和ProQuest平台上进行了全面检索，筛选出一系列经过同行评审的、专门测量犬类唾液OT和/或AVP的初步研究。最终选定了2017年至2024年期间的16篇文章，这些文章为犬类唾液样本的采集、处理和分析方法提供了见解。研究结果突出表明，OT和AVP的唾液浓度存在显著差异，这也取决于所采用的方法。所纳入文章的研究领域主要与社会行为和母性行为领域相关。本研究借鉴现有研究成果，概述了测量犬类唾液中OT和AVP所面临的挑战。它全面呈现了这个多方面的问题，这对于准确将这些肽解读为犬类福利指标至关重要。
