Interventions for Early Puppy and Kitten Trauma and Neglect

There are few data on the effects of anxiety on learning in dogs and cats, but we know from studies on rodents and human children that chronic glucocorticoid excess, at any time, including pre- and perinatally, interferes with learning at the cellular level (1). Such chronic glucocorticoid exposure also appears to affect the structural development of the hippocampus (the brain region responsible for associational learning and its further integration into cortical function) and the amygdala (the region responsible for developing and modulating fear) (2), and for the conscious, cognitive use of reward structures (3).
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Tags: Guest Editorial Source Type: research