Increase of tear volume in dogs after reunion with owners is mediated by oxytocin
Background: In humans, tear volume increases during emotional arousal. To our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the relationship between emotional arousal and tear volume in animals.
Methods: Researchers performed the Schirmer tear test (STT) and measured tear volume in dogs before and after reunions with owners and familiar non-owners.
Results: Tear volume increased significantly during reunion with the owner, but not with a familiar non-owner. When an oxytocin solution was applied to dogs' eyes, the tear volume also increased, suggesting that oxytocin might mediate tear secretion during owner-dog reunions. Finally, human participants rated their impressions on photos of dogs with or without artificial tears and they assigned more positive scores to the photos with artificial tears.
Conclusion: These results suggest that emotion-elicited tears can facilitate human-dog emotional connections.
“Increase of tear volume in dogs after reunion with owners is mediated by oxytocin.” Kaori Murata et al. Current Biology. Vol. 32 (16) pr869-r870, August 22, 2022. Doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.031.
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