Cortisol Determination in Hair and Feces from Domestic Cats and Dogs

The study investigated the feasibility of using hair cortisol assays as a non-invasive method to monitor the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity in domestic cats and dogs. It involved 56 new hair growth samples and 870 faecal samples from 27 cats and 29 dogs. The results showed a significant positive correlation between cortisol levels in hair and faeces for both species, suggesting that hair cortisol could be a reliable indicator of chronic stress. This method offered a long-term endocrine profile without the stress associated with blood sampling, although it required further validation and understanding of steroid incorporation into hair.