Lallemand Animal Nutrition launches PetWAG: An innovative pet well-being assessment guide

We are pleased to announce the launch of a unique tool to help veterinarians and pet owners assess dogs’ well-being: PetWAG. It is a four-step guide to measure and monitor dogs’ welfare based on personality and mood state. Additionally, it provides practical tips and nutritional solutions that will help support and improve the pet’s emotional well-being. To learn more about PetWAG, watch this video.

Francesca Susca, Global Pet Product Manager, explains: “Our company is a pioneer in the area of the gut-brain-microbiota axis from our early work in developing the first probiotic solution by Lallemand Health Solutions to address stress and anxiety in humans. Anxiety and well-being are major issues in pets, too. We are proud to help pet owners better understand and support their dogs’ well-being. With PetWAG, our customers and partners have a quantitative method to measure behavior and mood state, which can help when discussing pet well-being, nutrition, and gut-brain communication.”

The PetWAG tool was developed in partnership with pet expert Dr. Robert Falconer-Taylor, who was the Veterinary Director and Head of Education at the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology in the UK.

He explains: “In pets, as in humans, we must differenciate emotional state from mood state. Mood state is an average of all emotional states over a period of time. As a behaviorist, I consider animal body language as a window into emotions and mood states. Then, the animals’ personality is another important element to consider as it affects how he will react. PetWAG brings together pet emotion, mood states, body language and personality into one, easy-to-use tool.” Read more.

An important concern

Aggression, excessive barking, restlessness, compulsive behaviors, and destructive actions are all signs of fear and anxiety in dogs. All dogs may experience such behaviors from time to time, but — if disproportionate levels of anxiety are left unchecked — a dog can develop an anxiety disorder. These disorders can negatively affect a dog’s physical health and well-being, but they also affect the relationship with the owner and the entire family’s quality of life. This is why it is important to monitor pets’ mood state and take action before welfare is affected.

How to use PetWAG

Dogs experience a wide range of emotions, just like humans do. These emotions are expressed as a mood state. Poor mood states can lead to welfare problems in dogs and contribute to behavioral problems.