(16) Animal Behavior: Welfare Assesment - Exam 2

define animal welfare assessment

Measurement of the fundamental process of how an animal copes with its environment, including negative impacts

what is range of animal welfare assessment

poor to good

what should be measured in assessment

should be related back to what that animal is experiencing

• A low body condition score says nothing about an animal’s welfare

• However, considering that animal is in a persistent state of hunger, or weakness, or pain does

methods for assessing welfare

• behavior measurements

• physiological measurements

• measurements of pain

• measurements of negative feelings

• evaluation of physical abnormalities

how to measure behavior objectively

behavior recording tools

• stopwatch & paper

• video

• audio

• activity monitors

purpose of abnormal behaviors

• effort to cope

• indicator of total inability to cope

example of abnormal behaviors

• avoidance

• stereotypic behaviors

• feather pecking

• tail biting

• self-mutilation

• excessively aggressive behavior

what does inhibited behavior & behavioral strategies tell you

assesses what behaviors can & cannot be performed

examples of active and passive coping in social scenarios

what occurs with inability to implement behavioral strategies

can affect animals ability to cope effectively

what is the easiest way to measure good welfare

• behavioral measures

• need to be taken in context and interpreted carefully

describe interpretation of tail wagging

describe interpretation of purring

can mean content or can mean pain

describe interpretation of anticipatory behavior

what can be beneficial when measuring good welfare?

preferences and strength of preferences

what are examples of preference tests

• choice test

• strength of preference

typesof choice test

types of strength of preference tests

describe zebrafish social preference test

• testing if zebrafish would rather be alone or with other zebrafish

• when zebrafish released from center 3rd box it swims to find other zebrafish rather than being alone

do cattle prefer pasture vs fresh feed (TMR)

pretty equal preference

what does cortisol/corticosterone and heart rate tell you as a physiological measurement

• excitation

• complicated: can be positive or negative excitation

what does glucose tell you as a physiological measurement

food deprivation

what doe neurotransmitters (substance P) tell you as a physiological measurement

pain

behavioral measurements of pain

what are big differences in pain of prey and predator species

prey species less likely to show pain outwardly

physiological measures of pain

• Nociceptor activity

• Substance P – neurotransmitter present in mammals & fish

• Facial grimace scales

what is facial grimace scale

Simplified & validated method for evaluating facial expressions specifically related to pain.

how does facial grimace scale assess pain?

• motion and position of eyes, ears, cheeks

what animals can be assessed with facial grimace scale

• mouse

• rat

• rabbit

• sheep

• ferret

• cat

• horse

what does mouse grimace scale focus on?

orbital tightening:

• closing of eyelid (narrowing of orbital area)

• wrinkle may be visible around eye

• closing of eyelid indicates pain

what does equine grimace scale focus on?

orbital tightening

• indicates pain when eyelid is partially or completely closed

how can negative feelings be measured?

• sensitivity to reward

• presence/severity of stereotypies

• cognitive bias

describe sensitivity to reward

can cognitive bias determine negative feelings alone?

no, useful but not enough alone

how can physical abnormalities be evaluated

• welfare outcome indicators

• can be scored using a rubric of % estimates

what are examples of the physical abnormalities

• disease

• injury

• movement abnormaltiies

• growth measures

describe welfare hock lesion scoring

score 1 normal: hair loss smaller than quarter

score 2 moderate: hair loss bigger than quarter, moderate swelling, dried scab

score 3 severe: severe swelling bigger than quarter, open/bleeding wound