Midterm 1

ethogram

a detailed description, list, or inventory of specific behaviours and activities exhibited by an animal

initial presentation of many diseases

present as behaviour changes or behaviour problems

behavioural effect of rabies

causes biting behaviour and hydrophobia

• presents differently in predator and prey by increasing amplitude of behaviour

  • prey become loud and slow (easy targets)

  • predators become more aggressive

motivational states

• hunger

• exploration

• reproduction

• learning

sickness

a motivational state the competes with other emotional states by overwhelming or co-opting them

two possible states during sickness

• depressive

• BAR (bright, alert, responsive)

mechanism of sickness

release of cytokines which signal for inflammation also cause an acute-phase response

• fever, inappetance, sleep, postural changes, reduced motion, grooming, isolation

advantages of adaptive cytokine responses

energy saving and promotion of body defense mechanisms in the short term

disadvantages to adaptive cytokine responses

long term disadvantages if recovery is not quick

acute-phase response

a systemic reaction against inflammation, infection, or tissue injury

• may have evolved for individual survival and to address extreme threats to survival or larger groups

problems with acute-phase response

during illness, can make animals sicker and impair prognosis, especially for neonatal animals

• ex) anorexia, adipsia, reduced mobility, fever

APP

acute phase protein

most common acute phase proteins

• fibrinogen

• haptoglobin

• C-reactive protein

• serum amyloid A

diagnosis with APPs

detecting acute phase proteins depending on species, the time course of the disease, and the causal agent. often increased in painful surgical procedures

why do some animals look fine around the vet but not with their owner at home?

expression of sickness behaviour is context dependent

• in familiar environments and amongst familar conspecifics they are more ready to express behavioural responses

• in unfamiliar environments, the likelihood of clinical signs being expressed is reduced

this is especially the case for prey species who want to be viewed as stoic and an evolutionary niche to avoid predators

three examples of effects of stress on disease

• social stress impacts disease transmission within groups

• one welfare problem can influence another (bullying can cause infections)

• social stress of weaned pigs can increase shedding of salmonella