Population Medicine Block 2: Welfare

Why conduct animal welfare assessments?

-ethical obligation

-societal concerns for animals

-advances in scientific understanding

-legislative changes

-Improved performance and productivity

-financial/economic reasons

What are the three schools/ three circles when referring to animal welfare frameworks?

biological functioning, affective states, natural living

what was the traditional animal welfare assessments/audits?

Five Freedoms

what are the five freedoms?

1.) Freedom from hunger and thirst

2.) freedom from discomfort

3.) freedom from pain injury and disease

4.) freedom to express normal behavior

5.) freedom form fear and distress

what are the two contemporary animal welfare frameworks?

1.) three schools/ three circles

2.) five domains

what 3 research methods are used to assess animal welfare?

1.) preference testing

2.) novel object testing

3.) cognitive bias testing

What are the five domains?

1.) Nutrition

2.) physical environment

3.) health

4.) behavioral interactions ( with environment, other animals and with humans)

WHICH ALL AFFECT...

5.) mental state

what resources are available to guide welfare assessments?

-laws and regulations

-industry standards and guideline

-scientific research papers and reviews

-input from stakeholds, industry members and animal welfare scientists

What individuals may conduct animal welfare assessments?

-veterinarians

-scientists

-producers

-consumers

-industry reps

-animal advocacy groups

who conducts regulatory assessments?

USDA, ODA (state officials)

How do voluntary animal welfare assessments differ from regulatory assessments?

-no regulatory power

-voluntary participation

-3rd party, independent organizations

-standards updates are easier and more frequent

Who has stricter regulatory requirements typically? The voluntary assessments or regulatory?

The voluntary assessments often are more specific and or stricter than regulatory requirements

Why should people participate in voluntary animal welfare assessments?

-meet current best practices for the industry

-social license to operate

-exemption from certain regulations

-staff and community pride

-economic incentives

-distinguish from others in industry

-eligibility to participate in industry programs/associations

what is the role of the veterinarian for voluntary animal welfare assessments?

-attending veterinarian for the facility

-scientific advisory boards

-insepctors/auditors

What does PAACO stand for?

Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization

Is PACCO voluntary?

yes

what species does PAACO audit?

poultry, dairy, beef, swine and meat plants

What is certified Humane?

a voluntary US production system program for the Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), species-specific care standards for farm animals, annual renewal for producer

What is the voluntary program for animal research?

AAALAC (international)

how often are on-site assessments done by AALAC?

every 3 years

What are the 5 pillars for the canine care certificate?

1.) psychical health

2.) environment

3.) behavioral health

4.) breeding life and retirement

5.) caretaker expectations

Who runs the "no animals were harmed" for entertainment?

American Humane

How is entertainment programs certification obtained?

-reviewing of the script, inspection of filming locations, monitoring sets and vet presence required on set or nearby

What is the biggest voluntary program for zoos and aquariums?

AZA: Association of Zoos & Aquariums

What do zoos and aquarium adults rely heavily on?

Internal assessments

What type of inspection is done by AZA?

performed every 5 years, team of 1 veterinarian and 2-3 additional experts, multi-day site inspection

what type of inspection is done by ZAA and AMMPA?

performed every 5 years, teams of at least 2, multi day inspection

what are some challenges in animal welfare assessments?

-disagreements and discrepancies

- missing information? ( observing resource based vs animal based measures)

Who houses the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board?

ODA

is this ORC or OAC?

Laws that have been passed by state legislature

Ohio Revised Code (ORC)

is this ORC or OAC?

Rules passed by the various state agencies

Ohio Administrative Code (OAC)

What does the board consider when making laws?

-best management practices for the care and wellbeing of livestock

-biosecurity

-prevention of disease

-animal morbidity/mortality

-food safety practices

Who is responsible for ensuring livestock care standards are being kept?

the person who owns or has responsibility for or custody of the animals

What are the two exemptions to the livestock care standards?

1.) Does not apply to animals used for research

2.) does not apply to food processing production activity

ODA is not a ...

humane agency

T/F: ODA is allowed to arrest people

false; no criminal penalties or arrest authority, only civil penalties

Define Cruelty in regards to ORC:

include every act, omission, or neglect by which unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or suffering is caused, permitted or allowed to continue where there is a reasonable remedy or relief

Define Humane in regards to ORC:

the care and handing of livestock that seeks to minimize distress through utilization of the standards established by this chapter

what are the two main species investigated by OLC as of 2022?

cattle and horses

What are the most common violations in regard to the OLC?

animal welfare (housing systems)

-pasture debris

-fencing

-bedding

-manure build up

-absence owners

-feed and water conditions

what drives the investigation of OLC?

complaint driven program, ODA-AH receives a phone call/email and asks for photos

What are the first few steps of an investigation?

-make a visit unannounced

-leave note/contact card if no one available

-take photos from the road/driveway

T/F: Body condition scoring is an objective measurement

true; so use a weight tape!

when does documentation begin for forensic medical exams?

immediately

Within reason, _______ first ______ treat

record first THEN treat

What are two examples of secondary supportive issues regarding a forensic medical exam?

-emaciation

-morbid obesity

define: non-penetrating impact to the body

blunt force trauma

what are examples of blunt instruments?

-hand

-hammer

-car

-the earth (rocks, road, etc)

define: hemorrhage from ruptured blood vessels

contusion (bruise)

animal skin is less vascularized than human skin so ___________________ to create a visible external contusion

it takes greater force

you have have to ______ to observe the extent of a bruise

shave

T/F: the older the bruise, the easier it is to see a pattern of a bruise

false; early bruises are more likely to show a pattern that can be linked to the blunt object

define: blood is pushed outward and the vessels around the perimeter rupture, leaves a rim of petechiae outline the implement

high velocity

when looking for patterns of bruising what should you look for?

-repeating shapes

-same spacing

-similar size

-most are partial/incomplete

Lividity usually becomes apparent within _____ to _____ postmortem and becomes ______ prominent over time

30 minutes to 2 hours, more prominent

after how much time does lividity become fixed?

after 8-12 hours

t/f: blood remains in vessel during livor mortis

true, will ooze when cut

What are some communication strategies you can use when you suspect a case of abuse or neglect?

-ask open-ended questions

-pause and be silent

-practice reflective listening

-for key details, ask questions a couple of times in different ways and note consistency

-keep your nonverbal communication neutral

What does an abrasion look like? (think about this and then hit definition to see what it actually looks like)

What is tearing of tissue, not cutting?

laceration

what type of pressure causes a transverse fracture?

perpendicular (like stepping on a leg)

what type of pressure causes a oblique fracture?

compression (pushing from both sides of bone)

what type of pressure causes spiral fracture?

torsion (rotational force)

what type of pressure causes butterfly fracture?

compression and tension

what does the point of V tell us about a butterfly fracture?

the point V inflates the directional of applied force

margins of skin lacerations tend to be what?

bruised, abraded and irregular

lacerations can sometimes leave what?

bridges of tissues that are not seen in a cut

lacerations are _____

blunt force trauma!

What contributes to motor vehicle collision severity?

-speed of vehicle

-location of impact on body

-type of hit

-secondary impacts that may occur

define: piercing of skin or tissues with a pointed or sharp object

sharp force trauma

sharp force trauma has ______ divided margins

cleanly

define: force is directed along the long axis of the weapon into the body

st-ab

what does a st-ab wound from a double edged weapon look like?

elliptical or slit-like

what does a st-ab wound from a single edged weapon look like?

triangular and wedge shaped

what does the normal width of an incision do?

greater than edge of weap0n due to retraction of divided tissues

the margins are _____ cut and _____ defined in incision wounds

clean cut, and well defined

define: kinetic energy is proportional to its weight and its velocity squared

g*nsh0t

what type of velocity has greatest wounding potential in reference to a g*nsh0t wound?

high velocity

describe the damage a sh0tg*n can do.

-close range does more damage over a smaller area

-distance will do less damage over a larger area

what are commonly hoarded items?

-newspapers

-clothing

-food wrappers

-video games

-toys

-shoes

-animals

what is animal hoarding?

-acquire more than typical number of animals

-unwilling to find the animals new homes

-inability to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care

is animal hoarding a recognized mental health disorder?

yes

when assessing animal hoarding what are examples of poor air quality?

-gases (ammonia, methane)

-volatile organic compounds

-particular matter (dust and liquid aerosols)

Why may some homes be condemned or deemed unfit for human habitation?

-air quality

-infectious agents

-damaged floor/stairs, etc.

What PPE might you wear when entering an animal hoarding home?

-cover skin

-gloves

-boots (boot covers)

-particulate mask

what are common presentations of animals that are involved in hoarding?

-infectious diseases

-respiratory disease

-heavy intestinal parasitism

-fleas

-dermatitis (bacterial)

-mange

-varied BCS

-hair coat (matted, feces/urine contamination)

-overgrown nails

What might cause emotional distress in an animal hoarding case?

-overcrowding

-noise

-competition

-often unsocialized

-long term confinement

-nosey environment

-bordem

define negative energy balance (NEB):

intake insufficient to meet physiological needs

what is a primary (exogenous) negative energy balance?

because it is not provided, adequate or available

what is a secondary (endogenous) negative energy balance?

because needs are increased, nutrients not absorbed or utilized or anorexia (not eating)

what might the strength look like of an animal involved in animal hoarding?

-weakness, often present with significant muscle atrophy

what does the stance of an animal look like of animal involved in animal hoarding?

drooped tail and lowered head common from weakness/atrophy

what lab test might be low throughout periods of starvation?

albumin

what type of anemia normally occurs in periods of starvation?

initially regenerative but becomes non-regenerative

both albumin and amen can be affected by ______ level so reassess when ______

hydration, rehydrated

What does CK and BUN look like during starvation?

Increased CK (muscle catabolism)

BUN often low

Urine volume is often _____ with ____ SG in starvation

increased with low SG

What clinical signs might occur during refeeding syndrome?

-occurs within first 5 days of reintroduction of food

-muscle weakness and cramps

-heart muscle damage with rhythm irregularities

-seizures

-RBC lysis

-respiratory failure

-sudden death

what total levels are low during starvation?

-phosphorous

-Mg

-K+

what should you avoid during a refeeding program?

-avoid feeding high carb (increase insulin)

-avoid feeding only meat as it is low in phosphorus and K+