Sheep

Agreement between arterial blood pressures measured non-invasively and invasively in anaesthetised sheep

Both invasive and non-invasive blood pressure measuring methods are used in clinical and experimental work in veterinary medicine and several studies validating these methods are published. The aim of this study was to assess the level of agreement between non-invasive...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Sainmaa, S. K., Adam, M. A. H., Casoni, D. C. et al. 2025. Agreement between arterial blood pressures measured non-invasively and invasively in anaesthetised sheep. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 67(1), 54.

Tears and saliva as alternative matrices for minimally invasive assessment of acute stress and pain in sheep

This study evaluated tears and saliva as alternatives to blood for determining cortisol concentration in healthy and chronically lame Merino meat sheep with dermatitis interdigitalis contagiosa (DINCO). Twelve healthy (HEALTHY) and 36 sheep with DINCO were included. After enrollment and...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Rachidi, F., Wagner, R., Fieseler, H. et al. 2026. Tears and saliva as alternative matrices for minimally invasive assessment of acute stress and pain in sheep. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 13

Care and welfare of animals in a high containment unit

The Pirbright Institute is a world-leading centre of excellence in the research and surveillance of viral diseases of livestock and viruses that spread from animals to humans. In this field some animal models cannot be replaced and due to the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Carder, L. 2025. Care and welfare of animals in a high containment unit. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(3), 248–250.

When pain outlasts our drugs: The case for sustained-release analgesia in sheep

Pain associated with routine husbandry procedures in sheep can persist for several days or even weeks, yet current analgesic options, such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) meloxicam, typically provide only 24–36 h of analgesia. This mismatch between pain duration...

Year Published: 2026Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Baygi, M. N., Metcalf, L. N., Kimble, B. et al. 2026. When pain outlasts our drugs: The case for sustained-release analgesia in sheep. Animals 16(3).

The effect of environment and husbandry practices on sheep welfare

The amount of attention paid to the welfare of animals and their maintenance conditions has grown considerably in recent years. This paper examines the effects of extensive and intensive housing systems on the environmental, behavioural, health, nutritional and social aspects...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Bąkowska, M., Pilarczyk, R., Juszczak-Czasnojć, M. et al. 2025. The effect of environment and husbandry practices on sheep welfare. Animals 15(22).

Welfare assessment on pasture: A review on animal-based measures for ruminants

Outdoor and extensive farming systems allow animals to behave in a natural way and are often perceived as welfare friendly. Nonetheless, the natural environment poses multiple challenges to the welfare of animals, sometimes hampering their capacity to cope. Welfare assessment...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle, Goat, Sheep

Citation: Spigarelli, C., Zuliani, A., Battini, M. et al. 2020. Welfare assessment on pasture: A review on animal-based measures for ruminants. Animals 10(4), 609.

The power of a positive human–animal relationship for animal welfare

Domestic animals often seek and enjoy interacting with humans. Positive human–animal relationships can elicit positive emotions and other positive welfare outcomes. Nevertheless, our understanding of the underlying processes that govern the positive perception of humans by animals is incomplete. We...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: All/General, Bird, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Dog, Goat, Parrot, Pig, Rat, Rodent, Sheep

Citation: Rault, J.-L., Waiblinger, S., Boivin, X. et al. 2020. The power of a positive human–animal relationship for animal welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 590867.

Remote controlled nociceptive threshold testing systems in large animals

Nociceptive threshold (NT) testing is widely used for the study of pain and its alleviation. The end point is a normal behavioural response, which may be affected by restraint or unfamiliar surroundings, leading to erroneous data. Remotely controlled thermal and...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat, Dog, Sheep

Citation: Taylor, P. 2020. Remote controlled nociceptive threshold testing systems in large animals. Animals 10(9), 1556.

Attention bias test measures negative but not positive affect in sheep: A replication study

An attention bias test has been developed as a measure of negative affective states in sheep. The test measures an individual’s allocation of attention between a threatening (previous location of a dog) and positive (conspecific photo) stimulus over a 3...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Monk, J. E., Lee, C., Dickson, E., Campbell, D. L. M. 2020. Attention bias test measures negative but not positive affect in sheep: A replication study. Animals 10(8), 1314.

Evaluation of infrared thermography as a non-invasive method of measuring the autonomic nervous response in sheep

Eye temperature measured using infrared thermography (IRT) can be used as a non-invasive measure of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in cattle. The objective of this study was to evaluate if changes in eye temperature (measured using IRT) can be...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Sutherland, M. A., Worth, G. M., Dowling, S. K. et al. 2020. Evaluation of infrared thermography as a non-invasive method of measuring the autonomic nervous response in sheep. PLOS ONE 15(5): e0233558.