Impaired well-being, pain and suffering (2007)

LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum]

Abstract

There are general signs - reduced alertness, lack of interest in food and enrichment gadgets, unusual coat condition, unusual response to human presence - and species-specific signs that tell you that an animal does not feel well. The response of an animal to you is probably the most reliable indicator of his/her well-being.Not surprisingly, we were not able to reach a consensus on the definition of the term suffering. Here is an elegant way of circumventing this dilemma: If something is known to cause suffering in humans, it should be assumed to cause suffering in animals (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 2000). I think this is a very reasonable assumption in most cases. It could certainly be treated as a starting point with any deviations requiring evidence.