Welfare Assessment

Findings and refinements from a decade of applying the Cetacean Welfare Assessment (“C-Well”) to multiple species on public display

Zoo animal welfare assessments can be applied to multi-species risk evaluations to species-specific, animal-based protocols. The latter are more difficult to develop and implement due to time-intensive data collection and difficulties with standardisation. The Cetacean Welfare Assessment (C-Well) was published...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Clegg, I., Schultz, R. 2025. Findings and refinements from a decade of applying the Cetacean Welfare Assessment (“C-Well”) to multiple species on public display. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 13(3), 173–185.

Tracking epidermal cortisol and oxytocin in managed bottlenose dolphins as potential non-invasive physiological welfare indicators

Growing concern over cetacean welfare has highlighted the need for rigorous, science-based assessment methods. Within this context, epidermal cortisol (ECC) and oxytocin (EOC) concentrations have emerged as potentially valuable physiological indicators. In this study, we first validated the analytical measurement...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Agustí, C., Talló-Parra, O., Tejero-Caballo, E. et al. 2025. Tracking epidermal cortisol and oxytocin in managed bottlenose dolphins as potential non-invasive physiological welfare indicators. Animals 15(17), 2628.

Refinements to health monitoring

Green, Amber, Red monitoring system: If a mouse shows any of the listed amber signs, then monitoring is increased to either once or twice weekly (green HC). Mice with 3 amber signs should be on red HC (daily check). Mice...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Jones, H., King, R. 2020. Refinements to health monitoring. Animal Technology and Welfare, 19(2), 153–154.

Mental Health and Well-being in Animals

Since the publication of the first edition of this book, professional and public concern for the well-being of animals has continued to increase throughout the world. Advances in research and technologies have yielded an enormous amount of new knowledge about...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Crocodile & Alligator, Dog, Equine, Fish, Gibbon, Goat, Lemur, Lizard, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Parrot, Pig, Rabbit, Reptile, Salmon, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Trout, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: McMillan, F. D. (Ed.) 2025. Mental Health and Well-being in Animals (3rd ed.). CAB International, Oxfordshire, UK. 464 p.

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals

This 30-chapter volume informs students and professionals about the behavioral biology of animals commonly housed in laboratory and other captive settings. Each species evolved under specific environmental conditions, resulting in unique behavioral patterns, many of which are maintained in captivity...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Rearing & Weaning, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Baboon, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Crocodile & Alligator, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Finch, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lizard, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Salamander, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Coleman, K., Schapiro, S. J. (Eds.) 2022. Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (1st Ed.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 560 p.

Application of the horse grimace scale in horses with dental disease: Preliminary findings

Background Dental disease is a common but often under-recognised condition in horses, possibly due to an inability to recognise clinical signs of oral discomfort. Some dental disorders are reportedly more painful than others, but there is no current metric by...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Sidwell, A. E., Duz, M., Hill, B. et al. 2025. Application of the horse grimace scale in horses with dental disease: Preliminary findings. Veterinary Record 196(3), e4800.

Key concepts for enhancing zoo animal welfare: Coping, comfort, choice, control, challenge, and compassion

Zoo animal welfare is subject to increasing scrutiny by many audiences. Although zoo husbandry and management techniques have progressed, common welfare issues are still apparent. To encourage further improvements, converting theoretical welfare definition into practical application is key. This paper...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Rose, P. E., Lewton, J. 2025. Key concepts for enhancing zoo animal welfare: Coping, comfort, choice, control, challenge, and compassion. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 28(3), 497–514.

Current practices of pain assessment and analgesic use in laboratory mice: A 2022 FELASA Working Group survey

Assessing and alleviating pain in animals involved in research is critically important. However, the effective implementation of pain management depends on the knowledge and attitudes of the personnel involved. Following a Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations ‘Pain in...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Analgesia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gomez de Segura, I. A., Seeldrayers, S., Flecknell, P. 2025. Current practices of pain assessment and analgesic use in laboratory mice: A 2022 FELASA Working Group survey. Laboratory Animals 59(3), 396–412.

An adaptable, user-friendly score sheet to monitor welfare in experimental fish

Fish are increasingly used as experimental animals across research fields. Currently, around a quarter of all experimental animals used are fish. Less than 20% of these are standard model species. Welfare assessments for experimental fish are in their infancy compared...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Shark & Ray, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Flueck-Giraud, M., Schmidt-Posthaus, H., Bergadano, A. et al. 2025. An adaptable, user-friendly score sheet to monitor welfare in experimental fish. Laboratory Animals 59(2), 226–241.

Insights from the judgement bias paradigm: Social group and tank size do not affect mental state in female guppies

Optimal holding conditions are key to animal welfare. How stressful husbandry is perceived by the animal can be determined via an assessment of an animal’s mental state – where it is positioned on the continuum between optimistic and pessimistic states...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Epping, J., Kotrschal, A., Kotrschal, S. D. 2025. Insights from the judgement bias paradigm: Social group and tank size do not affect mental state in female guppies. Journal of Fish Biology 106(1), 12–19.