Welfare Assessment

Predictive modeling toward refinement of behavior-based pain assessment in horses

After 25 years of studies on methodologies for behavioral assessment of equine pain, the Unesp-Botucatu Horse Acute Pain Scale (UHAPS) and the Orthopedic Composite Pain Scale (CPS) were recently considered suboptimal instruments to assess pain in hospitalized horses. However, the...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Trindade, P. H. E., Barreto da Rocha, P., Driessen, B. et al. 2023. Predictive modeling toward refinement of behavior-based pain assessment in horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 267, 106059.

Ranking bovine pain-related behaviors using a logistic regression algorithm

Pain identification in farm animals is a welfare challenge worldwide. In the last decade, our research team validated the Unesp-Botucatu Cattle Acute Pain Scale (UCAPS) based on specific pain or discomfort behaviors and alterations to maintenance behaviors when the cattle...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Trindade, P. H. E., da Silva, G. V., de Oliveira, F. A. et al. 2024. Ranking bovine pain-related behaviors using a logistic regression algorithm. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 271, 106163.

Body surface temperature of rats reveals both magnitude and sex differences in the acute stress response

Understanding how biological markers of stress relate to stressor magnitude is much needed and can be used in welfare assessment. Changes in body surface temperature can be measured using infrared thermography (IRT) as a marker of a physiological response to...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Wongsaengchan, C., McCafferty, D. J., Evans, N. P. et al. 2023. Body surface temperature of rats reveals both magnitude and sex differences in the acute stress response. Physiology & Behavior 264, 114138.

New perspectives in the objective evaluation of animal welfare, with focus on the domestic pig

Animal welfare can be viewed as the result of integrating repeated affective evaluations of success in coping with environmental challenges, i.e., subjective challenge adequacy. The present work summarizes why established physiological and behavioral welfare parameters are inadequate to assess challenge...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Manteuffel, C., Spitschak, M., Ludwig, C. et al. 2023. New perspectives in the objective evaluation of animal welfare, with focus on the domestic pig. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 26(4), 518–529.

Determining a cut-off point for intervention analgesia in rabbits using the Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the threshold of the Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale (BRPS) indicating the need for intervention analgesia. Methods: Fourteen members of veterinary staff were recruited to rate rabbits (n = 71) in acute...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Analgesia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Benato, L., Murrell, J., Rooney, N. 2023. Determining a cut-off point for intervention analgesia in rabbits using the Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale. Veterinary Record 193(5), e2995.

Using anticipatory behavior as preference test in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

The preference tests have made a great contribution to promoting animal welfare. However, they are not always easily applicable and have some criticalities. Recently the anticipatory behavior has been used to detect the animals' preference. In this study, we attempted...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive Testing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Bigiani, S., Pilenga, C. 2023. Using anticipatory behavior as preference test in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 26(2), 247–255.

A fast technique to induce and measure anticipatory behavior in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Anticipatory behavior describes the actions taken to prepare for an upcoming event. It is considered a promising tool for welfare assessment, but it is not fully applied in zoos and other facilities. This is probably due to the need to...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive Testing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Bigiani, S., Pilenga, C. 2024. A fast technique to induce and measure anticipatory behavior in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 27(1), 137–149.

Focus on novel approaches: Home-cage monitoring of laboratory mice

Assessment of behavioural phenotype is crucial for the evaluation of various disease models, particularly inlaboratory rodents. Traditionally, this includes performing a variety of conventional tests where animals areremoved from their home-cages and placed in behavioural test apparatuses. This approach can...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Bartelik, A., Čater, M., Cevik, Ö. S. et al. 2024. Focus on novel approaches: Home-cage monitoring of laboratory mice. Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science 50, 1–5.

Qualitative Behavioural Assessment as a welfare indicator for farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in response to a stressful challenge

Animal welfare assessments have struggled to investigate the emotional states of animals while focusing solely on available empirical evidence. Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) may provide insights into an animal's subjective experiences without compromising scientific rigor. Rather than assessing explicit, physical...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Salmon

Citation: Wiese, T. R., Rey Planellas, S., Betancor, M. et al. 2023. Qualitative Behavioural Assessment as a welfare indicator for farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in response to a stressful challenge. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10.

The effect of repeated testing on judgement bias in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris)

Judgement bias paradigms are increasingly being used as a measure of affective state in dogs. Approach to an ambiguous stimulus is commonly used as a measure of affect, however, this may also be influenced by learning. This study directly measured...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Wilson, C., Hall, N., Aviles-Rosa, E. O. et al. 2023. The effect of repeated testing on judgement bias in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Animal Cognition 26(2), 477–489.