Welfare Assessment

Pain management in farm animals: Focus on cattle, sheep and pigs

Pain causes behavioral, autonomic, and neuroendocrine changes and is a common cause of animal welfare compromise in farm animals. Current societal and ethical concerns demand better agricultural practices and improved welfare for food animals. These guidelines focus on cattle, sheep,...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Analgesia, Body Modification/Mutilation, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Steagall, P. V., Bustamante, H., Johnson, C. B. et al. 2021. Pain management in farm animals: Focus on cattle, sheep and pigs. Animals 11(6), 1483.

The interactive stress assessment in basic animal science training

In order to assess the extent to which the legally prescribed training for the acquisition of animal experimentation expertise provides scientific personnel with the necessary competence and expertise to carry out a correct harm-benefit analysis in the context of animal...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Sheep

Citation: Manthey, T., Nagel-Riedasch, S., Dülsner, A. 2021. The interactive stress assessment in basic animal science training. Animals 11(7), 2145.

Methods for pain assessment in calves and their use for the evaluation of pain during different procedures—A review

The evaluation and assessment of the level of pain calves are experiencing is important, as the experience of pain (e.g., due to routine husbandry procedures) severely affects the welfare of calves. Studies about the recognition of pain in calves, and...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Tschoner, T. 2021. Methods for pain assessment in calves and their use for the evaluation of pain during different procedures—A review. Animals 11(5), 1235.

Multi-approach assessment for stress evaluation in rainbow trout females, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792) from three different farms during the summer season

Blood biochemistry parameters are valuable tools for monitoring fish health. Their baseline values are still undefined for a multitude of farmed fish species. In this study, changes in the blood profile of rainbow trout females (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from three farms...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Trout

Citation: Uiuiu, P., Lațiu, C., Păpuc, T. et al. 2021. Multi-approach assessment for stress evaluation in rainbow trout females, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792) from three different farms during the summer season. Animals 11(6), 1810.

Report of the 2020 RSPCA/UFAW rodent and rabbit welfare meeting

The RSPCA/UFAW rodent and rabbit welfare group has held a one-day meeting every autumn for the last 27 years, so that its members can discuss current welfare research, exchange views on welfare issues and share experiences of the implementation of...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stevens, C., Hawkins, P., Smulders, T. V. et al. 2021. Report of the 2020 RSPCA/UFAW rodent and rabbit welfare meeting. Animal Technology and Welfare 20(1), 21-33.

Activity time budgets—A potential tool to monitor equine welfare?

Horses' behavior can provide valuable insight into their subjective state and is thus a good indicator of welfare. However, its complexity requires objective, quantifiable, and unambiguous evidence-based assessment criteria. As healthy, stress-free horses exhibit a highly repetitive daily routine, temporal...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Auer, U., Kelemen, Z., Engl, V. et al. 2021. Activity time budgets—A potential tool to monitor equine welfare? Animals 11(3), 850.

Methods used and application of the mouse grimace scale in biomedical research 10 years on: A scoping review

The Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS) was developed 10 years ago as a method for assessing pain through the characterisation of changes in five facial features or action units. The strength of the technique is that it is proposed to be...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Whittaker, A. L., Liu, Y., Barker, T. H. 2021. Methods used and application of the mouse grimace scale in biomedical research 10 years on: A scoping review. Animals 11(3), 673.

Social nesting, animal welfare, and disease monitoring

The assessment of welfare and disease progression in animal models is critical. Most tools rely on evaluating individual subjects, whereas social behaviors, also sensitive to acute illness, chronic diseases, or mental health, are scarcely monitored because they are complex and...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Giménez-Llort, L., Torres-Lista, V. 2021. Social nesting, animal welfare, and disease monitoring. Animals 11(4), 1079.

Assessment of the welfare of experimental cattle and pigs using the animal welfare assessment grid

The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) is a method for assessing quality of life, originally designed for experimental primates. This study adapts the AWAG for use in cattle and pigs, by adapting the factors included for these species and including...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Ryan, M., Waters, R., Wolfensohn, S. 2021. Assessment of the welfare of experimental cattle and pigs using the animal welfare assessment grid. Animals 11(4), 999.

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (1st ed)

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: 2021Topics: Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Amphibian, Baboon, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Dog, Equine, Ferret, 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., Shapiro, S. J. (Eds.). 2021. Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (1st ed). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.