Welfare Assessment

Changes in saliva analytes correlate with horses’ behavioural reactions to an acute stressor: A pilot study

Acute stress induces an array of behavioural reactions in horses that vary between individuals. Attempts to relate behavioural patterns and physiological responses have not always given clear-cut results. Here, we measured the changes in a panel of salivary components: salivary...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Contreras-Aguilar, M. D., Henry, S., Coste, C. et al. 2019. Changes in saliva analytes correlate with horses' behavioural reactions to an acute stressor: A pilot study. Animals 9(11), 993.

Assessing and enhancing the welfare of animals with equivocal and reliable cues

The actions of human caretakers strongly influence animals living under human care. Here, we consider how intentional and unintentional signals provided by caretakers can inform our assessment of animals' well-being as well as help to support it. Our aim is...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Animal Training, Human-Animal Interaction, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Watters, J. V., Krebs, B. L. 2019. Assessing and enhancing the welfare of animals with equivocal and reliable cues. Animals 9(9), 680.

How can we assess positive welfare in ruminants?

Until now, most research has focused on the development of indicators of negative welfare, and relatively few studies provide information on valid, reliable, and feasible indicators addressing positive aspects of animal welfare. However, a lack of suffering does not guarantee...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Mattiello, S., Battini, M., De Rosa, G. et al. 2019. How can we assess positive welfare in ruminants? Animals 9(10), 758.

What is so positive about positive animal welfare?—A critical review of the literature

It is claimed that positive animal welfare (PAW) developed over the last decade in reaction to animal welfare focusing too much on avoiding negatives. However, it remains unclear what PAW adds to the animal welfare literature and to what extent...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Lawrence, A. B., Vigors, B., Sandøe, P. 2019. What is so positive about positive animal welfare?—A critical review of the literature. Animals 9(10), 783.

Eye blink rates and eyelid twitches as a non-invasive measure of stress in the domestic horse

Physiological changes provide indices of stress responses, however, behavioural measures may be easier to determine. Spontaneous eye blink rate has potential as a non-invasive indicator of stress. Eyelid movements, along with heart rate (HR) and behaviour, from 33 horses were...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Merkies, K., Ready, C., Farkas, L. et al. 2019. Eye blink rates and eyelid twitches as a non-invasive measure of stress in the domestic horse. Animals 9(58), 62.

Use of the rat grimace scale to evaluate visceral pain in a model of chemotherapy-induced mucositis

The rat grimace scale (RGS) is a measure of spontaneous pain that evaluates pain response. The ability to characterize pain through a non-invasive method has considerable utility for numerous animal models of disease, including mucositis, a painful, self-limiting side-effect of...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: George, R. P., Howarth, G. S., Whittaker, A. L. 2019. Use of the rat grimace scale to evaluate visceral pain in a model of chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Animals 9(9), 678.

Validation of a commercial automated body condition scoring system on a commercial dairy farm

Body condition scoring (BCS) is the management practice of assessing body reserves of individual animals by visual or tactile estimation of subcutaneous fat and muscle. Both high and low BCS can negatively impact milk production, disease, and reproduction. Visual or...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Mullins, I. L., Truman, C. M., Campler, M. et al. 2019. Validation of a commercial automated body condition scoring system on a commercial dairy farm. Animals 9(6), 287-287.

Could greater time spent displaying waking inactivity in the home environment be a marker for a depression-like state in the domestic dog?

Dogs exposed to aversive events can become inactive and unresponsive and are commonly referred to as being "depressed", but this association remains to be tested. We investigated whether shelter dogs spending greater time inactive "awake but motionless" (ABM) in their...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Harvey, N. D., Moesta, Al., Kappel, S. et al. 2019. Could greater time spent displaying waking inactivity in the home environment be a marker for a depression-like state in the domestic dog? Animals 9(7), 420.

Are tail and ear movements indicators of emotions in tail-docked pigs in response to environmental enrichment?

The inclusion of emotional indicators in farm monitoring methods can improve welfare assessments. Studies in controlled conditions have suggested that increased tail movement is an indicator of positive emotions in pigs, while others have proposed that increased ear movements are...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Marcet-Rius, M., Fàbrega, E., Cozzi, A. et al. 2019. Are tail and ear movements indicators of emotions in tail-docked pigs in response to environmental enrichment? Animals 9(7), 449.

Understanding cows’ emotions on farm: Are eye white and ear posture reliable indicators?

Understanding the emotions of dairy cows is primarily important in enhancing the level of welfare and provide a better life on farm. This study explored whether eye white and ear posture can reliably contribute to interpret valence and arousal of...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Battini, M., Agostini, A., Mattiello, S. 2019. Understanding cows' emotions on farm: Are eye white and ear posture reliable indicators? Animals 9(8), 477.