Welfare Assessment

Report from the 2017 Annual SGV (Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association ) Meeting

The Scientific Committee of the Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association (Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Versuchstierkunde, SGV) reports on the Annual SGV Meeting held on 28 and 29 November 2017, at Technopark, Zürich, Switzerland. Feedback after the 2016 meeting and recent developments...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Euthanasia, Humane Endpoint, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Deurinck, M., Schindler, S., Bugnon, P. et al. 2018. Report from the 2017 Annual SGV (Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association ) Meeting. Laboratory Animals 52(2), 211-213. [Meeting Report]

Non-invasive detection and successful treatment of a Helicobacter pylori infection in a captive rhesus macaque

Gastritis is a commonly diagnosed condition in non-human primates used in biomedical research. As in humans, Helicobacter pylori infection may cause gastritis. The following report presents a method of non-invasive detection and a successful treatment protocol for this common pathogen.

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Semrau, A., Gerold, S., Frick, J.S. et al. 2017. Non-invasive detection and successful treatment of a Helicobacter pylori infection in a captive rhesus macaque. Laboratory Animals 51(2), 208-211.

Daily salivary cortisol levels in response to stress factors in captive common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): A potential welfare indicator

Dolphins in a captive setting can be occasionally subjected to a variety of potentially stressful situations. The stress response comprises a variety of biological reactions to internal or external stimuli elicited when an individual perceives (real or not) a threat...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Monreal-Pawlowsky, T., Carbajal, A., Tallo-Parra, O. et al. 2017. Daily salivary cortisol levels in response to stress factors in captive common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): A potential welfare indicator. Veterinary Record 180(24), 593.

Definitive Glasgow acute pain scale for cats: validation and intervention level

Previously the authors described the derivation of an intervention level for the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (CMPS) short form tool for assessing acute pain in dogs. More recently, the authors reported the validation of a behaviour-based tool (the revised...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Reid, J., Scott, E. M., Calvo, G. et al. 2017. Definitive Glasgow acute pain scale for cats: validation and intervention level. Veterinary Record 180(18), 449.

The impact of social context on behaviour and the recovery from welfare challenges in zebrafish, Danio rerio

Understanding how animals experience stress in a laboratory environment is crucial for improving their welfare. Increasing numbers of fish are being used in scientific studies and further research is required to ensure appropriate conditions are used to promote good conduct...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: White, L. J., Thomson, J. S., Pounder, K. C. et al. 2017. The impact of social context on behaviour and the recovery from welfare challenges in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Animal Behaviour 132, 189-199.

Hens vary their vocal repertoire and structure when anticipating different types of reward

The vocalizations of nonhuman animals are considered potential indicators of motivational or internal state. In many species, different call types, and structural variation within call types, encode information about physical characteristics such as age or sex, or about variable traits...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: McGrath, N., Dunlop, R. Dwyer, C. et al. 2017. Hens vary their vocal repertoire and structure when anticipating different types of reward. Animal Behaviour 130, 79-96.

Adaptation of the animal welfare assessment grid (AWAG) for monitoring animal welfare in zoological collections

Animal welfare monitoring is an essential part of zoo management and a legal requirement in many countries. Historically, a variety of welfare audits have been proposed to assist zoo managers. Unfortunately, there are a number of issues with these assessments,...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Justice, W. S. M., O'Brien, M. F., Szyszka, O. et al. 2017. Adaptation of the animal welfare assessment grid (AWAG) for monitoring animal welfare in zoological collections. Veterinary Record 181(6), 143.

Lambs show changes in ear posture when experiencing pain

Ear posture, or the frequency of postural changes, may reflect various emotional states of animals. In adult sheep (Ovis aries), the 'forward' ear posture has been associated with negative experiences whereas the 'plane' posture has been associated with positive ones....

Year Published: 2016Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Guesgen, M. J., Beausoleil, N. J., Minot, E. O. et al. 2016. Lambs show changes in ear posture when experiencing pain. Animal Welfare 25(2), 171-177.

Standardized welfare terms for the zebrafish community

Managing the welfare of laboratory animals is critical to animal health, vital in the understanding of phenotypes created by treatment or genetic alteration and ensures compliance of regulations. Part of an animal welfare assessment is the requirement to record observations,...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Goodwin, N., Karp, N. A., Blackledge, S. et al. 2016. Standardized welfare terms for the zebrafish community. Zebrafish 13(S1), S164-S168.

Reduction in activity by noxious chemical stimulation is ameliorated by immersion in analgesic drugs in zebrafish

Research has recently demonstrated that larval zebrafish show similar molecular responses to nociception to those of adults. Our study explored whether unprotected larval zebrafish exhibited altered behaviour after exposure to noxious chemicals and screened a range of analgesic drugs to...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Analgesia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Lopez-Luna, J., Al-Jubouri, Q., Al-Nuaimy, W. et al. 2017. Reduction in activity by noxious chemical stimulation is ameliorated by immersion in analgesic drugs in zebrafish. Journal of Experimental Biology 220(8), 1451-1458.