AHW Flashcards
What is welfare? What are the 2 components?
Physiological and behavioural components
Animal welfare broadly refers to the feelings and physical wellbeing of an individual animal
Some concepts of welfare also include naturalness
There are many different definitions and models of animal welfare
Often confused with ethics and conservation
What are the 5 freedoms?
Freedom from hunger or thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury or disease
Freedom to express normal behaviour
Freedom from fear and distress
What are the 5 areas in the welfare domains model?
nutrition, environment, health, behaviour and mental domain
What are exotics define?
“Exotics” are wild, zoo or pet animals that are not: dogs, cats, horses, pigs, cows, sheep or goats.
Why do reptiles require supplements? What can over supplementation cause?
To prevent metabolic bone disease occurring.
Toxicity
Why is it important to feed reptiles in a dish?
to prevent possible life threatening substrate impactions
Why is it important to add reptoboost when bathing reptiles?
Important in avoiding dehydration in some circumstances.
Try to label horse unlabelled diagram in brainscape folder
look at labelled horse in folder
What is the latin name for horse?
Equus caballus
How many toes does a horse have?
a single toe
What are the 3 types of band (social structures) of horses? and what do they each mean
Three types of ‘band’:
Harem / family
Stable core of mares > 4 years old
One or more stallion
Immature offspring
Mare & Offspring
No stallion
Usually together for 6 months
Bachelor
Young males
Older males no longer in harem / family
How to horses communicate?
Prey animal:
Fight or Flight
Will, to some extent, mask pain
Primarily use body language to communicate
Facial expressions
Ear position and head height
Limb and tail movement
Will occasionally use vocalisation
Dominance, discipline, danger or separation
Whinny, squeal, nicker, snort
Signs a horse has a low arousal?
Ears in a neutral position
Ears occasionally moving back and forth
Head level with withers
Resting a hind leg
‘Droopy’ bottom lip
Signs a horse has a high arousal?
Head above level of withers
Constant limb movement
Ears alert
Ears flat against head
Teeth bared
Vocalisation
Whites of eyes showing
Tense neck muscles
Factors to consider when safely approaching a horse?
Horses cannot see directly in-front or behind
Always approach a horse at their shoulder
Speak to them – it will let them know where you are
Always be calm, quiet and patient
What is meant by these terms? Herd, bull, bullock/steer, heifer, cow, cull
Herd -Collective name for cattle
Bull - Male, Entire
Bullock, steer- Male, Castrated
Heifer- Female, not calved
Cow- Female, calved
Cull -Removed from herd (e.g for health, productivity or genetic reasons)
What is the latin name for european cattle and what is the name for heat and instinct resistant cattle?
Bos taurus (European type): considered “normal” in the UK
Bos indicus (Humped zebu cattle): Heat & insect resistant
What are the danger areas for cattle?
Tail, whole cow (barging), head and neck, hind-legs, feet
What considerations should you be aware of when approaching cows?
Avoid
Sudden movements (Loud noises)
Eye contact
Approach
Be confident
Often best at point of balance (shoulder)
Use soft vocal tones when communicating
Make physical contact (if possible)
Maintain close contact
What is involved in cattle identification and passports?
- Two ear tags required
Primary (yellow) in one ear
Secondary (yellow or metal) in other - Passport
See BCMS for details - Freeze brand
Management ear tag
Sire/cow id - Breed
How to cats communicate with eachothers?
They have not developed facial expressions to communicate with one another
Highly developed use of smell to interact and communicate with the world
What percentage of cats are domestic in the UK (moggies)?
90%
Fill out cattle mix’n’match task on brainscape?
look at cattle mix’n’match answers
What factors influence sociability of cats?
Genetics
Kitten socialisation
Social maturity between is 1.5-4 years
Previous experience
Relatedness
Perceiving themselves to be in the same social group
Key categories of socialisation experiences for kittens
Gentle handling, people, other pets, surfaces, sounds, scents, litter, food, scratching post, toys, activities, outdoor environment
What is the socialisation period for cats? and what is it?
2-7 or 8 weeks
What is it?
Defining normal
Both good and bad experiences have an impact
Cats are likely to be fearful of new experiences encountered outside this time of life
The broader the range and greater the number of experiences, the more adaptable the cat will be to novel situations as an adult
Indicators of being in the same social group
Mutual grooming (allogrooming)
Mutual rubbing (allorubbing)
Sleeping together touching
Spending a lot of time in close proximity
Greeting one another with tail up, touching noses
In cats what are the most obvious signs of aggression and how to make a cat feel relaxed?
Aggressive behaviour is most obvious by flattened ears, dilated pupils (?), lashing tail, hissing and standing in an upright frontal stance
Avoid eye contact and use slow blinking
cat clinical examination things to observe
Head to toe
Facial symmetry
Ear, nose and throat
Eyes
Open mouth
Neck
Anterior chest spring
Abdominal contents
Legs
Claws
Coat
Tail
Sex
Anus & genitals
Auscultate
Respiratory rate
Palpate pulses
How to sex cats?
Can be tricky
Anogenital distance is the most reliable indicator
Testicles – small size and mobile in younger cats
What is the most common medical and behavioural reason for aggressive behaviour?
medical - pain
behavioural - fear
How to lift a cat
like scaffolding lift in dogs but with front hand on cats chest just behind front legs sometimes hold both legs
What can we do for cat handling? and what to do if they get upset and have had enough?
Work from behind or the side
calm them with rubbing
invite the cat to approach us
Put them in a dark quiet place to calm down. Need at least 30 mins (an hour is better) to unwind!
Routes of medicine administration in cats?
Topical - skin (spot on), eyes, ears
Oral
Subcutaneous - usually between shoulders, can be anywhere skin is loose enough
Intramuscular – quadriceps, lumbar
Intravenous – cephalic
What name is given to the cats communication system?
olfactorial
What methods do cats employ to communicate and keep territory through smell?
Rubbing, spraying urine and scratching
3 important things to do when carrying out a clinical exam of a cat
- less is more
- four on the floor
- little and often
Normal physiological parameters of a cat? (temp, HR, resp rate, mucous membrane col, CRT)
Temperature: 38 – 39.5°C (100.4 – 103.1°F)
Heart Rate: 110 -180 beats per minute
Respiratory Rate: 20 – 30 breaths per minute
Mucous Membrane Colour: Salmon pink
Capillary Refill Time: <2s
Veterinary input factors before rehoming
Clinical examination
Treatment of illness
Blood testing for FeLV & FIV
Vaccination
Treatment for fleas and worms
Neuter
Microchip
What sites are used for blood sample collection in cats (3)?
Jugular vein (preferred) - neck
Cephalic vein (front leg)
Saphenous vein (upper rear leg)
What are the 12 key categories of socialisation?
Gentle handling, people of dif. ages + genders, other pets, surfaces, sounds, scents, litter, food, scratching posts, toys, activities, outdoor environment
Are cats carnivores or omnivores?
Obligate carnivores
When do cats reach social maturity?
Between 1.5-4 years
What are the interactions called that animals have when they get along?
mutualistic or cooperative behaviour
Why should you slow blink at a cat?
Slowing blinking at a cat is a way to communicate trust and affection. Cats often slow blink at each other as a sign of comfort, relaxation, and non-threat.
What is a zoonotic disease?
A zoonotic disease is an infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
What is bartonella henselae? and How is it transmitted?
Bartonella henselae is a type of bacteria that causes a disease known as Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) or Bartonellosis. This bacterium is commonly found in cats, particularly kittens, and is typically transmitted through scratches, bites, or even close contact with an infected cat’s saliva.
When do male cats reach sexual maturity?
Male cats generally reach sexual maturity between 5 to 12 months of age, though this can vary depending on factors like breed, environment, and individual development. Average age is 6 months.
What are the 5 usual routes of medicine administration in cats?
- Oral (by mouth)
- topical (on the skin)
- injectable (injection either subcutaneous or intra muscular or intravenously)
- inhalation
- ocular
What is the veterinary input before rehoming of cats?
health check, vaccinations and preventive care, microchipping, behavioural assessment, providing medical care, discussing special needs, behavioural and environmental adjustments
What are the 5 principles of care for shelter medicine?
- prevention
- population management
- health and welfare
- ethical and humane treatment
- community and collaboration
By adhering to these 5 Principles of Care, shelters can ensure that they are offering the best possible care for the animals in their charge, addressing both their physical and emotional needs, and promoting a sustainable approach to animal welfare in the community.
What is the sign that a cat is getting closer to pouncing when its crouching?
- body tension (body will appear low and tense, with its back arched slightly)
- tail movement (very still or might even twitch slightly at the tip)
- eyes locked in (dilated pupils)
- ears (turned forward and alert, concentrating on the target)
- slow controlled movements in stalking target
- hind legs coiled under its body ready to spring into action
What is the difference between a relaxed cats tail and an anxious tail?
Relaxed cat: neutral or low position, gentle movement, tail upright with slight curve, soft tail it is not tense or stiff, it moves smoothly and easily, when resting it may be curled loosely around its body or simply laying flat beside it
Anxious cat: tucked tail, stiff or flicking tail, low or drooping tail, puffed tail(up and bushy), twitching at the tip
What shape are the cats ears when its feeling…
… concentrated, predation
… fearful, frightened
… confident but threatened
- forward-facing, upright and alert
- flattened back or slightly sideways
- primarily flattened or turned to the sides but not fully down
What are the 3 different management approaches that rescues have?
Traditional Shelter Management: Animals are housed in a central facility, and the goal is to adopt them out as quickly as possible.
Foster-Based Management: Animals are placed in foster homes for more personalized care until adoption.
Community-Based or No-Kill Approach: Focuses on saving all adoptable animals, providing long-term care, and reducing euthanasia by working with the community.
just completed cats section for AHW
