assessment of animal welfare Flashcards
what is the five domains model
a framework for assessing the welfare of animals based on their physical and functional states and is made up from
1) Nutrition = access to food and water
2) Environment = exposure to weather, shelter and escape
3)Health = absence of disease, injury and pain
4) Behaviour = no behavioural and/or interactive movement restrictions
5) Mental = anxiety, fear, pain and distress
all of these in combination produce an individuals welfare state
outline how health and disease impact welfare
- poorer conditions increase risk of disease
- many diseases are common to humans and animals so share clinical and pathological responses
- illness can come with thirst,fever, nausea, fear and distress thereby affecting other domains
- physical impairemnets due to disease can make animals suspetible to other welfare issues
- causes suffering
= recognise that sometimes only exerts affects on individuals with other factors such as age or genetics
what are some ways to reduce or control health and disease to improve welfare
1) Genetic selection=
2) health plan/biosecurity/preventative measures = Keeping large numbers of animals needs attention to disease control
3) professional competence = regular inspections and careful observations for ill health
4) quick care = ill animals must be cared for appropriatley without delay with vetinary advice for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and any other measured to reduce suffering and spread
how can behaviour act as a guide to health and welfare
= easy to observe helping to bridge gap between the clinal health and animal welfare
- observe natural behaviours of individuals and compare to those behaviours of free-living individuals
= can be done with an ethograme
- any seen changes in/suppression in behaviours may provide cues about an individuals physical welfare as well as affective states such as fear, pain, pleasure or happiness
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define abnormal behaviour
the performance or sequence of behaviours which differ from behaviour of free-living animals e.g. the form, intensity or orientation of behaviours
how are observations of abnormal behaviour used in welfare
adaptive significance and implications for welfare, however abnormal behaviour doesn’t always mean pathological
behaviours such as stereotyping ( repetitive, invariant behaviour patterns without a goal or function) can be associated with signs of poor welfare
how can the abnormal behaviour of stereotyping affect both the individual and surrounding individuals welfare
individual = there are individual differences when it comes to the behaviour with some individuals performing high levels of sterotyping showing increased coping with pooerer condtions
others= can cause poor welfare in other individuals such as sterotyping individual feather picking, tail biting or overgrooming
provide some examples of automated behaviour assessment tools
1) Accelerometers
2) global positioning systems
3) motion sensors
4) thermography
5) sound and imagae analysis
define the term stressor
a disruptor of homeostasis such as chemicals or biological agents or an event which causes a stress responce
define stress response
a suite of physiological and behavioural responses that help re-establish homeostasis
define homeostasis
a process that maintains the stability of an animals body’s internal environment in response to changes in external conditions
give some physiological indicators of stress
1) HPA axis activity
e.g. glucocorticoid levels
2) sympatho-adrenal system
e.g. adrenaline and noradrenaline
3) heart rate and heart rate variability= this is affected by a number of factors so less good
4) brain acitivty
e.g. seratonin and dopamine levels (involves restraint as is inavasive)
5) reproduction
6) production performance e.g. body mass/condtions
outline the acute stress response in regards to the HPA in animal physiology
1) the hypothalamus releases Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone in responce to the perception of stress
2) stimulates the anterior pituatory gland to release Adrenocorticotropic Hormone whcih is carried to the adrenal gland by blood
3) stimulates release of cortisol which causes physiological changes
outline some affects of the acute stress response
- increased immediate availability of energy
(glucose) - increased oxygen intake
- decreased blood flow to areas not
necessary for movement - blood flow rerouted to muscles
- inhibition of digestion, growth, immune
function, reproduction, and pain perception - enhancement of memory and
sensory function
if the acute stress response continues it results in chronic stress, outline the affects of chronic stress on the body
1) immune system suppression = decreaed responce
2) Adrenal gland = elevated glucocortisoids leads to slow recovery from stress
3) Gonads = decreased levels of gondal hormones
4) Heart = hypertension
5) Brain= dentrite atrophy, impaired neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity
