Boarding Kennels: Discussion points for exam questions

Question 1

Design issues

Answer 1

• can they compromise
  ~ health
  ~ welfare
  ~ behaviour
• isolation facilities and enclosures should be taken into account
  e.g.
• concrete = cold, sores, paw and tail injries
• basic enclosures with little enrichment = cheapest, encourage fustration and bordom, steriotypies
• pet hotels = bedrooms, carpet, own food used to at home = expensive but some compromise welfare with communual spaces (fighting)

Question 2

Health in boarding kennels

Answer 2

is risk to health in boarding kennels acceptable

• yes = have to be vac, ecto/endo (some), not likely to pick up in kennels
• no = stress/fear/bordom/fustration/fighting if mixed living
• is it the same for all species

Question 3

Behaviour

Answer 3

• behaviour affected first
• how
• why
• what is seen
• what can be done to improve
• is impact on behavior acceptable
  ~ if owner fuss before leave = exhasabate stress, know that there is something to stress about if owner worried/sad
  ~ if house cat normally sit around not do much = cope better in enviro

Question 4

Welfare

Answer 4

• various studies repeatedly associated poor welfare with spartial restriction and barren enviro
• do they do enough to ensure good welfare
• short term vs long term (similar effect?)
  do animals know how long staying
• how can welfare be compromised
• how does it manifest
• what can be done to improve welfare

Question 5

Example: 14 year old collie never been in kennels before for 3 weeks

Answer 5

• behaviour first impacted
  ~ increase stress/fear
  ~ sensitive breed
  ~ terrified = more likely to nip - impact who walks them and how often
  ~ sterotypies
• impact on welfare
  ~ separation anxiety, fear, coping mechanism
• health
  ~ decreased immune system
  ~ health issues
  ~ exhasrbate existing conditions (arthritis, cataracts)
• younger dogs = cope better especially if been before
• pacing if confined for long time but can adapt faster so health/welfare less compromised

Question 6

Example: farm vs house cat

Answer 6

• house cat used to people/enviro/use litter tray/cat food
• farm cat may have not interacted with humans beore, hunt for own food, not used to house enviro
• both vac/treated endo/ecto
• if cat terrified = subtle indication
  ~ loaf position, rigid, dilated pupils, ears down and sideways/flat
  ~ aggressive or retreat response

Question 7

Example: rabbit normally free range in house

Answer 7

• gastric dilation (bloat) in response to stress = lead to death if not identified signs early on
• high levels of mortality
• tiny hutch to run/large enclosure and people handling can have same impact and enduce stress
• spacially restricted
  ~ dig, chew walls
  ~ stop moving once unsuccessful
  ~ 10 days - not long period before go home, rescue in longer = worse impact