Fear & Distress Flashcards
What is fear?
An emotional response to the perception of immediate danger.
What is fearfulness?
A characteristic of an individual, susceptibility to fear.
What are the two types of stress?
- Eustress (good) * Distress (bad)
What is anxiety?
A reaction to a potential threat.
What is frustration?
Inability to achieve a desired goal, can result in anger, annoyance, disappointment.
Who first studied stress and when?
Walter Cannon, early 1900s.
What are stressors?
Fear and anxiety.
What are the two main responses in the stress response?
- Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary (SAM) * Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA)
What hormones are involved in the SAM response?
- Epinephrine * Norepinephrine
What is the role of the HPA axis?
CRH -> ACTH -> Glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol).
What is the function of fear in animals?
Protects the animal from injury and increases awareness/vigilance.
What are some behavioral responses to fear?
- Aggression * Avoidance/escape * Freezing
What are the consequences of chronic fear in domestic animals?
- Energy wastage * Reduced growth * Poor reproduction * Increased death loss/disease susceptibility
What is the Novel Object Test (NOT)?
A behavioral test assessing fear and exploratory behavior towards a novel object.
What does the Human Approach Test (HAT) measure?
Level of fear associated with humans.
What does the Novel Arena Test (NAT) measure?
Fear and exploratory behavior in a novel arena.
What is tonic immobility?
A parasympathetic response also known as ‘death feigning’ or ‘playing possum’.
What physiological measures are used to assess fear and stress?
- Respiration rate * Heart rate * Epinephrine levels * ACTH levels * Cortisol levels
What is cortisol’s role in stress measurement?
Most commonly used physiological measure of welfare but results are inconsistent.
What are the effects of pre-slaughter stress on meat quality?
- Increased temperature * Lower pH * Lighter color, increased drip loss (PSE meat) * Depleted energy stores (DFD meat)
What is one common dilemma in alleviating fear and stress in animals?
Do we adapt the environment to suit the animal or change the animal to suit the environment?
Fill in the blank: The Brambell Report states that animals can experience emotions such as rage, fear, apprehension, frustration, and _______.
[pleasure]
True or False: All stress is harmful to animals.
False
What is the impact of human interaction on fear responses in dairy cows?
Fear responses are reduced with increased contact between stockperson and cows.
