Quiz 3 Flashcards
How does welfare in nature differ from in captivity?
In nature animals have the capacity to face challenges like: hunting and consuming food, finding mates, avoiding predators, interacting with a constantly changing environment. In captivity animals lack challenges: they are provided with food and partners, there are no unforeseen dangers (due to weather or predation), and there is no competition.
What are the components of motivated behaviour?
External environmental stimulus and internal stimulus
What are the implication of abnormal behaviour in animals in zoos?
-They aren’t useful for conservation, research, or education?
-They aren’t pleasant to see (which is how zoos make their living)
Stereotypies:
Repetitive behaviour that do not have an apparent adaptive function
What is environmental enrichment?
Different procedures that modify physical or social environment of animals kept in captivity, promoting improvement in the quality of life, by satisfying their behavioural needs.
Types of farrowing housing
Outdoor system
Indoor system
Designed individual pen
Simple pen
Hinged or temporary crates
Why were farrowing crates invented?
When production was intensified they made this as a method to reduce crushing and make handling the sows easier
Mutilations in pigs
Teeth grinding or clipping
Castration
Tail docking
Ear notching
Is meeting basic needs a part of environmental enrichment?
NO!
Environmental enrichment satisfies psychological and physical welfare
Alternatives to teeth grinding or clipping?
Allowing piglets to be given to sows with less
Piggy boxes
Code or practice stance on teeth clipping
Okay when necessary, must avoid pulp cavity
Negatives of castration
Pain causing behavioural changes
Reduced udder-directed activities
Increase downtime
Pain, stiffness, tremors, prostration
Alternative to castration in traditional way?
Immunocastration
Code of practice stance on castration
After 10 days of age and with anesthetic and analgesic
Recently changed that castration at any age must be done with analgesics
Why are tail dockings done?
To prevent tail biting/cannibalism among animals
Consequences of tail docking in pigs
Limits ability for communication
Causes pain
Neuromas
Abscesses, arthritis, septicemia
Code of practice stance of tail docking in pigs
Pigs must be monitored for tail biting and corrective action must be taken
If docking, analgesics must be used
Consequences of ear notches in pigs
Causes immediate pain, not recommended since there are alternatives
Code of practice stance of ear notching
Should only be done when necessary and when piglets are less than 14 days of age
What are some objectives or environmental enrichment?
Reducing abnormal behaviours and stress. Increase the use of space in enclosures and diversity of behaviours. Give animals opportunity to make choices and give control over animal’s environment.
What was discovered in squirrel monkey relating to environmental enrichment?
Exposing squirrel monkeys to live insects activates their fear of snakes! This relates To the objective of giving opportunity to perform similar behaviours to that of wildlife.
Categories of enrichment
Sensory (5 senses), Cognitive (e.g. puzzles, exercises) , Social (e.g. with other species, mirror, friends), Food (variation e.g. frozen in ice, different timing)
What are the benefits of environmental enrichment?
Increase animal welfare, animal cognitive abilities, animal health level. raising public education level
What are some possible disadvantages of environmental enrichment?
Increased accident risk
Costs money
Requires zookeepers and biologists to give their time
Can cause problems if it’s not good
Needs administration - maintaining novelty
Can cause safety issues - conflict between animals, disease spread, contribute to escape or hurting visitors
Why is it important to consider novelty regarding environmental enrichment?
As length of stay increases, the novelty wears off and animals may habituate to it which reduces its positive effect. Also over stimulation may occur
Is training environmental enrichment?
NO!
but it can still improve animal welfare
the goal of training is to reduce choice especially in behaviour
What types of indicators could show if environmental enrichment is improving animal welfare?
Behavioural
Physiological
Clinical
Behavioural indicators of environmental enrichment improving animal welfare
Time spent in normal activities
social behaviour
reduction of social isolation
reduction of abnormal behaviours
greater use of enclosure
increased learning ability
increased playing behaviour
What happened when the Crow Rate of the 1990’s went into decline?
Grain was no longer moving to the East. Feedlots became more numerous because finishing cattle on grain was more efficient than grass. Meat was more palatable
What percentage of cow calf operations exist in the west?
a)75% b)80% c) 85% d)70%
85%
Annual profit generation for beef industry in Alberta? a)3.2B b) 8.1B c) 5.2B d)6.4B
5.2 B
Describe typical calf management in the cow-calf sector
National ID for traceability after mad cow disease (CCID) = mandatory
Branding (declining in popularity, for prevention of cattle rustling), castration (the earlier the better), dehorning (the earlier the better), vaccinated, growth implant (not always), teach them to feed
Components of preconditioning for calves
Vaccinated and treated for parasites (@ 4 months and 3 weeks prior to shipping)
Weaned (45d), castrated and dehorned (21d) well be fore transport
What are mounds for in feedlots?
To allow animals to get away from the ground during rainy or snowy conditions
What percentage of backgrounder diet is forage? (Barley/corn silage) .a) 80-90% b. 70-85% c. 60-75% d. 75-90%
70-85%
What percentage of finishing diet is forage? (Barley/corn silage) a) 80-90% b. 70-85% c. 60-75% d. 75-90%
80-90%
Welfare issues in feedlots (cattle)
Painful procedures (without analgesics or anaesthetics)
Health
Transport (multiple times in their life)
Environment and housing (aware of what role it plays on their nutrition and growth)
Nutrition and growth
If cortisol goes up, immune response should go
Down
What are some ways to measure pain?
Trained observer, response on gates that have receptors on them, tracking head movement, cameras + observation
What kinds of physiological responses could we look at to measure stress?
Cortisol levels (saliva and hair), Immune response (CBC,RBC,WBC, platelets), Substance P, Acute phase proteins, Weight, Rectal temperature, mortality
What’s the alternative to physical castration which causes problems in terms of pain management and infection management?
Immunocastration
What are some external factors to BRD?
Painful processes, deprivation of food and water, environmental factors (temperature, population density), time in transit, noise, weaned, Social regrouping
What are some internal factors of BRD?
Genetics
Experiences
Health and Fitness
Two most common health issues in feedlot cattle
BRD and Lameness
Why might relapse rate be so high (regarding lameness in feedlot cattle)?
Not addressing the root cause
Not actually diagnosing
Symmetrical swelling
Space between hooves
Foot rot
2 Main causes of lameness in cattle
Foxtrot
Digital dermatitis (coming from dairy industry)
Strategies to reduce lameness in feedlot cows
Reduce handling
Manage pen condition and effects of season
Cattle type (e.g. placing calves at the wrong time)
Pen density/Bunk space
Diet (more forage could mean less lameness)
Some stressors associated with transport
Duration
Restriction of feed and water
Handling (loading and unloading)
Novel environment
Mixing at auction
Environmental conditions
Loading density
Energy to maintain balance
Injury
Main causes of shrink during travel (cattle)
Related to feed and water deprivation
At what time plateau does good recovery chance begin to reduce? A 25h, b. 30 h, c. 24h, d. 35h
30 hours
Why should vets care about behaviour?
Behavioural shifts are reasons for vet consult
Behaviour is integral to human-animal bond
Patient behaviour can impact physical exam, hospitalization, interpreting diagnostics, anesthetic protocols, and viable treatments
Tightly linked with physical and emotional welfare
Why should vets care about stress?
Stress impacts physiology, disease and healing
Describe some impacts on URI in shelter cats?
Housing (cage floor space >8ft2, hiding spaces), social and sensory stressors (social contact)
Iatrogenic behavioural injury
Mental emotional and psychological harm can be caused by veterinary staff so we should be able to identify it and come up with ways to treat or prevent it
Which flavour can cats not taste?
Sweet
Body language of canine and feline
Facial tension
Ear position and tension
Posture and weight placement
Tail position and movement
Eyes: pupil size prominence of sclerae
Vocalization
Pilot reaction
Displacement/appeasement/calming/stress behaviours (yawn, lip lick, sniffing, sneezing, shake-off, inguinal check, avoiding visual eye contact, paw lift, rolling over)
Displacement behaviours
Behaviours that look unusual in the context it is interpreted as being a calming “I’m not a threat thing”
Why is important for vets to pay attention to young animal’s behaviours during vaccines?
Socialization period is happening, we want these experiences to be positive so they are not fearful or aggressive when they grow up
Is it okay to socialize before they are fully vaccinated?
Yes its very important to give them the chance to socialize during their critical period
What are some stressors experienced by dogs and cats in a clinic?
Transport
Novel environment
Unfamiliar people, handling, objects
Pain/discomfort
Often taken away from owner
Low stress handling techniques for dogs
Environment - decrease aversive sounds, smells, sights
Food distraction and reward
Minimal restraint
Owner presence
Gradient touch and considerate approach
Medications and sedation
Towels and Basket muzzle
Low-stress handling techniques for cats
Environment: decrease aversive sounds, smells, sights
Cat specific room
Hiding places and perches
Towel wraps
Owner presence
Food distraction and reward
Medication and sedation
Examining in carrier
Time to explore
Marker or bridge stimulus
E.g. clicker
Auditory, tactile, or visual cue that communicates precise moment that it is being reinforced
Exposure ladder
Shaping training plan
LIMA
Least intrusive minimally aversive
