Welfare/QoL/euthanasia Flashcards
What are the 6 DVM Competencies
- evaluate welfare (environmental, behavioural and physical)
- recognize when animals are treated inappropriately
- demonstrate/communicate sensitivity
- consider legal and ethical responsibilities
- counsel and advise wrt welfare
- report concerns
describe the series of events ending with the Farm Animal Welfare Council
Animal Machines book -> Brambell Report -> FAWC
when did the Brambell Report get published
1965
what is animal rights
social movement; ethical perspective on how we “should” treat animals
what is animal welfare (3 main points)
state of the animal wrt:
- health and biological function
- natural living
- feelings
the focus of society wrt animal welfare is
natural living
the focus of vets wrt animal welfare is
health and function
the focus of welfare scientists wrt animal welfare is
feelings
how do vets focus on promoting health and welfare (2)
minimize negative states and find opportunities for positive states
what are the 3 modalities of animal welfare
what is, what must be, what ought to be
define “what is”
refers to science and best practices; vets should use evidence-based assessments of welfare
define “what must be”
laws and minimum standards
define “what ought to be”
ethics and collective understanding of acceptable animal use
T/F There are professional bodies that develop policy for welfare with public commentaries and standards of veterinary practice
T
what is an important consideration wrt what “ought to be”
the general public may have different and inconsistent views of welfare and ethical behaviour towards animals - it can differ from ours
T/F the term welfare has negative political connotations for some people
T
when referring to animal welfare/wellbeing/rights, which is the best term to use
well-being
what are the 5 freedoms
freedom from hunger and thirst
freedom from pain, injury and disease
freedom from discomfort
freedom from fear and distress
freedom to express normal behaviour
T/F the 5 freedoms are relatively simple to achieve 100% of the time
F
what is the best way to interpret the 5 freedoms
animals should be FREE AS POSSIBLE from
what is a drawback of the 5 freedoms
preaches avoiding negative states but makes no commentary on achieving positive states
what 5 factors should be considered when prioritizing welfare issues
- frequency
- duration
- intensity
- timeline - is it already impacting animals or putting welfare at risk
- likelihood of caregiver taking action
T/F there is municipal, provincial and federal legislation to ensure good animal welfare
T
what is SAARC
Suspected animal abuse reporting committee; put in place from OVC; used to raise legal welfare concerns to PAWS
how is the NFACC used in some provinces
to inspire legislation for generally accepted practices and to inform welfare audits
legislation falls under (what is/must be/ought to be)
must be
what are the 3 prongs of federal welfare legislation
- criminal code
- CFIA Health of Animals Act - mainly about transport of animals
- CFIA Meat Inspection Act - undue suffering at abattoirs
what is the provincial animal welfare legislation called (4)
PAWS; Food Safety and Quality Act; Livestock Community Sales Act; Animals for Research Act
what makes vets legally obligated to report suspected cases of cruelty (based on reasonably informed judgement)
PAWS
PAWS is enforced by
provincial inspectors (with some police/vets/humane societies/livestock holders)
what are the major offenses under the PAWS act
failure to comply with the standards of care
what are the exceptions for the PAWS Standard of Care
if the “violation” is consistent with the agricultural code of practice (i.e. is it reasonably and generally accepted practices); veterinarians providing veterinary care
what is the municipial animal welfare legislation
by-laws; usually revolves around wandering animals, barking, etc.
what 3 areas do scientists look at to determine “what is” welfare
- behaviour of the animal
- physiological measures
- health and physical conditions
what 2 types of studies can be used to gauge what animals want
motivation studies; preference studies
T/F the standard of QoL in animals mirror that in humans
F; there is no clear definitive standard for animals
animal QoL mainly focuses around
the balance of pleasant and unpleasant feelings for the individual animal
what are some challenges with evaluating animal QoL
we can’t know what animals think about their own lives; what is the duration of impact of negative/unpleasant feelings; are positive enough to balance out negatives
T/F bad experiences usually weigh more than positive
T
what are 6 factors to consider when evaluating animal welfare
health, companionship, food consumption, mental stimulation, stress, perceived control
what are formal vs informal assessments of animal welfare
formal: scales and evaluations
informal: discussions with O
QoL scale evolution should look at (3)
practicality, reliability, validity
what is 5H2M
hurt, hunger, hydration, hygiene, happiness, mobility, more good days than bad; cumulative score should be > 35
on farms, QoL assessments typically revolve around _____ , with individual assessment on ________ (2)
averages to meet standards of care; culling and euthanasia
humane euthanasia should proceed in what order of events
loss of consciousness -> loss of brain function -> cardiac/respiratory arrest
what are 4 considerations for euthanasia
worker safety; animal welfare (quick to become unconscious, irreversible); practicality (easy to learn; repeatable); emotional effects on operator/observer
what are 3 ways to render an animal unconscious/stop brain function
- gasses that replace O2 supply in the brain
- inhalant/injectible anesthetic overdose (chemically depress neurons)
- concussion (destroy or electrically depolarize neurons)
what is clonic vs tonic phase of euthanasia
clonic: uncoordinated kicking/flopping/paddling
tonic: rigid extension of limbs
what MUST vets consider is a patient is at end of life
euthanasia; measures to alleviate discomfort
Match the animal group to the organization:
- CCAC
- CFACC
- CVMA
- food animal
- research animal
- companion animal
CCAC - research animal
CFACC - food animal
CVMA - companion animal
