Discipline: Veterinary

Early Life Painful Procedures: Long-Term Consequences and Implications for Farm Animal Welfare

Sarah J. J. Adcock

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the long-term phenotypic consequences of painful neonatal procedures in rodents, whose response to pain, fear and anxiety stimuli is initially reduced and then becomes exacerbated with age. These procedures result in cognitive, social and reproductive deficits, which can be transmitted to offspring. The implications for the long-term welfare of farm animals following early painful procedures are discussed.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Rodents

Keywords:Pain, Memory, Fear, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Current Advances in Assessment of Dog's Emotions, Facial Expressions, and Their Use for Clinical Recognition of Pain

Daniel Mota-Rojas, Míriam Marcet-Rius, Asahi Ogi, Ismael Hernández-Ávalos, Chiara Mariti, Julio Martínez-Burnes, Patricia Mora-Medina, Alejandro Casas, Adriana Domínguez, Brenda Reyes, Angelo Gazzano

Published in 2021

Scientific review showing that facial expressions are an essential element in maintaining good social interactions between dogs and humans, and that they provide information about a dog's emotions and pain perception that can be used in pain management by veterinarians.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Heat Stress Responses in Birds: A Review of the Neural Components

Mark W. Bohler, Vishwajit S. Chowdhury, Mark A. Cline, Elizabeth R. Gilbert

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the neural circuitry of the avian hypothalamus associated with thermoregulation, food intake and stress response and how these systems may interact during heat exposure.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Birds (excluding poultry), Poultry

Keywords: Brain integration, Stress

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Perches as Cooling Devices for Reducing Heat Stress in Caged Laying Hens: A Review

Jiaying Hu, Yijie Xiong, Richard S. Gates, Heng-Wei Cheng

Published in 2021

Scientific review presenting the results of a multi-year study on the capacity of perches containing a cooling circuit to reduce heat stress in laying hens. It demonstrates the effectiveness of this cooling system when combined with an enrichment element in reducing body heat and heat stress in laying hens.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Enrichment, Housing, Livestock farming system

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Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review

Barbara Lutz, Sibylle Zwygart, Christina Rufener, Joan-Bryce Burla, Beat Thomann, Dimitri Stucki

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the use of data-based variables to detect animal welfare violations on farms, highlighting the fact that some of these variables are related to animal-based welfare measures. It recommends that the variables should be harmonised in light of the data they use, and that preference should be given to those that reflect the multidimensional nature of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

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Reduced Stocking Density and Provision of Straw in a Rack Improve Pig Welfare on Commercial Fattening Farms

Katharina Schodl, Lisa Wiesauer, Christoph Winckler, Christine Leeb

Published in 2021

Scientific article demonstrating that it is possible to improve some welfare conditions of fattening pigs in conventional farming through simple measures such as reducing stocking density and providing straw or hay as enrichment material.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Enrichment, Living environment, Stress, Livestock farming system

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La gouvernance de la santé animale : entre biosécurité et bien public mondial

Muriel Figuié

Published in 2021

Scientific review of policies on animal health showing that they combine what are sometimes contradictory goals of public health, agricultural economics, international trade and animal welfare, and that this subject is now treated as a biosecurity matter and a global public good, with the emergence of the One Health concept.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords:Societal issues, Risk management, Human-animal relationships

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The use of animal-based measures at slaughter for assessing the welfare of pigs on farm: EFSA's AHAW Network exercise

EFSA

Published in 2021

Report on the EFSA Animal Health and Animal Welfare (AHAW) Network meeting on an exercise using  animal-based measures at slaughter to assess the welfare of pigs on farm. The goal was to evaluate these measures and their ease of use, and to identify which were to be preferred. It resulted in a list of recommended animal-based measures for use in abattoirs.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators

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Two Domains to Five: Advancing Veterinary Duty of Care to Fulfil Public Expectations of Animal Welfare Expertise

Katherine E. Littlewood, Ngaio J. Beausoleil

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the role of veterinarians in addressing animal welfare. While the veterinary profession initially considered welfare from the perspective of health and nutrition, it is now considering it in a more holistic way, taking into account the animal's feelings and perceptions of its environment. Much is expected of the veterinary profession, which is ideally placed to improve the consideration taken of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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