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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.07.009 Byline: Elissa Z. Cameron, Wayne L. Linklater, Kevin J. Stafford, Edward O. Minot Abstract: Play behaviour is widespread in mammals, but benefits to play have been difficult to demonstrate. Physical training is one of the many proposed hypotheses, suggesting that males and females should play differently, that increased maternal investment should lead to increases in play, and that increases in play should result in physical advantages. In a population of feral horses, Equus caballus, males and females did not differ in their play behaviour except that males initiated more of their play bouts than females. Maternal condition influenced play behaviour only in males, with sons of mothers in good condition playing more. However, when we controlled for maternal effects by comparing a son and a daughter of the same mother, daughters played more when their mother was in poor condition and sons played more when their mother was in good condition. Mothers of foals that played more lost more condition. Therefore, the difference in play behaviour could not be explained by offspring sex or maternal condition alone, but play behaviour mirrored variation in maternal investment. In addition, those individuals that played more survived better and had better body condition as yearlings despite weaning earlier. Since increased activity has been linked to enhanced musculoskeletal development in domestic horses, we suggest that play provides a link between increased maternal investment, increased body condition and future reproductive success in feral horses, and probably in other species. Author Affiliation: (a) Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa (a ) Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, New Zealand (a ) Institute of Veterinary, Animal & Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand Article History: Received 9 November 2007; Revised 11 January 2008; Accepted 2 July 2008 Article Note: (miscellaneous) MS. number: 9581R

Milk transfer is a costly parental input for mammals, and has been measured through suckling behavior, since actual milk intake is not easy to assess. The assumption has often been that offspring that suckle for longer will obtain more milk, but this should be questioned. Mare's milk was labeled using radioactive isotope methods, and the amount of milk taken by foals was not measurable by suckling behavior. Studies that assume that milk intake is in line with suckling behavior will contain errors.

Positive reinforcement training with cats is a useful tool for improving the human-animal bond, treating behavior problems, and teaching novel tasks. In part 1 of this study, 3 cats were assessed for extinction to a conditioned stimulus; in part 2 of the study, we attempted to train 9 cats to nose touch a target using 1 of 3 positive reinforcement methods. The 3 positive reinforcement methods included training the novel task by using a primary reinforcer, a bridging stimulus, and a secondary reinforcer. The efficacy of the positive reinforcement method was assessed by the number of trials and length of time it took to achieve the task. There were significant time differences between the 2 successful groups; the primary reinforced group acquired the task quicker than the bridging stimulus group. The secondary reinforced group was not successful in achieving the novel task. However, there were no significant differences in the number of trials it took for the successful groups to acquire the task. Using primary reinforcement training in cats may be more effective than using a bridging stimulus or a secondary reinforcer when comparing the time taken to achieve a novel task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The farrowing system in which a sow and her piglets are housed may influence the manner in which they interact with one another. Behavioral displays of sows in farrowing crates are limited, whereas pen-based alternatives to farrowing crates enable a greater range of behavioral expression, including interacting more with piglets. The associations between sow behavior and piglet behavior in crates and pens with temporary crating were compared using 2 different data sets. During days 1-6 after farrowing, 15 sows and their litters were observed in farrowing crates, and 16 sows and their litters were observed in pens with temporary crating. Sows in farrowing crates were crated throughout days 1-6, and sows in pens were crated during days 1-3 (period 1) and loose in the pen on days 4-6 (period 2). Additionally, gilts and their litters were observed during the first 3 days after farrowing. Gilts were either born and reared in farrowing crates (C) or in a pen with temporary crating (P) and were observed after they farrowed in either a farrowing crate or in a pen with temporary crating. Hence, there were 4 experimental groups of gilts: CC (born and reared in a crate, farrowed in a crate, N = 8), CP (born and reared in a crate, farrowed in a pen, N = 6), PC (born and reared in a pen, farrowed in a crate N = 5), and PP (born and reared in a pen, farrowed in a pen, N = 8). When sows and gilts were standing, piglets were mostly inactive in the creep area. When they were lying, piglets were inactive either in the creep, or at the sow's udder. Piglets in pens spent more time inactive at the sow's udder than piglets in crates when the sow was lying in period 1, and in period 2, when penned sows were loose ( P < 0.01). Piglets tended to be active when sows and gilts touched, investigated, and vocalized toward them. Piglets of gilts that were born and reared in pens and farrowed in pens (PP) vocalized more toward their dam than those in CC, CP, and PC groups, particularly when their dam was vocalizing toward them ( P < 0.01), investigating them ( P < 0.01), and touching them ( P < 0.01). The present study demonstrated that some associations between sow and piglet behavior changed when the sow was no longer confined in a crate. Furthermore, the piglets of gilts born and reared in a farrowing system that did not match the environment they later farrowed in may be influenced by their dam's adaptation to an unfamiliar environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the ability of dogs ( Canis familiaris ) to detect the scent of tuatara ( Sphenodon punctatus ), Marlborough green gecko ( Naultinus manukanus ), and forest gecko ( Hoplodactylus granulatus ). Tuatara and gecko are endemic New Zealand reptiles, and many of their populations are managed in the field for conservation reasons. This research aimed to assess the potential of detection dogs to be used for reptile conservation. Twenty dogs were recruited from 2 dog training clubs to participate in 2 studies: one using tuatara scents and the other using gecko scents. Within each study, the dogs' ability to detect scents was evaluated in a series of experiments which required them to identify a target scent. Target scents included human scent, tuatara and gecko scats (feces), sloughed skins, and paper towels on which captive reptiles had sat. The dogs identified human, tuatara, and gecko scents with average success rates of up to 97.8%, 97.8% and 86.7%. The dogs could detect fresh and old reptile scats and discriminate between different reptile scents. The detection successes were significantly higher than expected if the dogs were selecting scents at random. This research shows that dogs can detect tuatara and gecko scents and could be used in conservation work. Dogs may complement or provide an alternative to the visual methods currently used to locate these reptiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horses have a unique mating system and is similar to that of some primates. Feral horses live in breeding groups, called bands, usually containing one to five stallions. A new study investigates the behaviors of individuals in single and multi-stallion bands and puts forward a new theory, the consort hypothesis, as an explanation for multistallion bands.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to establish expected average parameters for barking in normal suburban dogs in New Zealand (defined as dogs with no history of problem or nuisance barking) that are left alone for 8 hours during the day, with indoor/outdoor access, and are walked daily. Parameters evaluated over the 8-hour period were the average number of barking episodes, average length of each episode, and average total amount of barking (in seconds). The effects of age and sex on these parameters were assessed. Clients from 2 different Auckland veterinary practices were offered the opportunity to participate in the study (n = 60). Participants were provided with a voice-operated tape recorder (Sony M-200MC Microcassette Recorder) and a written instruction sheet. They recorded their dogs daily over 8 hours for 5 days. Data were then recorded onto a spreadsheet by the investigator, and averages were evaluated using the Windows XLS system. Further analysis was done using the PASW 18 statistical analysis system. Box plots were constructed to evaluate variation between and within dogs. On average, dogs barked between 4 and 5 times over 8 hours. The average length of each episode was 30 seconds, and the average total amount of barking in 8 hours was 129 seconds. Younger dogs (younger than 5 years) tended to bark more frequently than older dogs. These parameters provide a baseline against which barking complaints may be measured. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Liver samples are collected from cattle for a variety of reasons. Samples are taken by percutaneous biopsy, and, as this causes pain in cattle, it is usually performed under local anesthesia (LA). However, postbiopsy inflammation can cause pain and sensitization of the wound site after the effects of LA have worn off. If significant, inflammatory pain has the potential to affect animal welfare and productivity. Eighteen Friesian heifers and cows (mean body weight = 534 kg) were used in this study; all received LA at the incision site. Six animals were biopsied with no further drug administration (LA), 6 were given 15 mL meloxicam intravenously and then biopsied (LAN), and 6 were sham-biopsied (control, C). Paddock behavior was observed for 4 hours after biopsy: totals for the whole observation period as well as hourly totals were analyzed. Overall, LA cows spent less time ruminating than C cows (C vs. LA: t 10 = 2.72, P = 0.05), whereas LAN cows did not differ from controls. In contrast, LAN cows looked at the incision site more often than did C cows overall (t 9 = −2.86, P = 0.04). When hourly totals for this behavior were considered, LAN cows looked at the wound site significantly more often in the fourth hour than did C cows, and LA cows tended to look more often than C cows. The reduced rumination in LA cows, as well as the higher frequency of looking at the wound site in the fourth hour by all biopsied cows, suggests that liver biopsy caused some inflammatory pain when LA had worn off. Administration of meloxicam before biopsy had only a minor effect on pain behavior. There were no significant differences in the behavior of LAN cows compared with those given LA alone. However, rumination in cows given meloxicam did not differ from controls, suggesting a mild effect of the drug on behavior. The current study provides some evidence that cows did experience mild inflammatory pain after liver biopsy, but that meloxicam had negligible effects on this pain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article compares the pain caused by different methods of castration of cattle. The author also investigated the methods of alleviating this pain. To explain the pain, he discusses a study by Susann Thüer and colleagues that compared the behavior and plasma cortisol responses to two methods of castration (rubber ring and Burdizzo) with and without local anaesthesia. The author concludes that understanding the significance of long term pain is the most important topic for examining the pain caused by surgery.

The author comments on a study that examined possible motivations behind tail biting in pigs. Motivations were suggested based on a lack of opportunity to explore, competition over limited access to resources and obsessive behaviour with no known cause. The study is said to show what is happening to growing pigs under different farming systems, and indicates a parallel approach between companion and farm behavioural medicine.

The author looks at various studies on the treatment of pain in veterinary medicine. He cites that a review by L. Viñuela-Fernández et al. published within the issue focuses on pain mechanisms and management. He notes that developing protocols to assess acute pain in a range of species exposed to a large number of potentially painful procedures is time consuming and difficult. He explains how the development of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with analgesic properties has revolutionized analgesia.

Objective To compare the thermal nociceptive thresholds (TNTs) of dogs from three working/ sport breeds. Study design Experimental prospective study. Animals Thirty healthy adult dogs of mixed age, sex and reproductive status, 10 of each of three breeds: Harrier Hound, Greyhound and New Zealand Huntaway. Methods On one day of each week for 4 weeks, unrestrained dogs were tested six times. TNTs were measured using a remotely activated device comprising a thermode attached to the thoracic limb, controlled by a microprocessor attached to the animal. Latency to exhibit behaviour indicative of nociception after initiation of heating and the temperature of the thermode at the point of behavioural response were measured. Linear mixed-effects models were fitted to the data, with dog included as a randomeffect, initial thermode temperature as a covariate and day, week and breed as fixed effects. Results Initial thermode temperature significantly affected dogs' latency to respond (p < 0.001). Breed had a significant effect on both latency to respond and response temperature. Huntaways took longer to respond than Harriers or Greyhounds. For example, when the initial thermode temperature was 30 C, Huntaways took 39.0 seconds to respond compared with 35.8 seconds for Harriers and 36.8 seconds for Greyhounds. Huntaways also responded at higher temperatures (mean ± standard deviation: Huntaways 49.7 ± 1.3 C, Harriers 48.4 ±1.6 ° and Greyhounds 48.7 ± 1.6 C). Conclusions and clinical relevance Huntaways appeared to be less sensitive to thermal pain than the other breeds. Such information could be used by researchers and clinicians to better understand the generalizability of data gathered from a specific breed to the wider canine population or to tailor more effective pharmacological approaches to pain management in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses an article which identified the management of the welfare of dogs, by James Yeates, published within the issue. Yeates tackled various issues about canine welfare, such as dog management, concept of normal dog behavior and dog breeds. The author concludes that the welfare of an animal depends on what the dog experiences.

The author reflects on issues regarding the castration of older lambs in New Zealand. He argues that more tissue damage occurs in the castration of older animals which increases the likelihood of post castration complications. He suggests that future research on castration should focus on how to lessen the pain caused by executing surgical procedures using systemic analgesia and local anesthesia.

The use of a pen during lactation provides sows with more space so they can turn around freely. They are an alternative to the physically and behaviourally more restrictive farrowing crates. Previous studies have compared data from multiple pork production units using different farrowing accommodation types. This study was carried out on one commercial pig farm using two lactation systems. The objective was to examine the effect that the accommodation (pens with temporary crating until 4 days postpartum, or farrowing crates for the duration of lactation) had on the productivity of sows and piglets. Performance data was obtained from 394 sows (4706 live born piglets) in combination pens, and 338 sows (3987 live born piglets) in crates over 14 farrowing batches. Pre-weaning piglet mortality (PWM%) was significantly higher in the pen system (10.23%) than in the crate system (6.10%) ( P< 0.0001). Penned sows were released from the temporary crate on the fourth day of lactation. A greater proportion of piglets died in the combination pens (38.8%) than in the crates (30.43%) during the period extending from the fourth day of lactation until weaning ( P <0.0001). Total pigs weaned per litter differed ( P =0.0024) between pen (10.54±0.052) and crate systems (10.76±0.065). The accommodation in which a sow farrowed and lactated had no significant effect on subsequent reproductive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Relationships between males defending the same harem are described as cooperative or competitive and explained by mutualism, reciprocal altruism, and reproductive concessions or limited control between unequal contestants. These alternate hypotheses can be tested by removing males from harems. Some feral horse (Equus caballus) harems are defended by more than one and up to five stallions. We temporarily removed the subordinate stallion from two of six multi-stallion bands (a harem and its stallions) for three weeks during the breeding season. We monitored harems for changes in composition, and measured and compared rates of (i) intra- and inter-band stallion aggression, (ii) stallion aggression towards mares, and (iii) stallion-mare proximity before subordinate stallion removal and after his return with rates during his absence. Harems were successfully defended during the subordinate''s absence and stallion-mare aggression was substantially reduced. Dominant stallions did not require assistance in harem defence, and heightened harassment of mares is directly attributable to subordinate stallion''s residence, not characteristics of the dominant stallion or mares. Cooperative hypotheses do not appear to explain multi-stallion bands but the experiments in this study should be replicated further. The limited control hypothesis (e.g., mate-parasitism) appears better supported but we outline its limitations too. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-endotoxic and anti-pyretic effects in cattle. As such, they could be expected to have significant effects in cows and calves in the post-calving period. This review evaluates the published data on the use of NSAIDs in the dam and its calf after dystocia, the impact of NSAIDs on uterine involution, the restoration of ovarian function and prevention and treatment of the metritis complex, and the benefits of using NSAIDs in the recumbent COW. Overall, the published data are very limited, despite frequent use of NSAIDs by veterinarians in the post-calving cow, and the small number of published studies focus on blanket treatment of calving cows rather than targeted treatment after dystocia. Blanket treatment had no economic benefit; indeed, some studies reported adverse effects, such as pyrexia and increased risk of metritis. There is even less information on the value of treating calves with NSAIDs after dystocia, despite significant tissue damage which may benefit from NSAID use. Appreciably more studies have evaluated the influence of NSAIDs on uterine and ovarian function, but clinical relevance is limited. In cows with a normal puerperium, prolonged treatment with NSAIDs may slow the restoration of normal function, but most reported studies are small and use NSAIDs more frequently and for longer periods than is common in general practice. The evidence of a clinical benefit in cows with puerperal disease is limited and equivocal, and the evidence base for the use of NSAIDs in the treatment of recumbent cows is also small, even though an expert panel concluded that NSAIDs were a key aspect of veterinary treatment of downer cows. The lack of evidence identified by this review supports the contention that NSAIDs are likely to be under-used and sub-optimally prescribed in the post calving period. Further research on the use of NSAIDs in the post-calving cow and calf is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To characterize changes in the cerebro-cortical response of lambs to rubber-ring castration during the first 6 weeks of postnatal life. Animals Coopworth-Texel cross ram lambs between 3 hours and 44 days of age. Methods The electroencephalogram (EEG) and heart rate responses to rubber ring castration were compared. Anaesthesia was induced via a face mask and maintained with halothane in oxygen (e′Hal = 1.2%). Once a stable plane of anaesthesia had been achieved, data collection of EEG and electrocardiogram (ECG) commenced, and the lambs were castrated 15 minutes later, using rubber rings. Heart rate was derived from the ECG and the median frequency ( F50), spectral edge frequency ( F95) and total power ( ptot) were derived from the EEG. Results Castration-induced changes in F50 increased from 2 ± 1.8% in the youngest lambs to a maximum of 33 ± 8.9% in the 36 ± 0.5 day-old lambs. Changes in F95 increased from −7 ± 3% in the youngest lambs to a maximum of 16 ± 11% in the 36 ± 0.5 day-old lambs. Linear regression analysis in lambs up to 10 days of age demonstrated a change in the response with age that was significantly different from zero for F50 ( r2 = 0.28, p = 0.007) and F95 ( r2 = 0.38, p = 0.001), but not for ptot or heart rate. Conclusion This study identified significant changes in the responsiveness of the lambs’ cerebral cortex to the noxious stimulation of castration over the first 7–10 days of postnatal life. The results suggest that mechanisms that suppress responses of the fetus to noxious stimulation may still be active in the first few days after birth. Clinical relevance This study documents changes in central nociceptive processing which may reflect the ability of neonatal animals to perceive pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the potential of a thermal carbon dioxide ( CO2) laser to explore antinociception in pain-free cats. Study design Experimental, prospective, blinded, randomized study. Animals Sixty healthy adult female cats with a (mean ± standard deviation) weight of 3.3 ± 0.6 kg. Methods Cats were systematically allocated to one of six treatments: saline 0.2 mL per cat; morphine 0.5 mg kg−1; buprenorphine 20 μg kg−1; medetomidine 2 μg kg−1; tramadol 2 mg kg−1, and ketoprofen 2 mg kg−1. Latency to respond to thermal stimulation was assessed at baseline and at intervals of 15-30, 30-45, 45-60, 60-75, 90-105 and 120-135 minutes. Thermal thresholds were assessed using time to respond behaviourally to stimulation with a 500 mW CO2 laser. Within-treatment differences in response latency were assessed using Friedman's test. Differences amongst treatments were assessed using independent Kruskal-Wallis tests. Where significant effects were identified, pairwise comparisons were conducted to elucidate the direction of the effect. Results Cats treated with morphine (χ2 = 12.90, df = 6, p = 0.045) and tramadol (χ2 = 20.28, df = 6, p = 0.002) showed significant increases in latency to respond. However, subsequent pairwise comparisons indicated that differences in latencies at specific time-points were significant ( p < 0.05) only for tramadol at 60-75 and 90-105 minutes after administration (21.9 and 43.6 seconds, respectively) in comparison with baseline (11.0 seconds). No significant pairwise comparisons were found within the morphine treatment. Injections of saline, ketoprofen, medetomidine or buprenorphine showed no significant effect on latency to respond. Conclusions and clinical relevance The CO2 laser technique may have utility in the assessment of thermal nociceptive thresholds in pain-free cats after analgesic administration and may provide a simpler alternative to existing systems. Further exploration is required to examine its sensitivity and comparative utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]