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Altres ajuts: Nestlé Purina PetCare EMENA. Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is the most common cause of cognitive decline in aged dogs. Early diagnosis is crucial because the sooner treatment is implemented, the greater the chance of slowing the progression of the disease. Assessment tools to assess cognitive decline may differ depending on the environment in which the dogs live. The aims of this study were threefold, first, to describe two feasible methods to evaluate cognitive impairment in aged dogs living in different environments: (i) a Canine Cognitive Assessment Scale (CCAS) for dogs living in a home environment and (ii) a practical cognitive test (PCT) potentially useful for dogs not living in a home environment (NHE); second, to assess the effect of age on the outcome of both tools and, finally, to compare the results of the CCAS with those of the PCT. Both methods were found to be practical to perform. Age was found to significantly predict the score obtained by the CCAS (p = 0.0011) and the outcome of the PCT (p = 0.009). However, the reversal phase from the PCT did not significantly predict the outcomes of the CCAS (p = 0.97). Taken together, these findings suggest that the CCAS is a practical method to evaluate age related cognitive changes in owned dogs. The fact that the PCT has not been proven to be related with the CCAS calls into question the use of the PCT as a sensitive tool to assess cognitive impairment. Further studies in this field are suggested.

Simple Summary There are several conditions and diseases considered painful to cattle. One reason for the inconsistency in pain recognition and thus pain relief in cattle is the inadequate ability to identify and assess pain. In fact, both increased and/or reduced daily lying time can be indicative of pain in cattle. This review helps to properly interpret pain in cows through behavioural activity patterns and explores whether pain relief is capable to restore their normal activity. Abstract The main conditions and diseases considered painful in dairy cows are mastitis, lameness, calving (including dystocia and caesarean section) and metritis. The cattle literature reports that deviation from normal daily activity patterns (both increased and/or reduced daily lying time) can be indicative of painful conditions and diseases in cows. This narrative review discusses on how pain due to several health conditions in dairy cows modifies its activity pattern and explores if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are capable of restoring it. Divergent outcomes may differ depending upon the painful cause, the severity and the moment, and consequently its interpretation should be properly explained. For instance, cows with clinical mastitis reduced their time lying and increased the number of lying bouts and stepping due to pain caused by the swollen udder when cows are lying. However, lame cows show longer lying times, with a lower number of lying bouts and longer and more variable lying bouts duration, as compared to non-lame cows. When the relationship between painful disorders and daily activity patterns is studied, factors such as parity, bedding type and severity of disease are important factors to take into consideration. The potential benefits of the NSAIDs treatment in painful health disorders depend upon the type of drug administered, its dosage and administration mode, and the time of administration relative to the painful health disorder. This narrative review can be used as a tool to properly interpret and grade pain in cows through behavioural activity patterns and proposes directions for future investigations.

In this study, the changes of salivary stress biomarkers were contrasted with skin lesions during weaning in piglets. The stress biomarkers evaluated were cortisol (as the reflection of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis), chromogranin A (CgA) and alpha amylase (sAA) (both as the reflection of sympathoadrenal-medullary (SAM) axis). In addition, the accumulation of skin lesions were assessed as proxy measures of aggression. One hundred and two Danbred piglets (51 female and 51 male) from primiparous and multiparous sows were studied from birth to two days post-weaning. Saliva sampling and lesion scoring were performed one day pre-weaning (-1), and one (+1) and two days post-weaning (+2). Our results show that on +1, there was a significant (P .0001) increase in salivary cortisol, CgA and skin lesions; whereas on +2, there was a significant increase (P .0001) in salivary CgA and skin lesions. CgA was correlated with the skin lesion score (r = 0.4; P .0001). sAA did not significantly change at any sampling time. It can be concluded that stress associated to weaning, is associated with changes in salivary CgA and cortisol stress biomarkers and an increase in skin lesions. However, CgA shows higher correlation with skin lesions which indicates that stress due to fighting activates the SAM stress pathway. Therefore, a combination of physiological biomarkers (CgA and cortisol) and proxy of aggression (skin lesions) is preferable than the use of a single biomarker or behavioural indicator when monitoring the social stress response associated to weaning in piglets.

Background Saliva is being increasingly used as a sample for measuring biomarkers in several species and shows a high potential of use to detect and monitor stress. The weaning and grouping in dairy calves are a particularly stressful time. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate a panel of antioxidant and oxidant biomarkers in the saliva of calves on the day of weaning (W0), 2 days after weaning or milk withdrawal (W + 2), and 4 days after grouping (G + 4). In addition, to verify if cortisol and oxytocin concentrations are related to the biomarkers measured. Results Salivary cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing ability of saliva (FRAS), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), and ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange (FOX) were significantly higher (P P Conclusions Our results showed that calves after grouping show increases in antioxidants and oxidants concentrations, indicating that a balance between these molecules has been tried to maintain during this stressful situation. The dynamic changes of biomarkers of oxidative status should be explored and characterised in other stressful conditions.

Several precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies, conceived for optimizing farming processes, are developed to detect the physical and behavioral changes of animals continuously and in real-time. The aim of this review was to explore the capacity of existing PLF technologies to contribute to the assessment of pig welfare. In a web search for commercially available PLF for pigs, 83 technologies were identified. A literature search was conducted, following systematic review guidelines (PRISMA), to identify studies on the validation of sensor technologies for assessing animal-based welfare indicators. Two validation levels were defined: internal (evaluation during system building within the same population that were used for system building) and external (evaluation on a different population than during system building). From 2,463 articles found, 111 were selected, which validated some PLF that could be applied to the assessment of animal-based welfare indicators of pigs (7% classified as external, and 93% as internal validation). From our list of commercially available PLF technologies, only 5% had been externally validated. The more often validated technologies were vision-based solutions (n = 45), followed by load-cells (n = 28; feeders and drinkers, force plates and scales), accelerometers (n = 14) and microphones (n = 14), thermal cameras (n = 10), photoelectric sensors (n = 5), radio-frequency identification (RFID) for tracking (n = 2), infrared thermometers (n = 1), and pyrometer (n = 1). Externally validated technologies were photoelectric sensors (n = 2), thermal cameras (n = 2), microphone (n = 1), load-cells (n = 1), RFID (n = 1), and pyrometer (n = 1). Measured traits included activity and posture-related behavior, feeding and drinking, other behavior, physical condition, and health. In conclusion, existing PLF technologies are potential tools for on-farm animal welfare assessment in pig production. However, validation studies are lacking for an important percentage of market available tools, and in particular research and development need to focus on identifying the feature candidates of the measures (e.g., deviations from diurnal pattern, threshold levels) that are valid signals of either negative or positive animal welfare. An important gap identified are the lack of technologies to assess affective states (both positive and negative states).

Simple Summary Because of their large size, blood, serum, or other substances are often collected from horses for production of biologics and therapeutics used in humans and other animals. There are few international guidelines that provide recommendations for caring for horses kept for these purposes. In this paper, general guidelines are provided to ensure well-being of horses kept for production of biologics. Abstract Various pharmaceutical products have been derived from horse blood and urine for over a century. Production of biologics and therapeutics from these samples is a niche industry and often occurs in regions with little regulation or veterinary oversight. To ensure good welfare of horses maintained for these purposes, guidance has been developed to support the industry.

Background The possible use of oxytocin in saliva as an indicator of positive emotions in bovine species has been poorly investigated. In the present study, two new assays (one using a monoclonal antibody and the other using a polyclonal antibody) for the measurement of oxytocin in bovine saliva were developed and validated. Also, the changes in oxytocin in saliva were explored in two different situations. One was around parturition, and for this purpose, saliva samples from 13 cows were collected at three different times: 7 days before the parturition, the day of parturition and 7 days after the parturition. The second situation was weaning and grouping of calves, and for this purpose, saliva from 25 calves was collected at three different times: 1 day before weaning, 2 days after weaning or milk withdrawal and 4 days after grouping calves. Results In cows, oxytocin concentrations showed an increase on the day of parturition with both assays, while in calves, oxytocin concentrations showed a decrease 4 days after the grouping. Conclusions The assays validated in this report could be used for the measurement of oxytocin in bovine saliva and detect changes in this analyte that can occur in different physiological or productive situations such as parturition and weaning.

There is a lack of protocols specifically developed for the assessment of welfare of wild animals in captivity, even when it is known that providing good standards of welfare is important. The aim of this study was the development and the application of a protocol for the assessment of welfare in captive dorcas gazelles. The protocol was mainly developed taking into account the protocol for the assessment of welfare in cattle from the Welfare Quality® project, the available literature of the biology of this species and the Husbandry Guidelines developed for captive breeding and management of this species. The protocol was specifically developed for dorcas gazelles and included four principles, 10 criteria and 23 animal and environmental-based indicators. To test its utility, this protocol was applied to five different groups of gazelles from three different zoos. Its application made possible to detect areas for improvement in all groups assessed., To CSIC Agency (Spain) for support.

[EN] The transport and general handling of slaughter animals are associated with a series of events that cause stressful and unfavorable conditions that can compromise animal welfare. All these stressful events start at the farm and end with the death of the animal. In this experiment, we evaluated the effect of two finishing strategies and two contrasting lairage times through the combination of several indicators regarding productivity, physiology, behavior and postmortem variables. Individual temperaments and their impact on welfare and carcass quality were also considered. Animal welfare was not compromised in any diet during the finishing period. Individual temperament had a positive impact on the productivity and on all physiological indicators at different preslaughter stages. For that reason, we consider that it should be given paramount importance when talking about animal welfare. According to our results, with pasture-based animals, without fasting on the farm and after a short time of transportation (3.5 h), a longer preslaughter resting time (15 vs. 3 h) is desirable from the animal welfare perspective. Furthermore, our results suggest that this longer resting period, would also be more convenient from the carcass quality perspective. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of two different pasture-based finishing strategies and lairage time on steers welfare in Uruguayan conditions. Sixty Hereford (H) and Braford (B) steers were assigned to two different diets for finishing purposes: (D1) native pasture plus corn grain (1% of live weight) (H n = 15, B n = 15) and (D2) high-quality pasture (H n = 15, B n = 15). The average daily gain was registered every 14 days, and temperaments were individually assessed one week before slaughter by three individual tests: crush score, flight time and exit speed, building a multicriterial temperament index (TIndex). Animals were slaughtered the same day in two groups (50% from D1 and 50% from D2 in each group) after traveling for 3.5 h and staying 15 (long lairage) and 3 h (short lairage) in the lairage pens, respectively. The behaviors were observed during lairage, and physiological indicators were used to assess stress at the farm after transport, after lairage and at slaughter. Bruises incidence and final pH were registered at the abattoir as a means of assessing the overall animal welfare. Calmer animals had higher average daily gains with no differences either between diets or between breeds. Calmer animals also had a lower stress response during all preslaughter stages, regardless of the time in lairage. Transport did not imply psychological stress (cortisol) for any slaughter group, but physical stress was evident after transport in both groups through NEFA and CPK increases. Bruise incidences did not differ between lairage groups. The short lairage group did not have enough time to cope with the environment before slaughter, with the consequent deleterious effects on the carcass pH. Animals from the long lairage group had a higher metabolic response shown through NEFA values, but they had enough time to rest and recover overnight, reaching final pH values lower than 5.8, considered the upper limit of the normal range. According to this experiment, with pasture-based animals without fasting on the farm and after 3.5 h of transportation, a resting period of 15 h in lairage should be better than a 3-h one., This research was financed by INIA Uruguay and received no external funding.

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of different fattening systems from pasture to concentrate and temperament on animal welfare (AW) and meat quality (MQ). Eighty-four Hereford steers were randomly assigned to the following groups: T1, pasture (4% of animal live weight: LW), T2, pasture (3% LW) plus concentrate (0.6% LW), T3, pasture (3% LW) plus concentrate (1.2% LW), T4, an ad libitum concentrate treatment. Temperament was assessed by three individual tests: crush score, flight time, and exit speed, building a multicriterial temperament index (TIndex). The flight zone was also registered for each treatment. AW was assessed through the integration of indicators of productivity, physiology, and behavior, as well as by monitoring the health status within each treatment. Shear force was registered for MQ. Differences in average daily gain were due to the different energetic composition of the diets (T4 &gt, T3 &gt, T2 &gt, T1) and were not attributable to animal welfare problems. Animals from T4 had the higher average daily gain (ADG) but welfare was negatively affected, being evident through physiological indicators, the restriction or deprivation of relevant behaviors, diet-related diseases, and mortality. T1, T2, and T3 did not appear to compromise animal welfare. However, strict preventive measures and monitoring should be taken during the habituation process and when using any new diet that includes concentrate, because of possible dietary diseases. Shear force values were lower in T1. None of the animals in our experiment were excitable or aggressive, but there was a positive response to handling in all treatments. In addition, regardless of diet, calmer animals had higher average daily gain and lower shear force values, thus, temperament appears to have a significant influence on productivity and meat quality.

Simple Summary Multi-unowned-cat environments can be highly stressful for cats, and infectious and parasite diseases spread quickly and are difficult to prevent. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of intestinal parasites and fecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) in cat feces collected from different multi-cat environments and assess the effect of housing conditions on intestinal parasites and FCM levels in order to develop more efficient control strategies. Cat fecal samples from rescue shelters, catteries and feline colonies were analyzed with coprological methods to detect intestinal parasite patency and determine FCM. Helminth infection was mainly detected in free-roaming cats. In confined cats, protozoa infections were more likely detected in shelter cats than in cattery cats. Exposure to dogs was associated with parasite infection and cats highly exposed to dogs with visual contact and audible barking showed higher intestinal protozoa prevalence than cats that were not exposed to dogs. FCM levels were correlated with enclosure size and protozoa infection. Reducing stress by improving housing in terms of enclosure size and avoiding exposure to dogs may have an impact on the occurrence of intestinal parasites, especially protozoa. Abstract Housing conditions were assessed in different unowned multi-cat management models in order to evaluate their impact on the occurrence of intestinal parasites and fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) levels. Fresh stool fecal samples were collected from rescue shelters, catteries and feline colonies for coprological analyses in order to detect intestinal parasite patency and fecal cortisol metabolites. A questionnaire provided information about the facilities, management and housing conditions of cats, including information about dog exposure, enclosure size, environment enrichment and changes to group composition. Overall, intestinal parasite infection was detected in 58.2% of fecal samples collected. The occurrence of intestinal parasites detected in free-roaming cats was 82.2%, mainly due to helminth infection. The parasite infection rate was 57.3% in rescue shelters and 34.6% in catteries. In confined cats, protozoa infection was more likely detected in rescue shelters than in catteries (RR = 2.02 (1.30–3.14), p = 0.0012). Although the FCM values were very variable between cats, the enclosure size and parasite infection were correlated with the average FCM. A small enclosure size was correlated with high fecal cortisol metabolites (p = 0.016). Protozoa-positive samples showed higher FCM levels than negative samples (p = 0.0150). High dog exposure was statistically associated with protozoa infection (p = 0.0006). The results indicated that improving housing, especially in terms of floor space and avoiding dog exposure, reduces stress and can thus be applied to make control strategies in multi-unowned-cat environments more efficient, especially when cats are confined.

The aim of the present work was to study group size, group composition and habitat use of Iberian pigs along the year when reared outdoor. This consists of a regimen in which animals are reared free range from 2 months of age until at least 14 months of age. In a first stage, animals are supplemented with concentrates, and in a second, called montanera, pigs eat just natural resources in areas with no more than two pigs per hectare. In these systems, males are castrated to avoid boar taint and females spayed to avoid the attraction and mounting by wild boars. The study was carried out in five different farms allocated in the south-west of Spain during 2 consecutive years, from March 2012 to February 2014, under the montanera regimen, and with a total of 995 animals observed (498 males and 497 females). The data were analyzed with SAS by means of general models and proc mixed. Mean group size along the year was of 17 ± 12.9 individuals, but this was significantly lower (P < 0.05) during the montanera (12 ± 0.8) and at midday (13 ± 0.8). Groups were bigger (P < 0.05) when they were more than 50 m from a tree (23 ± 1.8), or P = 0.0286) during the montanera (11%) than the rest of the year (8%) and being formed in 68% by males. Males were less involved in mixed groups than were females (75% vs. 91%), especially in spring, where the largest (P < 0.0001) male groups were found. Female groups were less frequent and smaller (P < 0.0001) than were male and mixed groups. In conclusion, although males were castrated at a very young age, they showed a different behavior than females, forming in bachelor groups during the spring and being less involved in mixed groups and with more solitary animals. During the montanera, when animals were feeding on acorns and other natural resources, groups were smaller and closer to the trees, solitary males reaching a maximum percent.

The study investigated the effect of farrowing environment on the weaning adaptability of sows and piglets. One farrowing crate (FC) and two farrowing pens with temporary crating (TC: SWAP and JLF15) were compared. Sixty-four sows and 663 piglets were followed until 5 days post-weaning. At weaning (D24), sows and piglets were moved to group pens and nursery pens, respectively. Sows and piglets’ behaviors were observed on D24, D25, and D26. On D23, D25, and D26, piglets’ skin lesions were counted, and sows and piglets’ saliva samples were collected for stress biomarkers (cortisol and chromogranin A, CgA). Piglets were weighed on D23 and D29. All the piglets’ skin lesions increased on D25 and decreased on D26 (p < 0.05). Compared to D23, cortisol of JLF15 and CgA of FC piglets increased, whereas those of SWAP piglets remained similar after weaning (p < 0.05). Post-weaning performance in piglets was similar across farrowing systems. SWAP sows vocalized more than FC and JLF15 on D24 and D25 (p < 0.001). Results suggested that SWAP piglets showed a lower weaning stress response. Frequent post-weaning vocalization in SWAP sows might be linked with a negative effect of the abrupt separation from the piglets.

Detection of cortisol is one of the most widely used methods to assess stress in animals because it provides information about hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. The most common biological samples are plasma, saliva, urine, feces, milk, and hair. Hair cortisol analysis could be a good noninvasive procedure to detect chronic stress because cortisol is incorporated and stored inside growing hair. The aim of this study was to determine whether cortisol could be detected in pig hair and could serve as a proper chronic stress indicator. Hair samples from 2 regions (craniodorsal [D] and dorsolumbar [L]) of 20 crossbred entire male pigs were taken at 8 and 22 weeks of age. The pigs were subjected to a weekly remixing procedure. The mean cortisol level for the hair samples was 19.30 ± 0.63 pg/mg (range, 6.4-43.88). Hair for second sampled day had higher cortisol values ( P = 0.002) than hair from first sampled day. Furthermore, L region had higher values than D region at every age measurement ( P P = 0.019) and region L (r = 0.523; P P P

First-week mortality is an important performance index as well as an important welfare indicator. The aim of the present study was to identify internal (individual-dependent) and external (management or environmental) factors that could influence the cumulative first-week mortality of broilers. To carry out this study, field data obtained from a hatchery company were used, in which 2267 flocks of broiler chicks (from 2015 to 2018), were analyzed. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the data. Farm ID and house by farm were incorporated as random effects. The Odds Ratio was estimated for each factor, determining the effect of each explanatory variable. First-week mortality was significantly related to breeder age (p &lt, 0.0001), chick gender (p &lt, 0.0001) and breed (p &lt, 0.0001) as internal factors, and type of broiler house (p = 0.0129), presence or absence of drip cup (p &lt, 0.0001), egg storage (p &lt, 0.0001), study year (p &lt, 0.0001) and season (p &lt, 0.0001) as external factors. Therefore, these factors should be considered in the decision making of poultry breeding companies, in order to reduce possible welfare problems and increase productive performance.

Changes in facial expression have been shown to be a useful tool to assess pain severity in humans and animals, but facial scales have not yet been developed for all species. A facial expression scale in sows was developed using farrowing as a pain model. Five potential facial zones were identified: (i) Tension above eyes, (ii) Snout angle, (iii) Neck tension, (iv) Temporal tension and ear position (v), and Cheek tension. Facial zones were examined through 263 images of a total of 21 sows at farrowing, characterizing moments of non-pain (19 days post-farrowing, score 0), moderate pain (time interval between the delivery of two consecutive piglets, score 1) and severe pain (during active piglet delivery, score 2). Images were evaluated by a &ldquo, Silver Standard&rdquo, observer with experience in sows&rsquo, facial expressions, and by a group of eight animal welfare scientists, without experience in it, but who received a one-hour training session on how to assess pain in sows&rsquo, faces. Intra- and inter-observer reliability of the facial expression ranged from moderate to very good for all facial expression zones, with Tension above eyes, Snout angle, and Neck tension showing the highest reliability. In conclusion, monitoring facial expressions seems to be a useful tool to assess pain caused by farrowing.

Understanding the natural behaviour of pigs in free-range conditions facilitates interpretation of their behaviour in intensive conditions. Studying six different farms over two years at different seasons, with climatic and management variations, allowed for a general description of Iberian pig behaviour and which factors have an influence on it. The main activity found was resting (56.5% of the time observed), followed by exploratory behaviour. However, this exploratory behaviour was higher when animals were fed only with natural resources than when fed with concentrates (50% versus 17.8%, respectively). In addition, pigs used bathing areas in summer that were not visited in winter. Negative social behaviour was seen more frequently than positive social behaviour, accounting, in total, for 1% of the total activity of animals. Pigs situated at the centre of the groups tended to remain more relaxed, while the peripheral animals remained more alert and vigilant. Our results indicate that foraging behaviour accounts for a significant proportion of pigs&rsquo, active time, but this proportion is much more reduced when pigs are fed concentrates. Therefore, behavioural needs in pigs reared in intensive conditions should consider that exploratory behaviour is reduced when pigs are fed with concentrates.

Vaccination is reported as a stressful and painful event for animals. This study investigated whether needle-free intradermal vaccination improves the welfare of weaned pigs through the reduction of stress and pain biomarkers and improvement of behavioural parameters compared to traditional intramuscular injection with a needle. A total of 339 weaned piglets were allocated to 3 treatment groups: Intradermal Application of Liquids (IDAL) pigs, vaccinated against Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) by means of intradermal vaccination using a needle-free device Porcilis&reg, PCV ID, Intramuscular (IM) pigs vaccinated against PCV2 with Porcilis&reg, PCV intramuscularly with a needle, CONTROL pigs were managed identically but did not receive any vaccine injection. At the time of the injection, the reaction of IDAL piglets was similar to control piglets, whereas a greater percentage of piglets vaccinated intramuscularly displayed high-pitch vocalizations (7% CONTROL, 7% IDAL, 32% IM) and retreat attempts (3% CONTROL, 7% IDAL, 39% IM). The day after vaccination, IDAL piglets did not differ from the control piglets for any of the behavioural variables studied through scan samplings. IM piglets showed a lower frequency of social negative interactions (p = 0.001) and rope manipulation (p = 0.04) compared to the CONTROL group. Resting postures did not differ between treatments. At 28 h post-vaccination, IDAL piglets presented lower blood C-reactive protein levels (CONTROL = 20 &mu, g/mL, IDAL = 39 &mu, IM = 83 &mu, g/mL, p &lt, 0.0001) and blood Haptoglobin (CONTROL = 1.8 mg/mL, IDAL = 1.9 mg/mL vs. IM = 3.1 mg/mL, p &lt, 0.0001) compared to IM piglets. Salivary chromogranin A and alpha-amylase did not differ between treatment groups when measured 25 min post-vaccination. The method of vaccination did not affect the growth of the piglets or their rectal temperature. These results support that needle-free intradermal vaccination reduces vaccination-related pain in growing pigs.

Three loose housing systems for lactating cows (compost bedded pack, CBP, conventional bedded pack, BP, and freestalls, FS) were assessed on one farm in terms of cow behavior and welfare. An on-farm welfare assessment based on the Welfare Quality protocols was used four times every three months on 757 cows. Video recordings taken twice over four days were used to assess behavior patterns at resting areas. Cows in CBP and BP were dirtier than those in FS (p &lt, 0.0001). Fewer integument alterations were recorded for CBP and BP than FS (p &lt, 0.001). Cows in BP were quicker to lie down and stand up compared to those in CBP or FS (p &lt, 0.001). Percentages of cows needing more attempts before rising were higher for FS (p &lt, 0.01). However, a higher frequency of kneeling was observed in CBP (p = 0.033). A lower percentage of cows lying in the resting area was recorded for FS (56%) than CBP or BP (97 or 84%, respectively, p &lt, 0.05). Overall, in this study, cows kept in bedded pack barns were dirtier but had fewer integument alterations and spent more time lying down in the resting area than cows housed in freestalls.

The evaluation of zoo animals’ personalities can likely lead to a range of benefits, including improving breeding success, creating stable social groups, and designing and developing environmental enrichment programmes. The goal of this study was to use caretakers scores to evaluate personality in bottlenose dolphins and to assess the reliability of scores within each rater and among raters from each centre. To this end, 24 caretakers from 3 countries (Spain, France, and Argentina), including a total of 5 dolphinariums and 6 groups of dolphins, used a questionnaire based on the Five-Factor Model of Personality to score bottlenose dolphins on a number of personality traits in three different contexts. Each caretaker evaluated the animals under their care twice, ensuring that raters did not share thoughts nor impressions with other raters. Our findings showed a good degree of agreement between each rater’s scores and a fair degree of agreement among scores of raters from the same centre. We also identified which raters and centres had significant mean score differences and detected that 4 out of 24 raters from two different centres showed such differences systematically. The evaluation of raters’ reliability and the identification of particular inconsistent raters and centres is critical to make more appropriate and realistic management decisions that, in turn, directly impact animals’ welfare. Fundación Parques Reunidos

Herbivores grazing in extensive systems are exposed to a series of challenges, rooted in the inherent spatial and temporal variability of their environment that potentially constrain their health, nutrition, and welfare. Nevertheless, in this review, we argue that challenges induced by some biotic (e.g., vegetation) and abiotic (e.g., terrain) factors may also be viewed as “positive” sources of stress or eustress, since they present complex problems, that when solved successfully elicit a greater degree of behavioral plasticity and adaptability in grazing animals. Chemically and structurally diverse landscapes require animals to display complex behaviors and exhibit adaptive capabilities, like building a balanced and safe diet or finding shelter, which ultimately lead to positive emotional states. Thus, maintaining or enhancing the diversity occurring in natural systems represent a management approach that can be used to improve welfare and prepare the animal for an efficient adaptation to future, and potentially unknown, environmental challenges.

The aim of this study was to identify biological pathways and proteins differentially expressed in the saliva proteome of sheep after the application of a model of stress, using high-resolution quantitative proteomics. In addition, one of the proteins differently expressed was verified and evaluated as a possible biomarker of stress in this species. Saliva paired samples from eight sheep before and after the application of a model of stress based on shearing were analysed using tandem mass tags (TMT). The TMT analysis allowed for the identification of new stress-related metabolic pathways and revealed 13 proteins, never described in saliva of sheep, that were differentially expressed between before and after the stress. Six of these proteins pertain to four major metabolic pathways affected, namely: canonical glycolysis, oxygen transport, neural nucleus development, and regulation of actin cytoskeleton reorganization. The rest of proteins were unmapped original proteins such as acyl-coenzyme-A-binding protein ; complement C3 ; alpha-2-macroglobulin isoform-X1 ; type-II small proline-rich protein ; lactoferrin ; secretoglobin family-1D-member ; and keratin, type-II cytoskeletal 6. Of these proteins, based on its biological significance and specific immunoassay availability, lactoferrin was selected for further validation. The immunoassay intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were lower than 13%. The method showed good linearity under dilution and recovery, and the detection limit was low enough to detect salivary lactoferrin levels. A significant decrease (P < 0.01) in salivary lactoferrin concentration in the sheep following the application of the model of stress was observed, suggesting that this protein could be a potential salivary biomarker of stress situations in sheep.

This work was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) of Brazil [200568/2014-0]; the Seneca Foundation of Murcia Regional Government, Spain [grant number 19894/ GERM/15]; the 'Juan de la Cierva' of the 'Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad', Spain.; and the University of Murcia (R-605/2016), Spain. The funding agencies had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Altres ajuts: CNPq/200568/2014-0 Altres ajuts: UM/R-605/2016 Altres ajuts: Seneca/19894/GERM/15 Background: Biomarkers of oxidative stress in pigs have been measured in serum/plasma samples. However, blood collection in pigs can be highly stressful to the animals. Saliva is a biological fluid with several advantages in pigs over blood, since it can be easily collected without stress to the animals, being therefore an ideal sample in this species. The objective of this study was the validation of assays for the evaluation of oxidative stress status in saliva of pigs. For this purpose, three assays commonly used to evaluate the total antioxidant capacity (TAC): trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP)), one individual antioxidant (uric acid) and two assays to evaluate oxidant concentrations (advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and hydrogen peroxide (HO)) were measured and validated in porcine saliva. In addition, the possible changes of these assays in sows' saliva during lactation were be studied. Results: The methods had intra- and inter-assays coefficient of variation lower than 15%. They also showed an adequate linearity and recovery, and their detection limits were low enough to detect the analytes in saliva of pigs. Overall the analytical validation tests showed that the assays used in our study are valid and reliable for the evaluation of oxidative stress in porcine saliva. In addition, it was observed that these salivary biomarkers can change in a situation of oxidative stress such as lactation in sows. Conclusions: All assays for salivary biomarkers of oxidative stress evaluated in this study have demonstrated a high analytical accuracy and low imprecision. In addition, it has been observed that these biomarkers showed significant changes in a situation of oxidative stress such as lactation in sows. Therefore, this study opens a new possibility of using saliva as a non-invasive sample to evaluate oxidative stress in pigs.

Some positive effects regarding the use of enrichment material on the stimulation of pig exploration and a reduction in redirected behaviour was reported. This study aims to evaluate the effects of four enrichment materials on the behaviour, physiology/health, performance and carcass and meat quality in pigs kept in Spanish production conditions. Ninety-six male pigs (six pigs/pen) ranging from 70 to 170 days old were used. Chains were used for the control group (CH), and wooden logs (W), straw in a rack (S) or paper (P) were also used. The pigs were subjected to two pre-slaughter treatments: 0 or 12 hours of fasting. Their behaviour was observed for 12 weeks using scan and focal sampling. Samples of the Neutrophil: Lymphocyte (N:L) ratio and lactate were obtained from the pigs at 66 and 170 days old. Saliva samples for Chromogranin-A (CgA) were obtained at 67, 128, 164 and 170 days old. The weight, skin lesions and feed intake of the pigs were recorded. S triggered more exploratory behaviour than W and CH (P &lt, 0.001). Skin lesions and redirected behaviour were lower for pigs with S (P &lt, 0.01 and P &lt, 0.05, respectively). The pigs offered S presented lower CgA after no fasting than pigs with P or CH (P = 0.055). Lactate was higher in pigs with W and CH treatments, regardless of fasting (P &lt, 0.05). The N:L ratio increased over time (P &lt, 0.05). No other significant effects were found. Overall, straw in a rack was the enrichment material that enhanced pig inherent behaviour.

Canine aggression toward family members represents a potential hazard for the owner's health and can severely compromise the welfare of the affected dogs. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the main features of canine aggression toward family members using cases from a referral practice. The cases were examined with respect to behavioral and environmental factors that may be related to this problem. Forty-three cases of canine aggression toward family members seen at the Animal Behavior Clinic (Barcelona School of Veterinary Medicine) were analyzed and compared with 50 canine cases with no such history. A logistic regression model was applied to identify environmental and behavioral factors that may be related to aggression toward family members. Dogs adopted before 7 weeks of age and those receiving treats from the table were more likely to present aggression toward family members. Dogs presenting an underlying painful condition were also more likely to be aggressive toward family members. According to the owner's description, most of the dogs showed an ambivalent posture during the aggressive events. These findings provide an insight into some of the factors related to canine aggression toward family members and may help to develop more effective preventive and treatment strategies. Even if causative links cannot be made, our findings certainly provide direction for further investigation. Fil: Le Brech, Susana. Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. Facultad de Veterinaria; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Amat, Marta. Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. Facultad de Veterinaria; España Fil: Camps, Tomás. Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. Facultad de Veterinaria; España Fil: Temple, Deborah. Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. Facultad de Veterinaria; España Fil: Manteca, Xavier. Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. Facultad de Veterinaria; España

The aim of this study was to identify biological pathways and proteins differentially expressed in saliva of pigs in two conditions of compromised welfare: an acute stress consisting of restraint with a nose snare and in pigs with lameness which is a highly frequent problem in the swine industry. For this purpose high-resolution quantitative proteomics based on Tandem Mass Tags labelling was used. As an additional objective, proteins that could be differentially expressed in both situations compared with the healthy pigs was validated. Four proteins showed significant differences in the conditions of compromised welfare, namely: cornulin, the heat shock protein 27 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) that showed significant increases, whereas immunoglobulin J chain showed a significant decrease. LDH, which was the protein that showed the highest differences, was selected for validation and clinical evaluation as a diagnostic biomarker. Significant changes in this protein were observed between pigs restrained with a nose snare and pigs with lameness compared with healthy pigs when measured with available commercial assays in a larger population of pigs. In conclusion, this study reports situations of compromised welfare on farm such as acute stress and lameness in pigs, where there are changes in proteins and metabolic pathways in saliva, and describes a series of proteins that could potentially be used as biomarkers for both short term acute stress and longer term chronic stress of lameness. These biomarkers would have the advantage of being measured in saliva by a noninvasive and not stressful collection sampling procedure.

The Hennovation project, an EU H2020 funded thematic network, aimed to explore the potential value of practice-led multi-actor innovation networks within the laying hen industry. The project proposed that husbandry solutions can be practice-led and effectively supported to achieve durable gains in sustainability and animal welfare. It encouraged a move away from the traditional model of science providing solutions for practice, towards a collaborative approach where expertise from science and practice were equally valued. During the 32-month project, the team facilitated 19 multi-actor networks in five countries through six critical steps in the innovation process: problem identification, generation of ideas, planning, small scale trials, implementation and sharing with others. The networks included farmers, processors, veterinarians, technical advisors, market representatives and scientists. The interaction between the farmers and the other network actors, including scientists, was essential for farmer innovation. New relationships emerged between the scientists and farmers, based on experimental learning and the co-production of knowledge for improving laying hen welfare. The project demonstrated that a practice-led approach can be a major stimulus for innovation with several networks generating novel ideas and testing them in their commercial context. The Hennovation innovation networks not only contributed to bridging the science-practice gap by application of existing scientific solutions in practice but more so by jointly finding new solutions. Successful multi-actor, practice-led innovation networks appeared to depend upon the following key factors: active participation from relevant actors, professional facilitation, moderate resource support and access to relevant expertise. Farmers and processors involved in the project were often very enthusiastic about the approach, committing significant time to the network&rsquo, s activities. It is suggested that the agricultural research community and funding agencies should place greater value on practice-led multi-actor innovation networks alongside technology and advisor focused initiatives to improve animal welfare and embed best practices.

Simple Summary Equine chorionic gonadotropin or eCG is an important hormone produced by the placenta of pregnant mares and extracted from the blood of these same mares. This hormone is commonly used to enhance reproduction of pigs, dairy cows, sheep, beef cows, and goats. There are currently no alternative sources of this hormone. Horse welfare problems may arise if too much blood is collected at one time or during repeated collections or if the mares are not managed well. In some countries, mares are aborted several months into the pregnancy to improve efficiency since this permits them to become pregnant a second time in one year. We discuss approaches to protect the welfare of pregnant mares kept for eCG production. Abstract Collection of blood from pregnant mares for extraction of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) is a critical but relatively unknown and poorly regulated practice in the countries in which it occurs. Equine chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is widely used to enhance reproductive performance and management of dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs kept under intensive housing systems. eCG is extracted from the blood of brood mares between days 40–120 of gestation. Although alternatives have been sought, there is currently no efficacious replacement, natural or synthetic, for eCG. Recently, several animal welfare organizations have voiced concerns over the condition and treatment of pregnant mares kept for eCG production in some countries. Animal welfare issues may arise if mares are bled too frequently or if too much blood is collected at any time. In addition, these mares tend to be managed extensively on pastures with minimal veterinary oversight and they may be poorly desensitized and habituated to handling and other practices. This can lead to serious injuries and even death when mares are brought in for bleeding. This paper reviews the process of blood collection for eCG extraction and provides recommendations for ensuring mare welfare.

Simple Summary Behavioral problems and medical conditions have been treated separately for years. However, behavior depends directly on an animal’s health condition, and vice versa. Some behavioral problems are caused totally or partially by a medical condition. Additionally, some of these problems represent a diagnostic challenge for veterinarians because, in many cases, apart from behavioral changes, there are no other clinical signs or evidence of illness. Improving our knowledge of the most common medical problems that can modify behavior may help veterinarians to improve their diagnostic protocols and treatments. Based on our experience, most relevant medical conditions are some neurological problems, endocrine or metabolic problems, and pain-related conditions. Thus, the aims of this review are to describe the state of the art of the relationship between these medical conditions (among others) and behavioral problems, and proposing new lines of investigation. Abstract Not all animals behave identically when faced with the same situation. These individual differences in the expression of their behavior could be due to many factors, including medical conditions. These medical problems can change behavior directly or indirectly. The aims of this review are to describe the state of the art of the relationship among some medical and behavioral problems, and to propose new lines of investigation. The revision is focused on the relation between behavioral problems and pain, endocrine diseases, neurological problems, vomeronasal organ alterations, and cardiac disorders. These problems represent a diagnostic challenge from a practical point of view. The most common sign of pain in animals is a change in behavior. Although the relation of pain to behavioral problems has been widely studied, it is not absolutely clear. As an example, the relation between sleep disorders and pain is poorly known in veterinary medicine. New studies in humans and laboratory animals show that a reciprocal relationship does, in fact, exist. More specifically, the literature suggests that the temporal effect of sleep deprivation on pain may be stronger than that of pain on sleep. Some behavioral problems could modify the sleep–awake cycle (e.g., cognitive dysfunction). The impact of these behavioral problems on pain perception is completely unknown in dogs and cats. Thyroid hormones play an important role, regarding behavioral control. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism have been related to behavioral changes. Concerning hypothyroidism, this relationship remains controversial. Nonetheless, new neuro-imaging studies provide objective evidence that brain structure and function are altered in hypothyroid patients, both in laboratory animals and in humans. There are many neurological problems that could potentially change behavior. This paper reviews those neurological problems that could lead to behavioral changes without modifying neurological examination. The most common problems are tumors that affect central nervous system silent zones, mild traumatic brain injury, ischemic attacks, and epilepsy. Most of these diseases and their relationship to behavior are poorly studied in dogs and cats. To better understand the pathophysiology of all of these problems, and their relation to behavioral problems, may change the diagnostic protocol of behavioral problems.

Fil: Llonch, Pol. Autonomous University of Barcelona. School of Veterinary Science. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Fil: Mainau, Eva. Autonomous University of Barcelona. School of Veterinary Science. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Fil: Ipharraguerre, Ignacio Rodolfo. Lucta S.A. Innovation Division. UAB Research Park. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Fil: Bargo, Fernando. Lucta S.A. Innovation Division. UAB Research Park. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Fil: Tedó, Gemma. Lucta S.A. Innovation Division. UAB Research Park. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Fil: Blanch, Marta. Lucta S.A. Innovation Division. UAB Research Park. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Fil: Manteca, Xavier. Autonomous University of Barcelona. School of Veterinary Science. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Feeding behavior in dairy cattle has a significant impact on feed efficiency, which is important for increasing the profitability of livestock and, at the same time, reducing the environmental impact. Feeding behavior can be measured by feeding time, meal duration, meal frequency, feeding rate, and rumination time. Higher feed intake is related to lower feed efficiency; whereas, an increase in feeding time facilitates chewing, reduces feed particle size and increases its digestibility. More frequent and shorter meals are usually associated with a more efficient use of feed due to improvement of feed digestibility. Rumination time is positively associated withmilk production. Impaired health is associated with variations in feeding behavior, which can be used to identify and predict some diseases such as ketosis, mastitis, or lameness. Changes in rumination time are also a reliable indicator of mastitis, lameness, ketosis, abomasal displacement, and the onset of calving. In addition to the cause-effect relationship between disease and changes in feeding behavior, there are also some cases in which changes in feeding behavior may lead to an increased risk of disease, as exemplified by the relationship of feeding rate with sub-acute ruminal acidosis. Feeding behavior is regulated by internal and external factors and some of them are relevant for animal welfare. The main welfare-associated factors influencing feeding behavior are social behavior and temperament, and environmental effects. Cattle are social animals and hierarchy has a notable impact on feeding behavior, especially when access to feed is limited. Competition for feed causes a reduction in the average feeding time but increases feeding rate. Excitable animals visit the feeder more often and spend less time per meal. High environmental temperature affects feeding behavior, as heat-stressed cattle change their feeding pattern by concentrating the feeding events in crepuscular hours, leading to an increased risk of sub-acute ruminal acidosis. In conclusion, feeding behavior is a determinant feature for improving efficiency, productivity and welfare of dairy cattle. Routine assessment of feeding behavior allows monitoring of health and production status of dairy cattle at the individual and farm level, which is a useful tool to optimize the management of livestock. il.

Animal welfare is a priority for modern zoos and science-based welfare indicators are needed. Welfare indicators can be divided into environment-based and animal-based indicators. Environment-based indicators are usually easier to measure, but only animal-based indicators provide direct information on the welfare of animals and are therefore preferred. Animal-based indicators include abnormal behaviours; changes in the frequency, duration or intensity of normal behaviours; disease prevalence or incidence; life span; body condition, physiological parameters; telomere length; and keeper ratings. Some of the abnormal behaviours most commonly used to assess welfare are stereotypies, apathy, regurgitation-reingestion and feather-damaging behaviour. Changes in sleep, feed intake, rumination, displacement behaviours, anticipatory behaviour, play, affiliative behaviour, aggression and maternal behaviour can also be used to assess welfare in zoo animals. There is no single indicator that can provide all the information needed to assess the welfare of an animal or group of animals. Further, all potential welfare indicators have shortcomings and methodological limitations. Therefore, several indicators have to be used to assess zoo animal welfare and they should be checked for validity, reliability and feasibility. Also, both positive and negative indicators of welfare should be used. One area deserving further research is the development of welfare assessment protocols that combine the best indicators for a given species or taxonomic group. Some of the protocols developed for farm animals could be applied to zoo animals. Most research on welfare assessment of zoo animals refers to mammals and birds and identification of welfare indicators for reptiles, fish and amphibians is another research priority.

The aim of the study was to ascertain if the cognitive bias (CB) test can be used to assess pigs' emotional state and classify them individually. Moreover, the test was repeated over time to assess its consistency. Thirty-six male pigs were individually trained during 14 training sessions to discriminate between a bucket with (A) or without (NA) access to chopped apples depending on its position (left or right) in a test pen. Once pigs were able to discriminate between both positions, each animal was subjected to 2 A and 2 NA reminder sessions before performing the CB test session, where the bucket was placed on a central position with access to 2 pieces of apple. The trial was repeated after 5 weeks, reducing the number of training sessions to 4. Time to contact the bucket, time to eat (or try to eat in the case of NA sessions), number of vocalizations, number of times pigs were reluctant to move, number of escape attempts, and number of urination and defecation events were recorded. In the first trial, time to contact the bucket and time to eat was significantly lower in A than in NA from session 10 (P < 0.0012), indicating that pigs were able to discriminate between both positions. In the second trial, both variables were significantly lower in A compared to NA from session 2 (P < 0.005) onward, confirming the pigs' capacity to remember the task. Pigs were individually classified as having positive, negative, or neutral CB, according to the time to contact the bucket during the CB test session in comparison with the time taken during the remainder sessions. A large percentage of pigs were classified as positive CB in both trials (84.85% and 94.29%, respectively). However, there was no consistency between the results of both trials, suggesting that during the second CB test session animals were able to remember the content of the bucket of the first CB test session. Alternatively, other factors such as the time of the day that pigs were tested, the age of the animals, or their hunger state could have an effect on the results.

Meat inspection has the ultimate objective of declaring the meat and offal obtained from carcasses of slaughtered animals fit or unfit for human consumption. This safeguards the health of consumers by ensuring that the food coming from these establishments poses no risk to public health. Concomitantly, it contributes to animal disease surveillance. The Catalan Public Health Protection Agency (Generalitat de Catalunya) identified the need to provide its meat inspectors with a support structure to improve diagnostic capacity: the Slaughterhouse Support Network (SESC). The main goal of the SESC was to offer continuing education to meat inspectors to improve the diagnostic capacity for lesions observed in slaughterhouses. With this aim, a web-based application was designed that allowed meat inspectors to submit their inquiries, images of the lesions, and samples for laboratory analysis. This commentary reviews the cases from the first 6 years of SESC operation (2008–2013). The program not only provides continuing education to inspectors but also contributes to the collection of useful information on animal health and welfare. Therefore, SESC complements animal disease surveillance programs, such as those for tuberculosis, bovine cysticercosis, and porcine trichinellosis, and is a powerful tool for early detection of emerging animal diseases and zoonoses.

Animal welfare is an issue of growing concern worldwide. Since the 1960s, Europe has led the discussions on this subject, developing the supporting science and the necessary standards. Currently, European welfare standards on pig farms set the global standards and may represent a potential marketing barrier for commercial pork production. Brazil is one of the largest producers and exporters of pork and has intensified efforts to adapt to the new standards. The objective of this paper is to assess the feasibility of applying European welfare standards to Brazilian industrial pig farming. The complexity of the required changes and the potential advantages to Brazil are discussed, and it is concluded that Brazil has the resources to meet the majority of the requirements O bem-estar animal é um tema de crescente preocupação mundial. A partir da década de 1960, a Europa centralizou as discussões sobre a questão, provocou o nascimento desta ciência e promoveu o desenvolvimento de normas relacionadas. Atualmente, os padrões europeus de bem-estar na criação de suínos constituem-se referências mundiais, podendo representar futuramente potenciais barreiras mercadológicas para a comercialização da carne suína. O Brasil é um dos maiores produtores e exportadores desta proteína animal, e intensificou suas ações com objetivo de se adequar a este novo cenário. O objetivo deste documento é avaliar a viabilidade da suinocultura industrial brasileira em aplicar os padrões europeus de bem-estar em seu atual sistema produtivo. Os níveis de complexidade estruturais e de manejo e as vantagens potenciais do Brasil neste contexto são discutidas, e um cenário a priori positivo mostra que o país tem várias facilidades para a adequação da maioria das exigências praticadas

An experiment was conducted to study the effect four different management techniques to enhance colostrum intake had on piglet and litter performance. Treatments were performed on piglets born weighing 1.30 kg or less (SP) within 6 h of birth: control group (CON); split-nursing of the litter for 2 h allowing only the SP piglets free access to teats (SPLIT); oral supplementation with 15 ml of sow colostrum to the SP piglets of the litter (COL); and oral supplementation with 3 ml of an energy product (Calostrene®) to the SP piglets of the litter (EN). Thirty-nine primiparous sows (Large White × Landrace) and their litters (507 piglets) and 100 multiparous sows and their litters (1,375 piglets) were used. Litters were fixed at 12 piglets. Piglets were weighed through lactation. Mortality was recorded. For primiparous sows, oral supplementation with COL enhanced SP piglets bodyweight (BW) at day 1 compared to CON, SPLIT, and EN. However, no differences on BW were observed at day 18 nor on litter total pre-weaning mortality. Nonetheless, lower SP piglets’ mortality rate was found in CON and EN compared to SPLIT and COL groups in primiparous sows. For multiparous sows, no differences among treatments were observed for SP piglets BW at day 1 or at day 18. Primiparous sows’ SP piglets had higher BW at day 1 than multiparous sows’ SP piglets. Colostrum supplementation of low birth weight piglets improved early weight gain in piglets born from primiparous sows, probably by enhancing their colostrum intake, but it did not affect piglets’ weaning BW or pre-weaning mortality.

Animal welfare can be considered an ethical attribute of product quality, but consumers should appreciate its added value. The aim of this study was to evaluate consumer&rsquo, s acceptability, preference, and the meat and carcass quality of pigs reared with two stress-reducing strategies: supplementation of an herbal compound (HC) containing Valeriana officinalis and Passiflora incarnata, and environmental enrichment (EE) by the provision of hemp ropes, sawdust, and rubber balls. A total of 56 pigs were divided in four treatments in two pens of seven pigs per treatment (2 &times, 2 factorial design). Meat and carcass quality were evaluated. Consumer&rsquo, s acceptability and preference were analysed with a sensory test and a conjoint analysis in 110 consumers. Before slaughter, control pigs (no EE and no HC) presented lower live weight compared with other treatments (p = 0.0009). Although acceptance was the same for all of the treatments, consumers preferred systems aiming to increase pig welfare. The most important factor was production system, with a preference for those improving welfare, followed by feeding system, with a preference for those with natural herbs supplementation. Although price was the least important factor, a segment of consumers showed a clear preference for lower prices. These results suggest that welfare improvements could be appreciated by particular consumer segments.

Calving is an intrinsically risky process that can cause welfare and economic problems. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam on various physiological and behavioral measures which can be related to pain in cattle. Sixty Friesian dairy cows from first to sixth parity were studied around calving and were randomly allocated into 2 homogeneous groups relative to parity and treated with either meloxicam or a placebo after calving. Treatments were administered on average 3.4 hours after calving, within a maximum of 6 hours. Calf positions at calving and calving assistance (unassisted or easy manual pull) were recorded. Milk production, rectal temperature, and activity (calculated as the number of steps per hour) were measured on each cow. From a subsample of 20 cows, haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations were also obtained. The following behaviors were observed on video recordings: posture, changing posture, location of cow in pen, feeding, and tail up behaviors 2 days before and after calving. Statistical analysis was carried out with the SAS software using MIXED or GENMOD procedures. Most variables showed a parity and/or time effect around calving. This study did not demonstrate any significant effect of meloxicam on milk production or on acute phase responses of Hp and SAA. However, postcalving activity was significantly increased in meloxicam-treated heifers.

Individual gestation housing of pregnant sows in stalls from four weeks after mating is banned in the EU. Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of two gestation management and housing systems (STALL: gilts housed in stalls and PEN: gilts loose-housed in pens with increased feed ratio) on gilt and piglet performance during lactation. Thirty-seven PEN and 33 STALL gilts were used. Backfat, litter pre-weaning mortality and total feed intake (TFI) during lactation were recorded in gilts. Weight and rectal temperature was recorded in piglets. In Exp 1 the behaviour of a subsample of gilts was videotaped during lactation. In Exp 2 saliva cortisol in gilts, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and T4 hormones in piglet blood were measured. PEN gilts had more backfat when moved to the farrowing stalls. PEN gilts tended to have higher cortisol concentration 24 h after entering the farrowing stall and to spend more time sitting or standing up one day before parturition than STALL gilts. PEN piglets had higher bodyweight (BW) on day 0 (Exp 2) and lower T4 concentration than STALL piglets. However, STALL piglets showed higher rectal temperature 60 min after birth and lower mortality at day 2. In Exp 2, STALL piglets also had higher BW and average daily gain at weaning. During lactation, PEN gilts lost more backfat and weaned less piglets. Gilts loose-housed with increased feed ratio during gestation might be more stressed when housed in farrowing stalls than those kept in stalls during gestation, thus compromising their offsprings’ thermoregulatory capacity and growth however, from our results, it is difficult to differentiate the effect of feed level from the effect of allocation during gestation.

Separation anxiety (SA) is one of the most common canine behaviour problems and can have serious negative effects on dog welfare. Treatment of SA may include changing the environment around the dog, pharmacological treatment and behavioural therapy. The latter is considered the most important part of the treatment and is intended to habituate the dog to being alone and to reduce its dependence on the owner. The objective of this paper is to discuss two aspects of the treatment of SA that may be in contradiction with our current understanding of the stress response. Advice commonly given to owners of dogs with SA includes giving false departure cues to prevent the dog from anticipating the actual departure. Instead, we recommend increasing the predictability of the owner's departure by maintaining the cues that signal it. Animals suffering from anxiety disorders are likely to develop contextual fear, ie to be frightened by merely being exposed to the same location where they have experienced an aversive event. As a consequence, we suggest that whenever possible, fake departures done as part of the habituation exercises to being left are done in a place different from that where the dog is actually left alone.

Medical records of 120 Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) from the captive breeding population (CBP), 96 of which were older than 1 wk old, were studied from January 2004 to June 2010. From a total of 413 clinical signs recorded, it was possible to obtain a diagnosis in 258 (62.5%). Inappetence, skin wound, and vomiting had the highest incidence. Adult (2 to 6 yr old) and juvenile (1 wk to 1 yr old) animals accounted for most of the clinical signs. Vitamin D toxicosis and intraspecific trauma accounted for 55.4% and 15.1% of the clinical signs, respectively. Renal toxicosis due to the administration of supplements with an excess of vitamin D occurred in 2009 and affected a total of 39 individuals. Intraspecific trauma cases were predominantly observed from sibling aggression. Diet-related conditions consisted of sporadic cases of fatal salmonellosis, dermatophytosis, and gastrointestinal episodes. Suspected idiopathic epilepsy and femoral neck metaphyseal osteopathy were also observed. A total of 15 animals older than 1 wk old died including five vitamin D toxicosis cases and three juveniles due to intraspecific trauma. Mycobacterium bovis was found as a secondary infection in two animals that died from vitamin D toxicosis. Abortions, premature births, and stillbirths accounted for 12 mortalities, and 13 neonatal deaths due to maternal neglect or bacterial sepsis were observed. Data show that improvement of diet-related conditions is a key factor in preserving the health of animals in the CBP. Thus, the control of food and supplement composition, rabbit farm suppliers, and hygiene should be standardized and improved. Furthermore, data recording and diagnostic protocols should be standardized.

Measures taken on animals are subject to variations and their reliability may represent one of their main limitations when used in a welfare assessment tool. Test–retest reliability refers to the likelihood that the same results will be obtained if the assessment is repeated by the same observer. This study discusses the test–retest reliability of quantitative and qualitative animal-based measures included into the Welfare Quality® protocol on a sample of 15 intensive conventional farms of growing pigs. An average of 12 months elapsed between the two visits and no changes in management routines or housing conditions were made by the farmers during this interval. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to test whether the mean results obtained during the two visits were significantly different. Different methods were used to assess repeatability of mean prevalences at farm level: Spearman's correlation coefficient (rs), intra class correlation coefficient (ICC) and limits of agreement (LoA). Moderate bursitis, widespread skin discolouration and positive social behaviour presented mean results significantly different between the two visits (P

Aggression is one of the most common behavioral problems in dogs and may have important negative effects on public health, human–animal bond, and animal welfare. There is ample evidence showing a negative correlation between serum serotonin concentration and aggressive behavior in a variety of species, including the domestic dogs. This negative correlation is particularly pronounced in dogs that show impulsive aggression. Data obtained in some previous studies suggest that the English cocker spaniel (ECS) is more likely to show impulsive aggression than other breeds. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze possible differences in serum serotonin levels between aggressive ECS and aggressive dogs of other breeds. Nineteen ECSs presented for aggression at the Animal Behavior Service (School of Veterinary Science, Barcelona, Spain) were evaluated and compared with 20 aggressive dogs of other breeds attended at the same center. Serum serotonin levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 15.0 for Windows. Aggressive ECSs had significantly ( P P > 0.05). This finding may explain why ECSs are more likely to show impulsive aggression than other breeds, and suggests that the ECS could be a good model to study the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying impulsive aggression.

A systematic review and meta-analysis (MA) were performed to summarize all scientific evidence for the effects of castration in male beef cattle on welfare indicators based on cortisol concentration, average daily gain (ADG), and vocalization. We searched five electronic databases, conference proceedings, and experts were contacted electronically. The main inclusion criteria involved completed studies using beef cattle up to one year of age undergoing surgical and non-surgical castration that presented cortisol concentration, ADG, or vocalization as an outcome. A random effect MA was conducted for each indicator separately with the mean of the control and treated groups. A total of 20 publications reporting 26 studies and 162 trials were included in the MA involving 1814 cattle. Between study heterogeneity was observed when analysing cortisol (I2=56.7%) and ADG (I2=79.6%). Surgical and non-surgical castration without drug administration compared to uncastrated animals showed no change (P≥0.05) in cortisol level. Multimodal therapy for pain did not decrease (P≥0.05) cortisol concentration after 30min when non-surgical castration was performed. Comparison between surgical castration, with and without anaesthesia, showed a tendency (P=0.077) to decrease cortisol levels after 120min of intervention. Non-surgical and surgical castration, performed with no pain mitigation, increased and tended to increase the ADG by 0.814g/d (P=0.001) and by 0.140g/d (P=0.091), respectively, when compared to a non-castrated group. Our MA study demonstrates an inconclusive result to draw recommendations on preferred castration practices to minimize pain in beef cattle.

The effect of pre-slaughter handling conditions and the RYR1 gene on blood Cortisol, lactate and creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) levels at exsanguination were assessed using 2,923 surveyed pigs from 106 deliveries to five Spanish abattoirs across two seasons. The relationship between blood parameters, carcase skin damage and pork quality traits was also assessed. The season influenced blood cortisol, lactate and CPK values. Females always showed higher concentrations of cortisol, lactate, and CPK than males. Pigs carrying the recessive allele of the RYR1 gene exhibited increased lactate and CPK concentrations but not cortisol. The cortisol concentration decreased in lean pigs that were slaughtered in winter after short lairage periods. The lactate concentration decreased with loading time and increased in summer with lairage time and carcase lean content. The CPK concentration increased with lairage time, carcase weight, and carcase lean content, and with the duration of winter transports. Each truck delivery only explained approximately 10% of the variance in blood parameters. Lairage time is the most influential pre-slaughter handling practice on the assessed welfare indicators. In addition, different optimal lairage times might be appropriate depending on season. Blood cortisol, lactate, and CPK concentrations increased concomitantly with skin damage score. Blood parameters were weakly correlated and they also showed low association with pork quality traits.

This study was carried out to compare the health of growing pigs in five different production systems in France and Spain using measures provided by the Welfare Quality® protocol. A total of 11,647 pigs housed on 91 commercial farms were evaluated over a two-year period (2007-2009). Farms considered as conventional were close to the European dominant production system, rearing ‘white’ pigs (eg Large White; Landrace * Pietrain) housed on concrete floors. Systems considered as differentiated had specifications to distinguish them from the conventional one. Farms that housed ‘white’ breeds of pigs on straw were then considered as a different production system. Mallorcan Black pigs managed extensively on family farms in the Balearic islands represented a third production system. The remaining two systems assessed were represented by the methods used for Iberian pig rearing extensively or intensively. Multiple Generalised Linear Mixed Models were performed for each animal-based measure of health. The straw-bedded and the conventional systems did not differ in the prevalence of any animal-based measures. Mallorcan Black pigs and Iberian pigs kept extensively had a lower prevalence of severe wounds than pigs in the conventional system and the lowest prevalence of tail biting. Focusing on pigs housed in the conventional system, several possible causal factors (such as the feeding system and the type of floor) were identified relating to severe wounds, tail biting and lameness. Therefore, the recording of simple environmental-based factors can be useful in detecting farms that are more likely to show these problems.

The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the main features of pain-related aggression in dogs. Twelve dogs presented for aggressive problems at the Veterinary Hospital of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, were included, and a questionnaire was used to gather information on the context of the aggression, body posture during the attack, impulsiveness, and aggressive behavior before the onset of the pain-eliciting condition. The most common cause of pain was hip dysplasia (66.7%), but no relationship was found between the cause of pain and the characteristics of the aggressive behavior. Dogs were classified as having been aggressive before or after the onset of painful condition. Dogs that had not been aggressive before the onset of the pain-eliciting condition were more impulsive ( df = 1, χ 2 = 5.3, P = 0.0209), showed aggression as a result of manipulation context more frequently ( df = 1, χ 2 = 6, P = 0.0143), and adopted a defensive body posture more frequently ( df = 1, χ 2 = 3.733, P = 0.0533) than dogs that had been aggressive before the onset of pain. These results suggest that previous expression of aggressive behavior has a major effect on the pattern of pain-related aggression in dogs.

Eight Duroc×(Landrace×Large White) male pigs housed at a stocking rate of 0.50m(2)/pig were subjected to a higher stocking rate of 0.25m(2)/pig (higher density, HD) for two 4-day periods over 26 days. Using biochemical and proteomic techniques serum and plasma samples were examined to identify potential biomarkers for monitoring stress due to HD housing. HD housed pigs showed significant differences (P0.001) in total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-associated cholesterol, as well as in concentrations of the pig-major acute phase protein (Pig-MAP) (P=0.002). No differences were observed in serum cortisol or other acute phase proteins such as haptoglobin, C-reactive protein or apolipoprotein A-I. HD-individuals also showed an imbalance in redox homeostasis, detected as an increase in the level of oxidized proteins measured as the total plasma carbonyl protein content (P0.001) with a compensatory increase in the activity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (P=0.012). Comparison of the serum proteome yielded a new potential stress biomarker, identified as actin by mass spectrometry. Cluster analysis of the results indicated that individuals segregated into two groups, with different response patterns, suggesting that the stress response depended on individual susceptibility.

The aim of this paper was to develop a protocol to study the anticipatory response in cats as a measure of welfare. Seven experimental cats were trained in a classical conditioning paradigm to associate a sound with food arrival, while sound and food were presented without contingency in four control cats. Increasing the interval between sound and food up to 60 s allowed a detailed description of cats’ anticipatory response. Compared to control animals, experimental cats showed significantly shorter latencies to orient towards (average 2.96 s) and approach the source of the sound (12.98 s) as well as longer durations of exploring and standing by the source of the sound (namely 69.97 and 52.32%, respectively of the interval sound-food). Experimental cats also exhibited behaviours that may derive from predation patterns, eg short pauses and predatory crouch while approaching the source of the sound (namely in 28.93 and 29.64% of trials), rapid head movements while watching it (55.36% of trials) and pouncing on the food (9.29% of trials). This protocol should be further studied to assess its effectiveness in highlighting differences according to the welfare of individual cats.

This study is a first step toward the validation of the Welfare Quality ® protocol for assessing welfare of growing pigs kept on farms. The feasibility and sensitivity of the entire protocol was evaluated on 30 conventional farms in Spain, and a methodology to identify farms with particular welfare problems was proposed. A total of 64,496 pigs were assessed on the basis of 12 criteria related to the following 4 welfare principles: good feeding, housing, health, and appropriate behavior. Good feeding, housing, and health measures were scored at the pen- or individual-level using a 3-point scale ranging from 0 (good welfare) to 2 (poor or unacceptable). Appropriate behavior was assessed by scan sampling of social and exploratory behavior, qualitative behavior assessment, and a human–animal relationship test. The mean time taken for performing the full protocol was 6 hours and 20 minutes ± 51 minutes per visit. The between-farm variability of moderate and severe bursitis, presence of manure on less than 50% of the body surface, expression of positive and negative social behaviors, and exploration helped in the assessment of discrimination among farms. However, other animal-based measures, especially the ones related to the good health principle, presented very little variation that could be used to differentiate among farms. For each animal-based measure, confidence limits were estimated so as to make statistical inferences at the population level. This methodology could be useful to identify farms with poor welfare conditions.