Correlates between ear postures and emotional reactivity in a wild type mouse species
Facial expressions have been extensively used to assess emotions in humans and thus could be extended to other species that also display facial movements. In mice both painful and fearful situations have been associated with particular shifts in facial expressions. Like other species, mice frequently show a great inter-individual variability when exposed to emotional situations, […]
Labrador retrievers are more attracted to water than to social stimuli: A pilot study
The Labrador retriever is a breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris/Canis familiaris) of great importance to our current society. This breed was selected to be an excellent water dog and to work with fishermen. Because of its origins, the popular belief is that Labrador retrievers are “keen water lovers.” However, the extent to which […]
Should stress management be part of the clinical care provided to chronically ill dogs?
As a consequence of their physical and/or psychological effects, on-going diseases may have the potential to induce chronic stress in dogs. Chronic stress may contribute to disease progression and negatively affect welfare. By investigating whether on-going illnesses cause chronic stress in dogs and exploring the relationship between hair cortisol and potential disease-dependent and disease-independent stressors, […]
The physiological consequences of crib-biting in horses in response to an ACTH challenge test
Stereotypies are repetitive and relatively invariant patterns of behavior, which are observed in a wide range of species in captivity. Stereotypic behavior occurs when environmental demands produce a physiological response that, if sustained for an extended period, exceeds the natural physiological regulatory capacity of the organism, particularly in situations that include unpredictability and uncontrollability. One […]
Assessment of behavior and physical condition of shelter cats as animal-based indicators of welfare
Surveillance of cat shelters by official veterinarians in Austria is based on legal requirements and does not directly assess cat welfare. The aim of this study was to develop animal-based parameters that are feasible to measure in a surveillance setting, stable over time, and reproducible by different raters. We assessed physical condition (body condition, eye […]
The effects of social interaction and environmental enrichment on the space use, behaviour and stress of owned housecats facing a novel environment
Every day, millions of domestic cats are held temporarily in captive environments, such as boarding catteries and rescue shelters. Being in confinement can potentially invoke high levels of stress for these animals. Therefore, there is a need to develop appropriate strategies to reduce these effects. Here, we investigated the effect of physical (inclusion of different […]
The effect of four different feeding regimes on rabbit behaviour
Dietary composition and presentation impacts on the behaviour of animals, and failure to provide a suitable diet can lead to reduced welfare through the development of poor health, the inability to express normal behaviours and the development of abnormal behaviours. This study assessed the effects of two commonly fed pet rabbit diets (extruded nuggets with […]
Investigating attentional processes in depressive-like domestic horses (Equus caballus)
Some captive/domestic animals respond to confinement by becoming inactive and unresponsive to external stimuli. Human inactivity is one of the behavioural markers of clinical depression, a mental disorder diagnosed by the co-occurrence of symptoms including deficit in selective attention. Some riding horses display ‘withdrawn’ states of inactivity and low responsiveness to stimuli that resemble the […]
Pet dog management practices among a representative sample of owners in Victoria, Australia
It is often assumed that pet dogs experience better welfare than livestock production animals because many owners consider them to be members of the family and, collectively, spend billions of dollars on them annually. However, this assumption is not based on scientific evidence, and a scientifically validated tool for assessing the welfare of companion dogs […]
Canine aggression toward family members in Spain: Clinical presentations and related factors
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 […]