Health and Animal Welfare (Dr Bench Fall 2024) PDF

Health and Animal Welfare  What is Animal Welfare? Is animal welfare the same as animal health? Can an animal have good health, but not good welfare? Can an animal have good welfare, but not good health?  Welfare and Disease Disease can cause poor welfare Also - Poo...

Health and Animal Welfare  What is Animal Welfare? Is animal welfare the same as animal health? Can an animal have good health, but not good welfare? Can an animal have good welfare, but not good health?  Welfare and Disease Disease can cause poor welfare Also - Poor welfare (resulting from a wide variety of different causes) may make disease more likely – often by initiating immuno-suppression Poor Welfare Disease  Brambell’s Definition of Animal Welfare “ Welfare is a wide term that embraces both the physical and mental well-being of the animal. Any attempt to evaluate welfare, therefore, must take into account the scientific evidence available concerning the feelings of animals that can be derived from their structure and functions and also from their behaviour.” ANSC 376 Fall 2009  Five Freedoms (1993) 1. Freedom from thirst & hunger 2. Freedom from discomfort 3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease 4. Freedom to express normal behaviour 5. Freedom from fear and distress  Defining Animal Welfare Definitions have varied among scientists – How an animal feels (Duncan) – Pre-pathological state (Moberg) – Animal’s attempts to cope with its environment (Broom) – “Performance Axiom” which emphasizes productivity and reproductive performance (Curtis) – State of the animal (OIE) Modified from JC Swanson, ABWG ANSC 376 Fall 2009  Productivity Growth, Reproduction – traditional indicators of well-being Link between well-being and productivity is real at low levels of productivity: – Depressed health, growth, reproduction, survival indicate significant problems  Productivity To a point, increased survival and growth indicate a positive contribution to well-being via: – Better nutrition – Protection from harsh weather – Better health care BUT: This must be interpreted with caution… Productivity today is an economic measure, more than one of well-being…  SO… Economic performance does not always equal biologic performance  How does Broom Define Animal Welfare? “The welfare of an individual is its state as regards its attempts to cope with its environment.” Note: Does not apply to inanimate objects or plants because they lack most coping mechanisms, but could be used for any living animal. ANSC 376 Fall 2009  The Welfare Continuum According to Broom, an individual’s welfare exists on a continuum from very good to very poor Measurements of welfare provide information about the position on the continuum at a given point in time. Here you see each of the freedoms on a scale from poor welfare to good welfare. As you see, an animal may have different levels of each of the Five Freedoms – some of the aspects may be good, while others may be poor. This diagram suggests that we can assess each area and then come up with an overall welfare score. However, this is not as simple as it sounds.  How does Duncan Define Animal Welfare? “Welfare is all to do with what animals feel.” Note: – Welfare is mainly or soley dependent on what animals feel – However, it is impossible to give welfare a precise scientific definition. – Relates to what we call ‘affective states’  Animal Well-Being Often used interchangeably with animal welfare Animal well-being has a stronger connotation of subjective feeling in its use Used to refer more to the individual’s perception of its state than to the state itself (feelings) These feelings are a substantial part of welfare, but are not all of it.  Animal welfare science Schools of thought – Biological functioning – Has to do with an animal’s ability to “cope” with its environment – Feelings approach – Has to do with how an animal “feels” about its environment – Nature approach – Has to do with an animal’s ability to display “natural” behaviour within its environment.  OIE Definition of Welfare Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. An animal is in a good state of welfare if (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and appropriate veterinary treatment, shelter, management and nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter or killing. Animal welfare refers to the state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other terms such as animal care, animal husbandry, and humane treatment. http://www.oie.int/index.php?id=169&L=0&htmfile=chapitre_1.7.1.htm 5 Domains Model of Animal Welfare Assessment  How animal welfare is decided Science – What does the behaviour and physiology of the animal tell us? Economic feasibility – Does it support the economic sustainability of the food animal industry? Social license – Are the practices supported by the public at large? ANSC 376 Fall 2009 ANSC 376 Fall 2009  Traditionally… Veterinarian’s role has been at this interface. – Treat injuries, infections and diseases – Reduce disease through herd health programs – Provide pain control (restraint) – Advise and educate on nutrition, housing, handling etc. – Advocate for humane care  But… Veterinarians have been accused (and accuse each other) of complicity as well… – Support of problematic housing systems – Support of painful procedures – Reluctance to change some traditional ways 27 ANSC 376 Fall 2009 ANSC 376 Fall 2009 ANSC 376 Fall 2009  Many practices that are criticized today were developed to solve a disease, management or environmental problem…  What about when we think we are doing well by the animals in our care, but inadvertently create welfare issues… ANSC 376 Fall 2009 ANSC 376 Fall 2009 ANSC 376 Fall 2009 ANSC 376 Fall 2009 ANSC 376 Fall 2009  Summary Health is a component of animal welfare (well- being) Welfare is defined as the state of the animal and takes physical and mental well-being and feelings into account. Sometimes in an attempt to improve health, welfare concerns are created. Sometimes even when our intentions are good, welfare concerns are created. ANSC 376 Fall 2009