Today's Veterinary Practice

JUL-AUG 2011

Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.

Issue link: http://todaysveterinarypractice.epubxp.com/i/38074

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 52 of 83

WELFARE & ETHICS IN VETERINARY SHELTER MEDICINE | To effectively address this topic, welfare science must be multidisciplinary and attempt to understand both the objective dimensions of animal health and the sub- jective lives of captive animals through observation and inference of physiological and behavioral data. The significance of this information is most effectively considered in light of the natural history, environmen- tal conditions, and individual variation to which each animal is inextricably linked.2 Animals have diverse natural histories, with A distinctive biological, psychological, and envi- ronmental needs that must be addressed and regarded. Taken together, these factors can provide insight into the needs of individual animals, and must be incorporated into the development of appropriate shelter environ- ments. Accurate accrual, interpretation, and dissemination of such data helps to:3,4 U Advance understanding of shelter animals U Develop practical enrichment methods U Inform and develop guidelines and poli- cies.3,4 THE 3 RS & 5 FREEDOMS In 1959, Russell and Burch conducted research examining humane experimental methods that raised concerns about determining what is, and is not, humane and how to promote humanity without compromising scientific and clinical aims.5 nimal welfare is complex, encompassing practi- cal aspects of housing, nutrition, and care, as well as ethical constructs of right and wrong.1 U Maximize each animal’s physical and psychologi- cal well-being U Improve animals’ ability to cope with the chal- lenges of captive environment U Sustain animals’ ability to maintain some mea- sure of control over their environment. U Recognize animals’ ability to express species- typical behaviors There has been some contention with definitions of welfare, attributable mainly to the subjective nature of psychological well-being, and the inherent difficulty of appreciating the lived experience of “an other.” Their work led to the development of the 3 R’s of experimental research:5 UÊReplace the use of animals with alternative tech- niques or avoid the use of animals altogether. UÊReduce the number of animals used to a mini- mum, to obtain information from fewer animals, or obtain more information from the same num- ber of animals. UÊRefine experimental methods to improve welfare and minimize animal pain and suffering. In 1965, the Brambell Report was developed in defined as ideal states, as opposed to basic standards:6 1. Freedom from thirst, hunger, and malnutrition 2. Freedom from discomfort 3. Freedom from pain, injury, and disease 4. Freedom to express normal behavior 5. Freedom from fear and distress response to investigations into farm animal welfare. The Farm Animal Welfare Council refined the report’s concepts into the Five Freedoms.6 These freedoms are DEFINING WELFARE According to the literature, animal welfare can be defined as concerns, intentions, and actions that arise from, and are aligned with, an ethical responsibility to:7-10 U Minimize and/or alleviate animal suffering Concepts, such as ability to cope and discerning levels of suffering, are difficult to objectively measure, and individual animals may vary in the extent of environ- mental control required for well-being. Moreover, sub- jective experiences and states are not always easily defined or assessed. In this light, it is often suggested that a multifaceted approach of behavioral, physical, psychological, and physiological measures is required for an authentic evaluation of animal welfare.4,7,8,10 MEASURING WELFARE Welfare measures are numerous and include physi- ological, psychological, health, and behavioral compo- nents. They are used as indicators of poor quality of life, inclusive of stress, pain, and/or suffering.10,11 Stress Stress becomes a welfare issue when an animal’s inability to cope with the challenges of the shelter environment jeopardizes its health and well-being.10,12 Inappropriate environmental conditions and poor welfare may compromise immune function and increase susceptibility to disease, which endangers shelter populations. Stress can be measured through the use of biological and psychological markers, such as cortisol, reproduc- July/August 2011 Today’s Veterinary Practice 51

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Today's Veterinary Practice - JUL-AUG 2011