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Wilkins CL, McGreevy PD, Cosh SM, Henshall C, Jones B, Lykins AD, Billingsley W. Introducing the Mellorater-The Five Domains Model in a Welfare Monitoring App for Animal Guardians. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2172. [PMID: 39123698 PMCID: PMC11310947 DOI: 10.3390/ani14152172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
When monitoring an animal's welfare, it helps to have comprehensive and day-to-day information about the animal's life. The goal is to ensure that animal guardians (carers, keepers, and owners) use such information to act in the animals' best interests. This article introduces the Mellorater, an animal welfare monitoring app based on the 2020 Five Domains Model. This framework provides a means of capturing comprehensive information about the world in which individual animals exist. The Mellorater asks animal guardians to rate their agreement with 18 statements covering any focal animal's nutrition, environment, health, and behavioural interactions using a five-point Likert scale. No specialist training is required other than following straightforward instructions on using the app, which are provided. The Mellorater is not proposed as a validated welfare auditing tool because it relies on reflective self-reporting and, thus, is vulnerable to the user's subjectivity. If users' subjectivity is stable over time, then the longitudinal data may be considered useful proxies for trends in quality of life. That said, it has the potential to be used by trained auditors if scientifically validated, species-specific indicators are applied. The Mellorater collects anonymous data and has been approved for a study to explore how the use of such scales may differ among guardians of different species and in different contexts. In this paper, we conduct the following: (1) summarise the app's purposes; (2) clarify its capabilities and limitations; and (3) invite animal welfare scholars, veterinarians, health and welfare professionals, and animal guardians to use it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina L. Wilkins
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2353, Australia
| | - Paul D. McGreevy
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (P.D.M.); (B.J.)
| | - Suzanne M. Cosh
- School of Psychology, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2353, Australia; (S.M.C.); (A.D.L.)
| | - Cathrynne Henshall
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia;
| | - Bidda Jones
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (P.D.M.); (B.J.)
- Australian Alliance for Animals, 16 Goodhope Street, Paddington, NSW 2021, Australia
| | - Amy D. Lykins
- School of Psychology, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2353, Australia; (S.M.C.); (A.D.L.)
| | - William Billingsley
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2353, Australia;
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Travain T, Lazebnik T, Zamansky A, Cafazzo S, Valsecchi P, Natoli E. Environmental enrichments and data-driven welfare indicators for sheltered dogs using telemetric physiological measures and signal processing. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3346. [PMID: 38336994 PMCID: PMC10858038 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Shelters are stressful environments for domestic dogs which are known to negatively impact their welfare. The introduction of outside stimuli for dogs in this environment can improve their welfare and life conditions. However, our current understanding of the influence of different stimuli on shelter dogs' welfare is limited and the data is still insufficient to draw conclusions. In this study, we collected 28 days (four weeks) of telemetry data from eight male dogs housed in an Italian shelter for a long period of time. During this period, three types of enrichment were introduced into the dogs' pens for one week each: entertaining objects, intraspecific, and interspecific social enrichment, by means of the presence of female conspecifics and the presence of a human. To quantify their impact, we introduce novel metrics as indicators of sheltered dogs' welfare based on telemetry data: the variation of heart rate, muscle activity, and body temperature from an average baseline day, quality of sleep, and the regularity for cyclicity of the aforementioned parameters, based on the day-night cycle. Using these metrics, we show that while all three stimuli statistically improve the dogs' welfare, the variance between individual dogs is large. Moreover, our findings indicate that the presence of female conspecific is the best stimulus among the three explored options which improves both the quality of sleep and the parameters' cyclicity. Our results are consistent with previous research findings while providing novel data-driven welfare indicators that promote objectivity. Thus, this research provides some useful guidelines for managing shelters and improving dogs' welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziano Travain
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Teddy Lazebnik
- Department of Mathematics, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Zamansky
- Information Systems Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Paola Valsecchi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Eugenia Natoli
- Canile Sovrazonale, ASL Roma 3 (Local Health Unit Rome 3), Rome, Italy
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van der Laan JE, Vinke CM, Arndt SS. Nocturnal activity as a useful indicator of adaptability of dogs in an animal shelter and after subsequent adoption. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19014. [PMID: 37923933 PMCID: PMC10624664 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46438-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dogs in shelters are faced with the challenge of adapting to a kennel after relinquishment and to a novel home after adoption. To measure adaptability of dogs, more feasible behavioural and physiological parameters need to be validated in different contexts. To evaluate nocturnal activity as an indicator of adaptability, we compared nocturnal activity, urinary cortisol:creatinine ratio (UCCR), and body weight changes of sheltered dogs the first period after intake in the shelter and after adoption. Nocturnal activity and UCCRs were significantly lower the first days after adoption than in the shelter. After adoption, nocturnal activity was significantly lower on night 2 than night 1, but not on night 3 and 4, suggesting a form of 'rebound of resting' during night 2 in the new home. UCCRs significantly decreased 7 days after adoption. Body weight decreased in the shelter but increased again after adoption. These findings suggest that overall, dogs rest better in a novel home than in a novel shelter but, in both contexts, some form of adaptation takes place. Nocturnal activity measured by an accelerometer differentiated well between shelter and home environments, and corresponded to UCCR responses, which supports usefulness of the method to monitor canine adaptability to novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janneke Elisabeth van der Laan
- Animal Behaviour Group, Division of Animals in Science and Society, Department Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Claudia Maureen Vinke
- Animal Behaviour Group, Division of Animals in Science and Society, Department Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Saskia Stefanie Arndt
- Animal Behaviour Group, Division of Animals in Science and Society, Department Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Schork IG, Manzo IA, Oliveira MRBD, Costa FV, Young RJ, De Azevedo CS. Testing the Accuracy of Wearable Technology to Assess Sleep Behaviour in Domestic Dogs: A Prospective Tool for Animal Welfare Assessment in Kennels. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091467. [PMID: 37174504 PMCID: PMC10177158 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is a physiological process that has been shown to impact both physical and psychological heath of individuals when compromised; hence, it has the potential to be used as an indicator of animal welfare. Nonetheless, evaluating sleep in non-human species normally involves manipulation of the subjects (i.e., placement of electrodes on the cranium), and most studies are conducted in a laboratory setting, which limits the generalisability of information obtained, and the species investigated. In this study, we evaluated an alternative method of assessing sleep behaviour in domestic dogs, using a wearable sensor, and compared the measurements obtained to behavioural observations to evaluate accuracy. Differences between methods ranged from 0.13% to 59.3% for diurnal observations and 0.1% to 95.9% for nocturnal observations for point-by-point observations. Comparisons between methods showed significant differences in certain behaviours, such as inactivity and activity for diurnal recordings. However, total activity and total sleep recorded did not differ statistically between methods. Overall, the wearable technology tested was found to be a useful, and a less-time consuming, tool in comparison to direct behavioural observations for the evaluation of behaviours and their indication of wellbeing in dogs. The agreement between the wearable technology and directly observed data ranged from 75% to 99% for recorded behaviours, and these results are similar to previous findings in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Gabriela Schork
- School of Sciences, Engineering & Environment, Peel Building, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
| | - Isabele Aparecida Manzo
- Departamento de Evolução, Biodiversidade e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, s/n, Bauxita, Ouro Preto 35400-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcos Roberto Beiral de Oliveira
- Departamento de Evolução, Biodiversidade e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, s/n, Bauxita, Ouro Preto 35400-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Vieira Costa
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Bloco E, s/n, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasília 70910-900, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Robert John Young
- School of Sciences, Engineering & Environment, Peel Building, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
| | - Cristiano Schetini De Azevedo
- Departamento de Evolução, Biodiversidade e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, s/n, Bauxita, Ouro Preto 35400-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Ayuso PR, Feliu O, Riba D, Crailsheim D. Listening to Their Nights: Sleep Disruptions in Captive Housed Chimpanzees Affect Their Daytime Behavior. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040696. [PMID: 36830481 PMCID: PMC9952389 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimpanzee's nocturnal sleep is a dynamic and complex process, still not fully understood. As in humans, not getting enough quality sleep due to frequent or lasting disruptions may affect their physical and mental health, hence wellbeing, which may be reflected in their daytime behavior. This study aims to understand the impact of abiotic factors, such as temperature and humidity on the nocturnal activity as well as the impact of nocturnal awakening events on daytime behavior in sanctuary-housed chimpanzees. We monitored noisy nocturnal activity through audio recordings for one year, documenting the number and duration of sound events produced by chimpanzees to indicate sleep fragmentation and disruption intensity, respectively. Our results indicate that indoor temperature and humidity indeed influence the chimpanzee's nocturnal activity. Furthermore, sleep fragmentation and intensity of nocturnal events significantly influenced the following day's behavior. After nights marked by frequent and/or intense sleep disruptions, higher levels of inactivity, and abnormal and self-directed behaviors were observed, and chimpanzees spent more time on affiliative interactions and in social proximity. These findings highlight the importance of controlling factors influencing nocturnal sleep quality. Furthermore, we demonstrated that economic audio recordings used to monitor nocturnal activity, provide insights into the chimpanzee's behavior and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo R. Ayuso
- Research Department, Fundació Mona, 17457 Girona, Spain
- Correspondence: (P.R.A.); (D.C.); Tel.: +34-659420327 (P.R.A.)
| | - Olga Feliu
- Research Department, Fundació Mona, 17457 Girona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Riba
- Research Department, Fundació Mona, 17457 Girona, Spain
- Facultat de Lletres, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Dietmar Crailsheim
- Research Department, Fundació Mona, 17457 Girona, Spain
- Correspondence: (P.R.A.); (D.C.); Tel.: +34-659420327 (P.R.A.)
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Emotional Arousal Impacts Physical Health in Dogs: A Review of Factors Influencing Arousal, with Exemplary Case and Framework. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030465. [PMID: 36766354 PMCID: PMC9913250 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive emotional arousal has been shown to impact physiological health in both veterinary species and human animals. The focus of work in many models of veterinary behavioural medicine has predominantly been associated with reducing activation of the protective emotional systems; in particular, fear-anxiety. The management of the engaging emotional systems of desire-seeking, social play, care and lust has not traditionally been considered in the treatment of physiological health of veterinary species. This article reviews the literature in both veterinary and human fields on the relationship between emotional arousal of both protective and engaging emotional systems and physical health conditions. The current literature describing the regulatory control of sleep on emotional arousal is also discussed. An exemplary case report of a seven month old male entire Cocker Spaniel showing fly-snapping behaviour which had been non-responsive to leviteracetam (Keppra) is presented. The emotional health assessment and treatment of this case is described along with the short and long term (fourteen month follow up) outcomes to demonstrate that some patients presenting in this way can be effectively managed with an appropriate behavioural medicine treatment plan. The authors put forward the argument that an emotional health assessment should be considered an essential component of the work up of all such cases.
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Schork IG, Manzo IA, Beiral De Oliveira MR, Costa FV, Palme R, Young RJ, de Azevedo CS. How environmental conditions affect sleep? An investigation in domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Behav Processes 2022; 199:104662. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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