ANIMAL WELFARE

https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/AnimalWelfare/Pages/what-is-animal-
welfare.aspx

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 behavior, and if it is not suffering from
unpleasant states such as pain, fear, and distress.

Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment,

appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter. 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. Protecting an
animal's welfare means providing for its physical and mental needs.

Ensuring animal welfare is a human responsibility that includes consideration for all
aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, nutrition, disease
prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane
euthanasia.

There are numerous perspectives on animal welfare that are influenced by a person's values
and experiences. There are also various means of measuring animal welfare, including (but
not limited to) health, productivity, behavior, and physiological responses.

Animal Welfare Principles

The following eight integrated principles for developing and evaluating animal welfare
policies, resolutions, and actions.

• The responsible use of animals for human purposes, such as companionship, food,
fiber, recreation, work, education, exhibition, and research conducted for the benefit
of both humans and animals, is consistent with the Veterinarian's Oath.
• Decisions regarding animal care, use, and welfare shall be made by balancing
scientific knowledge and professional judgment with consideration of ethical and
societal values.
• Animals must be provided water, food, proper handling, health care, and an
environment appropriate to their care and use, with thoughtful consideration for their
species-typical biology and behavior.
• Animals should be cared for in ways that minimize fear, pain, stress, and suffering.
• Procedures related to animal housing, management, care, and use should be
continuously evaluated, and when indicated, refined or replaced.
• Conservation and management of animal populations should be humane, socially
responsible, and scientifically prudent.
• Animals shall be treated with respect and dignity throughout their lives and, when
necessary, provided a humane death.
 • The veterinary profession shall continually strive to improve animal health and
welfare through scientific research, education, collaboration, advocacy, and the
development of legislation and regulations.

Animal ethics is a term used in academia to describe human-animal relationships and how
animals ought to be treated. The subject matter includes animal rights, animal
welfare, animal law, speciesism, animal cognition, wildlife conservation, the moral status
of nonhuman animals, the concept of nonhuman personhood, human exceptionalism, the
history of animal use, and theories of justice.

ANIMAL WELFARE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-
health/animals-in-hot-conditions/caring-for-animals-during-extreme-heat

Environmental factor or ecological factor or ecofactor is any factor, abiotic or biotic,

that influences living organisms. Abiotic factors include ambient temperature, relative
humidity, rainfall, amount of sunlight, and pH of the water soil in which an organism lives.
Among the environmental factors temperature, relative humidity and rainfall are most
important factors.

Managing animals in high temperatures requires good forward planning. Keeping an

eye on the weather forecasts, and developing a plan for days of high to extreme temperature is
essential in ensuring that your animals will have sufficient shade and water on those very hot
days.

Managing animals during hot weather

Extreme heat causes significant stress for all animals. There are a few simple guidelines you
can follow to reduce the impacts of high temperatures on animals.

Water

❖ The provision of a plentiful supply of clean, cool water and shade is essential.

❖ Water troughs or containers should be large enough and designed in such a way that
all animals have easy access.

❖ The number of watering points and/or water flow should be increased if a large
number of animals are kept together.

❖ Troughs or containers should be firmly fixed so they cannot overturn.

❖ Large concrete troughs help keep drinking water cool. Water pipes should be of
sufficient diameter with sufficient pressure to cope with periods of peak demand.
 ❖ The location of water should be familiar to animals days before extreme heat arrives.

Suitable shelter

Animals need to be provided with shelter during extended periods of extreme

temperatures. Shelter is especially important for very young or old animals or animals that
are in poor condition or sick.

❖ Constructed shelters - using materials such as shade cloth, corrugated iron or timber.
Aluminium or galvanised steel are ideal roofs for shelters, kennels, and chicken coops
as these materials are very good at reflecting the radiative rays of the sun.
❖ Trees with large canopies can be planted individually in fields. Trees have a cooling
effect due to absorption of heat by the leaves.
❖ Naturally undulating paddocks and gullies.
❖ Shelterbelts – thick hedges of trees often fenced off from stock, shelter belts can
provide good protection from sun, but should be thinned evenly to allow wind flow
and planted in an east-west direction to provide shade during the hottest part of the
day.
❖ During extreme heat conditions wind flow is important for keeping animals cool, so
this should be considered when deciding type and location of shelter.

❖ It may be necessary to divide the number of animals into smaller groups.

Handling

It is recommended not to handle animals in extreme heat unless absolutely necessary. If

necessary, make sure it is done as early or late in the day as possible when temperatures are
lower.

Stocking densities should be reduced to 85 per cent of capacity to ensure good air flow
between animals, and drivers should have contingency plans in place for the occurrence of
adverse weather events.

Identifying heat stress

There are many signs of heat stress that you can look for in your animals. Some general signs
include:

❖ panting
❖ increased respiration rate
❖ increased water intake
❖ loss of appetite
❖ listless/lethargy
❖ increased salivation
❖ in severe cases may become unconscious.
Horses

❖ Horses that are heat stressed may also show signs of excessive sweating and reduced
feed intake.

❖ Restrict exercising your horse to the early morning and late afternoon/evening when it
is coolest. Electrolytes can be added to their feed to replace essential salts lost through
sweating.

❖ Heat stressed horses can be cooled down by hosing with cool water, starting from the
feet and moving up slowly, sponging with water or by placing wet towels over them.

❖ Excess water must be scraped off afterwards unless there is a good breeze, as water in
the coat on a hot, humid, still day will act as an insulator and it will quickly warm up
again.

Dairy cattle

❖ Cattle that are heat stressed will show increased respiration rates as they try to cool
themselves down. If cows are taking more than 60 breaths per minute you need to
take action.

❖ Provide plenty of shade as this can reduce the amount of solar radiation received by
the cow by up to 50 per cent.

❖ Alter your paddock rotation so that cattle are in paddocks that are close to the dairy to
reduce the distance cattle have to walk in extreme heat.

❖ Use sprinklers and shade in holding yards.

❖ To be effective the sprinklers must wet the cows to the skin. Air flow is also
important. Sprinklers have been found to improve milk production, reduce fly
irritation and make for more contented cows in the shed with better milk let down.

❖ Let cattle take their time and allow them to drink water on the way to and from the
dairy.

❖ Cows can also cool themselves by standing in cold water which allows them to
disperse some of their heat load so access to a dam or other source of cool water can
be useful in reducing heat stress.

Pigs

❖ Pigs are highly susceptible to heat stress and sunburn, and should not be exposed to
long periods of direct sunlight or extremes of temperature.
 ❖ Providing outdoor pigs with sufficient water and mud hole areas is extremely
important when temperatures are above 25°C.

❖ Allow the animals for wallowing in the cool water.

❖ Wash the animals frequently during hot part of the day.

Intensively housed chickens

❖ Where high temperatures are causing distress, foggers, roof sprinklers, fans or other
systems should be used to control heat buildup within buildings.

❖ Foggers are less effective if humidity reaches above 80 per cent and temperature rises
above 30°C. In these conditions mechanical ventilation must be provided for
chickens.

❖ To prevent birds from overheating space must be provided for birds to facilitate heat
loss, and temperature control systems must be in place to prevent ambient
temperatures at bird level exceeding 33°C.

Role of veterinarian in animal welfare:

I. A veterinarian shall be influenced only by the welfare of the patient, the needs of the
client, the safety of the public, and the need to uphold the public trust vested in the
veterinary profession, and shall avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof.

II. A veterinarian shall provide competent veterinary medical clinical care under the terms
of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR), with compassion and respect for
animal welfare and human health.

III. A veterinarian shall uphold the standards of professionalism, be honest in all

professional interactions, and report veterinarians who are deficient in character or
competence to the appropriate entities.

IV. A veterinarian shall respect the law and also recognize a responsibility to seek changes
to laws and regulations which are contrary to the best interests of the patient and public
health.

V. A veterinarian shall respect the rights of clients, colleagues, and other health
professionals, and shall safeguard medical information within the confines of the law.

VI. A veterinarian shall continue to study, apply, and advance scientific knowledge,
maintain a commitment to veterinary medical education, make relevant information
available to clients, colleagues, the public, and obtain consultation or referral when
indicated.
VII. A veterinarian shall, in the provision of appropriate patient care, except in emergencies,
be free to choose whom to serve, with whom to associate, and the environment in which
to provide veterinary medical care.

VIII. A veterinarian shall recognize a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to

the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health.

IX. A veterinarian should view, evaluate, and treat all persons in any professional activity
or circumstance in which they may be involved, solely as individuals on the basis of
their own personal abilities, qualifications, and other relevant characteristics.