6 research outputs found
Evaluation of a behaviour protocol for use in recording the behaviour of horses following administration of methadone
There is a need for correct and adequate pain assessment in horses. Methadone is used in pain management in horses but the full pharmacokinetic picture of methadone is not yet known. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a behaviour protocol and suggest a reliable recording method for use in a larger research project with an aim to potentially correlate behaviours to concentration of methadone in blood. In this study two coldblooded trotters were given methadone intravenously with doses of 0.1 mg/kg for horse 1 and 0.2 mg/kg for horse 2. The horses were videotaped pre and post methadone administration. A behavioral protocol, with the purpose to find behaviours that were performed, was developed and evaluated. Following that different recording methods were tried to find the optimal recording method. The results showed that horse 2 had a pronounced peak in locomotory behaviour post methadone. Foraging behaviours had distinct peaks post methadone administration in both horses. Poor coordination was only seen twice and only in horse 2. Both horses scratched post methadone administration and this behaviour appeared frenzied at times. Instantaneous sampling with 10 second intervals was found to be the most rational way of observing behaviour. Instantaneous sampling and continuous recording could both be used during the same observation session, but it is suggested that the amount of time spent on continuous recording is standardized.Det finns ett behov av korrekt och adekvat smÀrtbedömning pÄ hÀst. Metadon anvÀnds pÄ hÀst vid smÀrtlindring men den fullstÀndiga farmakokinetiska profilen av metadon Àr Ànnu inte fullstÀndig. Syftet med denna pilotstudie var att ta fram ett beteendeprotokoll och föreslÄ en funktionell registreringsmetod som bÀgge skulle kunna anvÀndas i ett större projekt med syfte att korrelera beteenden till dos av metadon i blodet. I denna studie studerades tvÄ kallblodstravare som gavs intravenöst metadon i doser av 0.1 mg/kg för hÀst 1 och 0.2 mg/kg för hÀst 2. HÀstarna filmades före och efter administration av metadon. Ett beteendeprotokoll, med syftet att finna vilka beteenden som visades, skapades och utvÀrderades. DÀrefter provades olika typer av registreringsmetoder för att hitta en optimal registreringsmetod. Resultaten visade att hÀst 2 hade en ökning i lokomotoriskt beteende och att födosöksbeteenden ökade tydligt hos bÀgge hÀstarna efter administration av metadon. Nedsatt koordination sÄgs endast tvÄ gÄnger och endast pÄ hÀst 2. BÄda hÀstarna kliade sig efter administration av metadon och detta beteende verkade ibland frenetiskt. Momentanregistrering med 10 sekunders intervall ansÄgs vara det mest rationella sÀttet att observera beteende. Momentanregistrering och kontinuerlig registrering kan anvÀndas under samma observationstillfÀlle, men det föreslÄs att den kontinuerliga registreringen standardiseras
TrÀningsmetoder anvÀnda vid trÀning av hÀst (Equus Caballus) : med fokus pÄ positiv förstÀrkning
Instrumental conditioning, the use of reinforcement and punishment, is used when training horses and these procedures may have different consequences regarding animal welfare. The aim of this study was to investigate what kind of reinforcers that are used in training horses and when these reinforcers are used. This study has its focus on positive reinforcement and its advantages and disadvantages. Interviews of five A-level and B -level equestrian coaches about their training methods were conducted to complement the literature search and give a greater understanding to why certain methods are used or not in training horses.
The results show that negative reinforcement seems to be the foundation of training horses whereas positive reinforcement is used but not to the same extent. Integrating positive reinforcement in training may enhance welfare of horses and will make the task easier and safer for the handler. The coaches that participated in this study use punishment in situations that can be unsafe, however some of the situations can be prevented by training. Secondary reinforcers are used but unsystematically. Using a secondary reinforcer, such as clicker, properly can enable the use of positive reinforcement during training of horses since wanted behaviours can be reinforced from a distance
A comparison of transportersâ paddle use when unloading pigs at slaughter
Today, pigs are moved on farm, between farms, between countries and to abattoirs. This movement of live pigs requires handling practices that are designed for the purpose. The objective of this study was to research the use of paddle in moving pigs, to investigate if there were different methods of paddle practice, explore the time efficiency of different kinds of paddle use and if there were any time variations in methods that varied in intensity of touch. This study was done on two Swedish abattoirs for a total of five weeks. A total of 22 transporters working at two different abattoirs where studied during unloading of pigs at the abattoirs. It was registered how the staff used the paddle, the size of each compartment in the truck and the time it took to move pigs out of each compartment. The total number of touches to the pigs, other use of paddle and the force with which these touches were directed was noted. There were differences among staff on time to move pigs and the methods used for moving. Staff differed in frequency of touches to animals, the proportion of paddle use that ended in physical contact with the pigs and the force of touches to pigs. There was a trend towards touches of less force to be more time efficient. The number of touches did increase with time of moving but the frequency did not generally increase with time, suggesting that an increased frequency of touch will not increase efficiency of moving pigs. Transporters were scored for paddle touch intensity and the time to move pigs was compared. There was a tendency towards less intense methods to be more time efficient than more intense methods of moving pigs.I dagens samhĂ€lle flyttas grisar pĂ„ gĂ„rdar, mellan gĂ„rdar, mellan lĂ€nder och till slakterier. Denna förflyttning av grisar krĂ€ver hanteringsmetoder som Ă€r anpassade för uppgiften. Syftet med denna studie var att inventera paddelanvĂ€ndning vid drivning av gris, att undersöka om paddeln anvĂ€ndes pĂ„ olika sĂ€tt av olika transportörer, om vissa metoder av paddelanvĂ€ndning var mer effektiva Ă€n andra och om mindre intensiva metoder av drivning var mer effektiva Ă€n mer intensiva metoder. Studien genomfördes pĂ„ tvĂ„ svenska slakterier under totalt fem veckor. Sammanlagt studerades 22 transportörer pĂ„ dessa tvĂ„ slakterier. Hur transportörerna anvĂ€nde paddeln, storleken pĂ„ varje fack i lastbilen och tiden det tog att driva grisar ut ur facket registrerades. Ăven det totala antalet gĂ„nger transportören nuddade grisen med paddel, totala antalet av annan typ av paddelanvĂ€ndning och kraften med vilken transportörerna nuddade grisarna med paddel registrerades. Transportörerna anvĂ€nde olika metoder för att driva djuren och det tog olika lĂ„ng tid för transportörer att driva grisar. Olika transportörer anvĂ€nde olika hög frekvens nĂ€r de nuddade grisar med paddel vid drivning, av den totala paddelanvĂ€ndningen anvĂ€nde de olika stor andel för direkt beröring av gris och de anvĂ€nde Ă€ven olika stor kraft nĂ€r de nuddade grisar med paddel. Det fanns en trend mot att mjuk beröringar av gris med paddel var mer tidseffektivt Ă€n hĂ„rdare beröring. Frekvensen av beröring (antal beröringar per sekund) ökade generellt inte med tid, vilket tyder pĂ„ att en ökad frekvens av att nudda gris med paddel inte ökar tidseffektiviteten i drivning av grisar. Transportörerna kategoriserades för nivĂ„ av intensitet av drivning och sedan jĂ€mfördes tiden att driva grisar mellan kategorier. Det fanns en trend mot att mindre intensiva metoder var mer tidseffektiva Ă€n mer intensiva metoder
Handel med hotade djurarter
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r 1973, kom ett antal lÀnder överens om att handel inte fÄr vara orsaken till att vilda djur och vÀxter utrotas."
http://www.wwf.se/show.php?id=1122930
Idag hotas över 30,000 arter av djur och vÀxter vÀrlden över av utrotning och en fjÀrdedel av jordens vÀxter och djur befaras att utrotas inom de nÀrmsta 50 Ären. De senaste 100 Ären har mer Àn 50 % av den tropiska regnskogen tagits ner och nÀr miljön förÀndras Àr det flera djurarter som har svÄrt att anpassa sig och dÀrmed minskar i antal. Utöver miljöhotet Àr handeln en viktig bidragande faktor till att arter minskar i antal. Handeln med redan hotade djurarter Àr ofta illegal och de ekonomiska intressena Àr stora dÄ risken för upptÀckt Àr liten och straffen Àr lÄga. Myndigheter och ideella organisationer deltar sedan lÀnge i ett internationellt samarbete för att stoppa handeln.
Vilda djur sĂ€ljs frĂ€mst för lokal konsumtion men fler och fler arter jagas Ă€ven för en stor regional handel med deras kroppsdelar för mat, mediciner, rĂ„material. Ăven levande djur efterfrĂ„gas till bland annat husdjursmarknad och underhĂ„llning. Det tas lite hĂ€nsyn till djurens vĂ€lfĂ€rd och dĂ„ vilda djur hĂ„lls i fĂ„ngenskap har de ofta en begrĂ€nsad möjlighet att utföra sina naturliga beteenden vilket kan leda till bland annat beteendestörningar. Den internationella handeln med vilda djurarter Ă€r ett av de frĂ€msta hoten mot biologisk mĂ„ngfald.
1975 antogs konventionen om internationell handel med utrotningshotade arter. Konventionen kallas CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). I Sverige trÀdde den i kraft 1975 och hittills har 169 lÀnder över hela vÀrlden antagit den. EU:s lagstiftning har striktare bestÀmmelser och omfattar fler arter Àn CITES. Huvudregeln inom EU Àr att alla kommersiella aktiviteter med levande djur och djurprodukter av de mycket hotade arterna Àr förbjudna. Man kan dock ansöka om undantag och dÄ krÀvs ett CITES-intyg. Ska djuret föras in i Sverige krÀvs CITES-intyg frÄn övriga EU-lÀnder och ett tillstÄnd frÄn veterinÀr enligt svenska smittskyddsbestÀmmelser.The trade in endangered animal species is extensive and widely spread across the world. It involves everything from small insects to big mammals and is often illegal. In this report we have focused on four different reasons why people trade endangered wildlife (entertainment, pets, animal parts and bushmeat), and how this affects the animals from an ethological, animal welfare and evolutionary biological point of view. It has been shown that in many cases where wild animals are held in captivity, the welfare is poor. They have little possibility to perform their behavioural repertoires because of factors such as limited housing environments, which can lead to stereotypic patterns of behaviour, stress and aggression. The trade in endangered animal species is also a threat to biological diversity, as populations and in some cases entire species are driven to extinction. In consequence the ecosystems are disrupted and surrounding species and environment are affected.
A species that we mention several times throughout the report is the tiger, which is demanded in entertainment, for the pet industry and body parts used in for example traditional Chinese medicine. The tigers have decreased dramatically in numbers and therefore several subspecies are already extinct. Even though the trade is found in most parts of the world, there is a concentration in Africa and Asia. Poor countries with unstable political systems often have trouble regulating and limiting the hunt, which leads to profitable illegal hunting. Painful methods of hunting are used and black markets break out, showing captured animals in cages for sale