Limitations of Spatial Judgment Bias Test Application in Horses (Equus ferus caballus)

Affective states are of increasing interest in the assessment of animal welfare. This research aimed to evaluate the possible limitations in the application of a spatial judgment bias test (JBT) in horses, considering the influence of stress level, personality traits, and the possible bias due to the test structure itself. The distinction between two positions, one rewarded (Positive) and the other not (Negative), was learned by 10 horses and 4 ponies,. Then, the latency to reach three unrewarded ambiguous positions (Near Positive, Middle, Near Negative) was measured. Furthermore, the validated Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) was employed to assess personality traits. Fecal and hair cortisol levels were measured through radioimmunoassay (RIA), and the frequency of behavioral stress indicators was recorded. Results showed that horses that had the rewarded position (Positive) on the right approached Near Negative and Middle faster than those that had Positive on the left. Certain personality traits influenced the latency to reach Middle and Near Positive, but chronic stress did not seem to affect horses’ judgment bias. This preliminary study highlighted several limitations in the employment of spatial JBT for the assessment of affective state in horses and that personality traits can partially influence the cognitive process. Further research is needed to refine the use of this test in horses, considering the peculiarities both of species and of individual

THE IMPORTANCE OF WELFARE AND TEMPERAMENT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF POLICE DOG

Stressful conditions influence a lot police dogs\u2019 life and they can compromise the welfare and the labour efficiency of them. In order to ameliorate the work and life style of these subjects, it is necessary to use an interdisciplinary approach considering individual temperament, dyadic relationship, behaviour and hormonal parameters. The aim of this study was to evaluate all these aspects in a K-9 unit of 8 Labrador and their handler. Handlers answered an informative questionnaire and a standard questionnaire (C-Barq) about their companions. For each dog, two training sessions were videotaped and reviewed, to evaluate their performance and the presence of stress signals with and without the handlers. Faeces and hair were collected to analyse cortisol levels using RIA. It was performed a statistical analysis to underline the difference between the two performance and the possible correlation between performance and C-Barq scores. The results showed that, during their performance, dogs did not show stress signals. C-Barq indicated that all the dogs have in common a high level of trainability and the statistical analysis evidenced that the traits \u201cDog-directed fear\u201d and \u201cAttachment/attention-seeking\u201d influence negatively the performance of the dog with their handlers. Hormonal analysis evidenced physiologic values of hair cortisol, whereas its faecal concentration varied between the dogs, influenced by the activity of the subjects in the previous days and by the presence of intestinal pathologies. According to our results, the dogs of the K-9 unit considered present a good level of welfare, and this condition influence positively their performance. The quality of the relationship with their handler and conspecifics, the experience and the temperament of each subjects can affect a lot their work. Therefore, it is important to consider all these aspects and to know the life style and the history of each subjects, in order to ameliorate their welfare and, consequently, their performance

5'-deiodinase activity and circulating thyronines in lactating cows.

To investigate the correlation between lactation and thyroid hormone metabolism, the authors studied concentrations of total and free thyroxine (T4 and fT4), triiodothyronine (T3 and fT3), and reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) in plasma and milk, as well as liver and mammary gland 5'-deiodinase (5'D) activity in dry, early, middle, and late lactating dairy cows. Cows in early lactation show lower plasma levels of T4 and rT3 than dry, middle, and late lactating animals, whereas T3 shows the lowest plasma levels in the dry period; free T4 and T3 show a similar pattern. In early lactation there is a clear decrease in liver 5'D associated with a notable increase in mammary 5'D. Concentrations of T4 and T3 in milk drop significantly in the first few days after delivery, whereas rT3 increases up to the fourth month. The findings suggest a relationship between the hypothyroid status of lactating cows and the rearrangement of organ-specific 5'-deiodinase activity related to the maintenance of the udder's function

Anogenital scent-marking signals fertility in a captive female Alaotran gentle lemur

The Lake Alaotra gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) is one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world and shows low success rate in captive breeding programmes. It is therefore vital to further understand its reproductive biology. We studied a captive troop consisting of five individuals hosted at Jersey Zoo during breeding and non-breeding periods over 1 year. We collected behavioural data (n = 318 h) using all occurrence of some behaviours and ad libitum sampling methods, as well as faecal (n = 54) and anogenital scent (n = 35) samples of the breeding female. We measured sex hormone levels using enzyme immunoassay technique and investigated the volatile component of odour signals using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We observed sexual and aggressive behaviours occasionally during the breeding period. Our regression analysis showed that only period significantly predicted rates of female anogenital scent-marking, whereby the female performed anogenital scent-marking more frequently during the breeding rather than the non-breeding period. In contrast, female hormone levels did not significantly explain variation in rates of neither male nor female olfactory, sexual and affiliative behaviours, suggesting that individuals' behaviour alone is not an effective indicator of the ovulation window. The volatile chemical profile of anogenital odour secretions changed over the study, with four compounds distinguishing the fertile window during the breeding period. In conclusion, our findings suggest that anogenital scent-marking may signal the reproductive status of captive female gentle lemurs

A field-friendly alternative to freeze-drying faeces for glucocorticoid metabolite analyses of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)

Endocrine studies using faeces as hormone matrix have become increasingly popular to examine adrenocortical activity in wildlife. A prerequisite for this approach is to minimize alteration of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) composition post-defecation. This is done by freezing the collected material as soon as possible after collection, and removing moisture from the frozen faecal samples afterwards (usually by freeze-drying). In remote areas, freeze-drying opportunities are often limited, and in the case of the African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus ), established assays revealed that fGCM concentrations remain comparable for only ∼24h post-defaecation. In the present study, three cost-effective drying treatments (exposure to sunlight, placement in a solar oven, and use of a food dehydrator) were investigated as alternatives to the golden standard of freeze-drying faeces. •In comparison to freeze-dried material, African wild dog faecal samples dried through sunlight exposure, a solar oven, and use of a food dehydrator revealed no significant differences in respective fGCM concentrations measured. •A food dehydrator would be the preferable option to dry African wild dog faeces if limited electrical supply is available. This technique dries faeces the fastest, and negates any reliance on weather conditions.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/mexam2023Centre for Veterinary Wildlife StudiesMammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Assessment of blood and productive parameters in mid-lactation dairy cows fed different diets: replacement of corn silage with triticale silage

Corn crops require large amounts of resources that affect the environmental sustainability of dairy cow farming systems. The aim of the study was thus to investigate the effects of the replacement of corn silage (CS) with triticale silage (TS) by evaluating blood and productive parameters. The study lasted 7 weeks and involved two groups of 20 Italian Holstein Friesian dairy cows that were homogeneous in terms of parity ( 3±1.5 ), days in milk (DIM) ( 150±85.0 ), and daily milk production ( 26±4.6  kg). Chemical analysis of feeds was carried out weekly. Dry-matter intake was estimated daily. At the beginning and end of the trial, haematological, metabolic, and immunological parameters were analysed. At the same, time body weight and body condition score were measured. Milk characteristics were also analysed weekly. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA on data of the second sampling, and a non-parametric test was performed to analyse BCS. Regarding the haematological parameters in the two groups, only lymphocyte values were not in the normal range (2.86 and 2.50×109  L for CS and TS, respectively). Metabolic parameters were in the normal range except for blood ureic nitrogen (BUN; 13.65 and 14.04  mgdL-1 ), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs; 21.40 and 31.93  µmolL-1 ), and Cl (91.99 and 93.50  mmolL-1 ). Hair cortisol was low (0.94 and 0.91  pgmg-1 ), indicating the absence of stress signs, as confirmed by the results of other immunological parameters (serum lysozyme (SL), bactericidal activity (SBA), haptoglobin (HP), and oxygen free radicals (OFRs)). Statistical differences were not found either for haematological or biochemical parameters. The total replacement of CS with TS did not affect milk yield and composition. In conclusion, the replacement of CS by TS did not give rise to significant modifications in the parameters investigated and did not alter the health status of the animals, thus suggesting the feasibility of its introduction into the diet of mid-lactation dairy cows

Application of Virtual Fencing for the management of Limousin cows at pasture

A potential use of pasture-based systems requires an efficient grazing management strategy. Thanks to the Virtual Fencing (VF) physical fences are replaced by virtual ones and, when the animals approach the boundaries, they receive a paired stimulus: an audio cue followed by a low electrical pulse if animals cross over the fences. This study aims to i) to evaluate the animal’s ability to learn, and then respond positively, to VF ii) VFs’ efficiency to manage the herd within grazing areas virtually delimitated; iii) to assess the chronic stress related to the VF, evaluating the hair cortisol concentration (HCC), during the experiment. Twenty Limousine cows were fitted with a commercial VF-GPS collars (Nofence AS, Batnfjordsør, Norway). The experiment was divided into four trials: Trial zero (T0) with inactive collars to let the animals get acquainted with them; Trial one (T1) where three of the four virtual boundaries coincided with the physical ones, while the virtual one was set across the pasture to restrict the grazing area; Trial two (T2) in which the grazing area was further extended moving forwards the virtual board; Trial three (T3) in which the virtual line was set longways to the pasture. Results show a significant decrease of stimuli delivered (i.e., sounds and electrical pulses) (p < 0.001), among trials. Moreover, a reduction (p < 0.0250) in the ratio between sounds and electrical pulses was observed between T1 and T3, with T2 being like both. Regarding the cows’ learning capacity, the events in which the sounds were followed by electrical pulses were significantly less in T3 (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in T3 the duration of the audio tones was lower than T1 and T2 (p < 0.0005). Animals were increasingly kept inside the inclusion zones during the trials, with the lowest number of escape events from the inclusion zone registered in T3 (p < 0.001). No differences were observed in the HCC before and after the VF treatment. The progressive reduction of the studied parameters between following sessions, indicates an increase in associative learning through time. VF virtual fencing has proven to be an effective tool in managing Limousin cows at pasture. However, future research is needed to evaluate the animals’ performances in terms of grazing activities and on the assessment of chronic stress conditions as well

Depression and Microbiome—Study on the Relation and Contiguity between Dogs and Humans

Behavioral studies demonstrate that not only humans, but all other animals including dogs, can suffer from depression. A quantitative molecular evaluation of fatty acids in human and animal platelets has already evidenced similarities between people suffering from depression and German Shepherds, suggesting that domestication has led dogs to be similar to humans. In order to verify whether humans and dogs suffering from similar pathologies also share similar microorganisms at the intestinal level, in this study the gut-microbiota composition of 12 German Shepherds was compared to that of 15 dogs belonging to mixed breeds which do not suffer from depression. Moreover, the relation between the microbiota of the German Shepherd\u2019s group and that of patients with depression has been investigated. The results indicate that the German Shepherd\u2019s gut-microbiota has a different composition compared to other dog breeds and is characterized by microbial groups identified in humans with depression, highlighting the existence of a \u201ccore\u201d microbiota associated with depression