Tricofagia en chinchillas (chinchilla lanígera): un problema de bienestar animal

Las estereotipias son desórdenes conductuales que se desarrollan en los animales como consecuencia de ambientes sub-óptimos, sobre los cuales no tienen control. Al estar asociadas con problemas de manejo que afectan el bienestar de los animales, y muchas veces resultar en un deterioro del fitness del animal estas pueden ser utilizadas como un indicador directo (basado en el animal) de bienestar animal. En el caso de la chinchilla la conducta de tricofagia (chinchillas come-pelo) ha sido asociada con problemas de manejo cuando estas son mantenidas en criaderos con fines comerciales y algunos factores individuales. A pesar de que se le ha dado menos atención en los estudios de estereotipias a la chinchilla, es importante su estudio ya que aún existe un importante número de criaderos de esta especie con fines peleteros, y la conducta de tricofagia no sólo afecta el bienestar del individuo, si no que además afecta su producto principal, la piel, por lo que es una patología conductual de importancia económica para el productor. El objetivo de la presente revisión es dar a conocer algunos posibles factores causales de la conducta de tricofagia en chinchillas y las implicancias de las estereotipias sobre el bienestar animal

On the need for rigorous welfare and methodological reporting for the live capture of large carnivores: A response to de Araujo et al. (2021)

1.De Araujo et al. (Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13516) described the development and application of a wire foot snare trap for the capture of jaguars Panthera onca and cougars Puma concolor. Snares are a commonly used and effective means of studying large carnivores. However, the article presented insufficient information to replicate the work and inadequate consideration and description of animal welfare considerations, thereby risking the perpetuation of poor standards of reporting. 2.Appropriate animal welfare assessments are essential in studies that collect data from animals, especially those that use invasive techniques, and are key in assisting researchers to choose the most appropriate capture method. It is critical that authors detail all possible associated harms and benefits to support thorough review, including equipment composition, intervention processes, general body assessments, injuries (i.e. cause, type, severity) and post-release behaviour. We offer a detailed discussion of these shortcomings. 3.We also discuss broader but highly relevant issues, including the capture of non-target animals and the omission of key methodological details. The level of detail provided by authors should allow the method to be properly assessed and replicated, including those that improve trap selectivity and minimize or eliminate the capture of non-target animals. 4.Finally, we discuss the central role that journals must play in ensuring that published research conforms to ethical, animal welfare and reporting standards. Scientific studies are subject to ever-increasing scrutiny by peers and the public, making it more important than ever that standards are upheld and reviewed. 5. We conclude that the proposal of a new or refined method must be supported by substantial contextual discussion, a robust rationale and analyses and comprehensive documentation

Why Should Human-Animal Interactions Be Included in Research of Working Equids’ Welfare?

The livelihood of working horses’ owners and their families is intimately linked to the welfare of their equids. A proper understanding of human-animal interactions, as well as the main factors that modulate them, is essential for establishing strategies oriented to improve the welfare of animals and their caretakers. To date, there is still a paucity of research dedicated to the identification and assessment of the human psychological attributes that affect the owner⁻equine interaction, and how these could affect the welfare of working equids. However, some studies have shown that empathy, attitudes towards animals, human perception of animal pain and the owner´s locus of control are some of the psychological attributes that participate in human-equine interactions and that these can result in poor welfare of working equids. A better understanding of the relationship between human attributes and equids’ welfare can provide an opportunity to improve the quality of interactions between owners and their working equids and thus improve their welfare. This review aims to explain why the inclusion of human psychological attributes that modulate the human-animal interactions can benefit welfare research in working equids. The role that empathy, perception of animal pain and locus of control play in the promotion of good welfare in working equids is emphasized

Morphological characteristics and most frequent health constraints of urban draught horses attending a free healthcare programme in the south of Chile: A retrospective study (1997-2009)

Working horses are still an important source of income for many families located in urban and peri-urban settings. An adequate health state in these horses is a prerequisite for welfare and work output, this is why the aim of the present study was: i) review the main systemic health problems; ii) describe their morphological characteristics; and iii) classify the drugs used in urban draught horses between 1997 and 2009. Morphological and health information was compiled for 263 horses from a total of 1132 clinical records between 1997 and 2009 by the free healthcare service. Most horses were geldings (38.4%) followed by mares and stallions. The average age was 8.5 years and only 30.4% presented characteristics of a draught type of horse. The main health systemic problems were related to the Integumentary, Locomotor and Respiratory systems respectively, being skin lesions, lameness and nasal discharge the principal diagnosis for each system. In relation to the drugs administered, dewormers (29.9%), vitamins (29.9%) and anti-inflammatories (14.5%) are the most frequent. Continuous revision of extension programmes is necessary to re-design protocols and adopt proper management practices and optimize the use of resources in a sustainable way. The animal and health information revised in this study can be used to set up new intervention strategies based in the selection of proper horses according to the type of work, and for the incorporation of training programmes aimed towards the prevention of health problems such as skin lesions and lameness and recognition of the risks associated to the use of drugs such as anthelmintics

Agreement of farm animal behaviour and welfare studies with the ARRIVE Essential 10

The inclusion of animals in research studies involves a great responsibility to ensure animal welfare within the relevant ethical and legal frameworks. This study aimed to review compliance with the ARRIVE Essential 10 requirements and the ethical oversight of animal behaviour and welfare studies in farm animals. Three journals and a total of 133 articles were reviewed for compliance with the ARRIVE Essential 10 items and criteria. Each article obtained a final score according to whether or not each criterion was met within each item. Likewise, ethical declaration in each article was recorded. Chi-square test and linear models were built to assess associations between the ethical statement presentation and the final ARRIVE Essential 10 score with the country, the species, and the journal. We found that 15% of the articles did not present an ethical statement. The journal with the highest impact factor and the countries of the Global South presented an ethical statement more frequently. Regarding the Essential 10, the item with the lowest agreement score was ‘Blinding’ and the one with the highest agreement was ‘Outcome Measures’. Also, significant differences were found between journals in terms of the Essential 10 score. Essential 10 provides relevant information that allows reviewers and readers to identify possible welfare risks and the validity of the results in animal welfare science publications

Can Responsible Ownership Practices Influence Hunting Behavior of Owned Cats?: Results from a Survey of Cat Owners in Chile

The domestic cat (Felis catus) has become a worldwide threat to wildlife. The potential impact of owned cats on wildlife in Chile has not been documented at a large scale. The purpose of this study was to investigate the number and type of prey that owned cats bring back in Chile and its relation with responsible ownership practices. An online survey was distributed to 5216 households that included questions about the type of pet, responsible ownership practices, and in the case of cats, the type of prey they brought home. Descriptive statistics as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied. The results showed that 94.3% of respondents had a pet, and from these, 49.9% had at least one cat. A total of 84.1% of owners reported that their cats had brought back prey. Birds were the most common type of prey, followed by mammals and insects. Not being registered with a microchip, not having a litter box, living in a house with access to a garden, not having a hiding place for the cats, and having free access to the outdoors significantly increased the odds of cats bringing back prey. Body condition score or providing ad libitum food to cats did not have an effect on bringing prey

Application of the hands on donkey tool for assessing the welfare of working equids at Tuliman, Mexico

Equids are still used for diverse chores in Mexico and are essential for the livelihoods of numerous families. Appropriate health and behavior are prerequisites for performing work without affecting welfare. This study aimed to assess the welfare of working equids in Tuliman, applying the hands-on donkey tool. This tool evaluates five dimensions (behavior, body condition score [BCS], wounds, lameness, and other health issues) and was applied to 438 working equids (horses, mules, and donkeys). The Kruskall-Wallis test was applied to investigate differences between species and sex. Donkeys were more common; they also presented more positive behaviors and less lameness (p<0.05). No differences were found for BCS among species on a scale ranging from 1 to 5 (mean BCS for donkeys=1.9; mules=2; and horses=1.8). Mares had significantly lower BCS (mean=1.5) than stallions (p<0.05) and geldings (mean=1.9). Overall mules had better welfare evaluations. The tool allowed detection of welfare issues in working equids; a practical outcome would be implementing local welfare strategies according to its results.Community of Tulima

Differences in Blood Parameters Associated to Stress Response Between Chilean Rodeo Horses and Chilean Urban Working Horses

Physiological measures, such as blood variables, are commonly used to assess the welfare state of animals. The basal concentration of indicators such as plasma cortisol, white blood cells, cytokines, and indicators of oxidative stress could vary depending on the coping style of individuals. In the case of horses, coping styles could be associated to the activity they perform because owners seek different behavioral characteristics. The aim of this study was to compare blood variables frequently used to assess welfare, between urban working horses and Chilean rodeo horses, and secondly to determine if horses could be classified according to activity and blood variable characteristics associated to coping styles (proactive and reactive). A total of 204 horses were sampled and 13 blood variables were assessed. K-means clusters analysis was used to classify horses in two groups. Significant differences between working horses and Chilean rodeo horses were found for nine of the 13 variables studied. Two clusters were formed; cluster 1 grouped most working horses and is characterized by a higher concentration of cortisol, leukocytes (mainly lymphocytes), and carbonyl groups. On the other hand, cluster 2 groups most rodeo horses and is characterized by horses with lower cortisol concentrations, but a higher antioxidant capacity. Further studies are required to assess if owners are selecting horses by coping style according to the activity they perform (rodeo or draft work) and how these physiological characteristics should be considered when assessing their welfare state. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Agonistic behavior between introduced beaver (Castor canadensis) and endemic culpeo fox (Pseudalopex culpaeus lycoides) in Tierra del Fuego Island and implications

Over the last 70 years, introduced beavers (Castor canadensis) have been successful in establishing and modifying the landscape of southernmost Patagonia. Habitat availability and lack of large carnivorous predators have contributed to this success. The Fuegian culpeo fox (Pseudalopex culpaeus lycoides) is an endangered subspecies and the largest native predator found in Tierra del Fuego Island. The predatory behavior of a culpeo towards a beaver was studied by analyzing a video footage recovered by tourists, and consumption of beaver was documented with camera traps. An ethogram of the predatory behavior sequence was developed and true durations and percentage of time allocated to each behavior were analyzed. The “capture” and “watch” behaviors had the highest durations within the predatory sequence (61.83 and 42.61 s, respectively), while “rest” was the most frequent maintenance behavior observed (93.82 s). The culpeo may provide the only natural population control for beavers, although up to date, there is no evidence to confirm this ecological role. Based upon photos from camera traps, we confirm the occurrence of fox feeding on beavers. This is the first description of the stages of the interaction between a Fuegian culpeo fox and a North American beaver under natural conditions. We discuss the ecological implications of this interaction.Fil: Tadich, Tamara A.. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Novaro, Andres Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados UnidosFil: Kunzle, Pablo. Provincia de Tierra del Fuego. Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Chacón, Mauricio. No especifica;Fil: Barrientos, Miguel. No especifica;Fil: Briceño, Cristóbal. Universidad de Chile; Chil