Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)最新文献

Inconsistency in cervical dislocation: A UK survey of techniques and tools utilised for laboratory rodents. 颈椎脱位的不一致性：英国对实验室啮齿动物使用的技术和工具的调查。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-29 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10087

Jessica E Martin, Matthew C Leach, Jasmine M Clarkson

{"title":"Inconsistency in cervical dislocation: A UK survey of techniques and tools utilised for laboratory rodents.","authors":"Jessica E Martin, Matthew C Leach, Jasmine M Clarkson","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10087","url":null,"abstract":"Rodents remain the predominant mammalian species used for biomedical research and must be humanely killed upon completion of the scientific work. Across the UK, cervical dislocation is reported as the most common method for humanely killing laboratory rodents. Cervical dislocation involves the separation of the vertebrae at the top of the spine and can be achieved manually or mechanically (e.g. using a tool). There is no standardised method for achieving consistent cervical dislocation in the desired location, and no dedicated tool specifically designed, validated and commercially available to achieve accurate and effective dislocation. Previous work has highlighted inaccuracy in method application and, as such, has the potential to risk animal welfare at killing. The aim of this work was to identify the techniques used by personnel across UK institutions for performing cervical dislocation using an online questionnaire. We found marked inconsistencies in technique and the use of tools to aid the application. Mice are predominantly killed via manual operation (i.e. without the aid of a tool), while rats are more often killed using mechanical aids. A wide range of improvised tools (i.e. not designed for killing) were reported, including pens, scissors, and cage scrapers. Further, there was little or no consensus regarding which physical actions are essential for a successful dislocation (i.e. a stretch and/or a twist), and a lack of reported institutional standard operating procedures. Further work is needed to establish validated methods and clear standards to ensure this common method is applied humanely and consistently.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e32"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13126198/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147825899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Enclosures with flexible structures stimulate species-typical locomotion, but not locomotion quantity, in zoo-housed Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). 在动物园里，婆罗洲猩猩（Pongo pygmaeus）的围栏具有灵活的结构，刺激物种典型的运动，但不是运动数量。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-27 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10086

Jens Willem Geijtenbeek, Lisette van den Berg, Tom Roth

{"title":"Enclosures with flexible structures stimulate species-typical locomotion, but not locomotion quantity, in zoo-housed Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus).","authors":"Jens Willem Geijtenbeek, Lisette van den Berg, Tom Roth","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10086","url":null,"abstract":"Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammals and the only great apes that spend most of their lives in the treetops. To navigate this environment, they use a wide range of locomotion behaviours. In zoos, however, orangutans often show increased terrestriality and rely on locomotion behaviours that are rarely seen in the wild, such as quadrupedal locomotion. These differences raise welfare concerns, as they may impair the development of their musculoskeletal system and reduce energy expenditure, thereby increasing obesity risk. Enclosure design may mitigate these effects by encouraging more species-typical locomotion. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate differences in locomotion behaviour of orangutans across two enclosure types, one with more flexible structures and one with more rigid structures. We performed focal observations of seven Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) in Apenheul Primate Park (Apeldoorn, The Netherlands), recording their time budgets, types of locomotion and the structures used for locomotion. While overall time budgets, including time spent moving, did not differ meaningfully between enclosures, orangutans showed increased rates of species-typical locomotion behaviours, such as suspensory locomotion, in the enclosures with more flexible structures. Moreover, orangutans specifically used the flexible structures in their enclosure to perform these behaviours. Our findings highlight the importance of enclosure design, with flexible structures stimulating more species-typical locomotion in orangutans. However, rates of species-typical locomotion remained below those observed in the wild, indicating that further efforts are needed to stimulate zoo-housed orangutans toward natural locomotion patterns. Future research should explore additional strategies to promote arboreal and species-typical movement patterns in zoo-housed apes.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e30"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13126203/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147825818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Discounting multiple benefits of cat containment by reframing them as trade-offs: Response to Glanville et al. (2025). 通过将其重新定义为权衡来贬低养猫的多重好处：对Glanville等人（2025）的回应。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-21 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10074

Sarah Legge, John Woinarski, Christopher Dickman, Tida Nou, Jaana Dielenberg

{"title":"Discounting multiple benefits of cat containment by reframing them as trade-offs: Response to Glanville et al. (2025).","authors":"Sarah Legge, John Woinarski, Christopher Dickman, Tida Nou, Jaana Dielenberg","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10074","url":null,"abstract":"Domestic cats (Felis catus) are favoured companion animals, but also highly effective predators that have caused substantial declines and extinctions of native fauna in many places where they have been introduced. In Australia, free-roaming pet cats kill hundreds of millions of native animals annually, contributing to one of the world's most severe modern extinction crises. In response, policy, advocacy and public messaging has increasingly promoted responsible pet cat management, including containment, on the multiple grounds of biodiversity protection, public amenity, disease spread reduction, and benefits to cat health and welfare. A recent article by Glanville C, Hampton JO, and Sandøe P 2025 Calling a trade-off a trade-off in arguments for cat confinement. Animal Welfare 34: e65. https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2025.10041. challenges this messaging, arguing that claiming welfare benefits from cat containment is wilfully or negligently misleading. Here, we respond to four central arguments advanced by Glanville et al. We argue that separating physical health from welfare is conceptually flawed; that containment, like free-roaming, involves welfare pros and cons to cats (and their prey) that must all be evaluated concurrently; that privileging a cat's freedom to roam ignores the welfare and rights of the animals harmed by roaming cats; and that allegations of \"bad faith\" or deceptive messaging by containment advocates are unfounded and unhelpful. While acknowledging that containment requires enriched care from cat owners, any uncertainty regarding relative welfare outcomes of containment versus free-roaming for cats does not justify ignoring the clear and severe welfare and conservation harms imposed on other animals by free-roaming cats. In Australia, pet cat containment remains a pragmatic pathway that aligns conservation objectives with overall animal welfare.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e31"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13100930/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Calves disbudded with local nerve block and analgesic show conditioned place aversion two days later but not in the hours post-disbudding. 局部神经阻滞和镇痛解除后的小牛在2天后出现条件性地方厌恶，但在解除后的几个小时内没有。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-20 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10082

Elizabeth Miriam Ledger, Thomas Ede, Michael Mendl, Benjamin Lecorps

{"title":"Calves disbudded with local nerve block and analgesic show conditioned place aversion two days later but not in the hours post-disbudding.","authors":"Elizabeth Miriam Ledger, Thomas Ede, Michael Mendl, Benjamin Lecorps","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10082","url":null,"abstract":"Hot-iron disbudding is a very common, painful procedure performed in dairy farms. One of the gold standard practices recommends combining the use of a local anaesthetic (e.g. procaine) and analgesic (e.g. meloxicam) to control pain. However, it is unknown if calves still experience pain during and after the procedure when using multi-modal pain relief. Here, we explored the affective consequence of disbudding using a conditioned place aversion paradigm where inferences are based on learnt aversion to places associated with negative experiences. We conducted two experiments: (1) calves were disbudded in their home-pen and then conditioned immediately afterwards for 6 h so that conditioning involved post-operative pain only; and (2) calves were disbudded in the conditioning compartment and remained there for the following 6 h so that conditioning included the potential pain and fear from the procedure and any post-operative pain. All calves were conditioned in the other (control) conditioning compartment either 2 days before or after disbudding. In both experiments, calves who were disbudded on the second conditioning (control conditioning happening 2 days before the procedure) showed no aversion to the compartment associated with disbudding, suggesting that pain was minimal in the 6 h post-disbudding. However, in Experiment 2, calves displayed a preference for the disbudding compartment when disbudding occurred first (control conditioning happened 2 days later) suggesting they were in more pain on day 2 than in the hours following the procedure. These results show that calves may experience pain for days after hot-iron disbudding, calling for more work on long-lasting pain following disbudding.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e25"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13101027/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Welfare implications of injuries and deformities in wild fish. 野生鱼类损伤和畸形对福利的影响。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-15 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10083

Simon Eckerström Liedholm

{"title":"Welfare implications of injuries and deformities in wild fish.","authors":"Simon Eckerström Liedholm","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10083","url":null,"abstract":"External injuries and morphological deformities may serve as useful indicators when assessing the welfare of wild animals, as they can be easily observed, be scored in a non-disruptive manner, and likely correlate with reductions in welfare in many contexts. However, the welfare effects of injuries and deformities have so far been mostly examined for animals in captivity. In contrast, the many fish living in the wild have received considerably less attention, especially in relation to naturally occurring causes, such as parasitism, predation attempts, and intra-specific conflict. Here, I attempt to quantify the prevalence of injuries and deformities in wild fish by conducting a targeted review of six relevant journals, and suggest areas where future research would be particularly useful. The results indicate that both anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors can cause injuries and deformities in wild fish, and that many of the focal species (i.e. the species studied in the reviewed papers) are closely related. The average prevalence of injuries and/or deformities was 15% across studies. Despite the existence of potential confounding factors (e.g. a selection bias in terms of focal populations and species), these results highlight the potential importance of injuries and deformities as determinants and indicators of fish welfare in the wild.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e28"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13101026/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Moving hens into cages affects cognitive performance, extinction learning and motivation for rewards. 把母鸡关进笼子会影响母鸡的认知能力、丧失学习能力和获得奖励的动机。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-14 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10084

Javiera Calderón-Amor, Benjamin Lecorps, Rodrigo Ávila, Tamara Tadich

{"title":"Moving hens into cages affects cognitive performance, extinction learning and motivation for rewards.","authors":"Javiera Calderón-Amor, Benjamin Lecorps, Rodrigo Ávila, Tamara Tadich","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10084","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding chicken cognition is essential for improving welfare in production systems, as it reveals how animals perceive and respond to their environment. Barren housing can compromise welfare, including negative affective states and cognitive deficits, but previous research mostly focused on effects of barren environments on young animals. Here, we investigated whether hens moved to battery cages once adults show lower cognitive performance than those kept cage-free. Because stable inter-individual differences (personality traits) can modulate how animals respond to environmental changes, we also explored whether personality modulates this effect. Sixty hens were reared in enriched aviary pens; at 18 weeks, half were transferred to battery cages (456 cm² per hen) and the rest remained cage-free (5,333 cm² per hen) for 64 days before testing. Personality was assessed through four standardised tests, and spatial memory was evaluated with a modified hole-board task. Working memory (WM), general working memory (GWM), and reference memory (RM) were calculated from visit ratios. Behaviours after birds consumed all baited rewards were recorded to assess responses to reward omission (e.g. extinction learning). Battery hens outperformed cage-free hens in all memory metrics and were more active during the post-reward period, showing more empty-cup visits. While the enhanced memory performance of battery hens is likely driven by increased reward motivation and greater engagement with the task, our results also suggest these birds showed a deficit in extinction learning. Personality also influenced performance: more fearful hens had lower WM and GWM and were slower to find baited cups. Housing and personality jointly shaped cognition in laying hens, highlighting that enhanced performance under poor conditions may not indicate better welfare, but rather a shift in motivation for food rewards.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e29"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13107361/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Welfare considerations during a conservation translocation of white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes): Proof of concept. 白爪小龙虾（Austropotamobius pallipes）保护易位期间的福利考虑：概念证明。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-13 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10080

Imogen Crowe, Oliver Heley, Alice Dancer, Ricardo Lemos de Figueiredo, Nicola Cooke, Jen Nightingale, Sarah Richdon

{"title":"Welfare considerations during a conservation translocation of white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes): Proof of concept.","authors":"Imogen Crowe, Oliver Heley, Alice Dancer, Ricardo Lemos de Figueiredo, Nicola Cooke, Jen Nightingale, Sarah Richdon","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10080","url":null,"abstract":"Translocations are a conservation method used to establish or supplement self-sustaining populations. However, research regarding the welfare implications of this strategy is limited, particularly in recipient wild populations. Introductions of captive-born individuals are commonly used to supplement populations of endangered white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), the UK's only native crayfish species. To determine effects of translocation, both introduced and wild crayfish were marked and PIT-tagged, then monitored through behavioural observations and body condition scoring. We undertook analysis on welfare indicators, comparing resident and captive crayfish, as well as resident crayfish pre- and post-introduction. Our results provide some evidence that translocation events alter behaviour of resident crayfish. We also found some evidence that wild and captive-born crayfish differ in behaviour, with potentially negative welfare implications. By contrast, body condition analysis showed no variation pre- and post-introduction, suggesting that captive-born crayfish can effectively adapt to natural environments. Some behavioural differences were also better explained by other predictors rather than origin of animal. Multiple influences on the behaviour of crayfish were identified, including sex and weather conditions. Moreover, we identified factors which could enhance the welfare of this species in captivity and increase translocation efficacy, such as replicating features of natural environments in hatcheries. We also establish a basis for future research which could enhance conservation and understanding of the species.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e27"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13101029/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Opportunities for agency in domestic horses: Applying the behavioural domain to increase equine welfare. 家马代理的机会：运用行为领域来增加马的福利。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-07 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10085

Lindsay Goodale

引用次数: 0

Sold a pup? Impact of purchasing practices, owner and dog demographics, and puppy early-life experiences on later canine health outcomes in the UK. 卖了一只小狗？在英国，购买行为、主人和狗的人口统计数据以及幼犬早期生活经历对后期犬类健康结果的影响。

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-01 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10077

Fiona C Dale, Dan G O'Neill, Claire L Brand, Zoe Belshaw, Bree L Merritt, Camilla L Pegram, Rowena M A Packer

{"title":"Sold a pup? Impact of purchasing practices, owner and dog demographics, and puppy early-life experiences on later canine health outcomes in the UK.","authors":"Fiona C Dale, Dan G O'Neill, Claire L Brand, Zoe Belshaw, Bree L Merritt, Camilla L Pegram, Rowena M A Packer","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10077","url":null,"abstract":"Despite common assertions that puppies acquired from low-welfare sources (e.g. 'puppy farms') and/or sold illegally (e.g. without buyers seeing their puppies' mother pre-purchase) have poorer future health and welfare, remarkably little evidence supports this. We investigated the impact of puppy early-life risk factors, including owner acquisition behaviours, upon adult dog health outcomes. An online longitudinal survey followed a cohort of n = 985 'Pandemic Puppies' purchased in the UK during 2020 aged < 16 weeks of age as they reached 21 months of age. Owners reported their dogs' diagnosed health disorders and their expectations vs realities of veterinary costs since a 'puppyhood' questionnaire (while ≤ 7 months of age) in 2020. Multivariable modelling investigated risk factors for these outcomes, including early-life health, behaviour, and acquisition-related variables. Most owners (n = 931/985; 94.5%) reported ≥ one health problem in their dog since the 2020 questionnaire. Puppies sold < 6 weeks of age, without their owner having seen the puppy's mother prior to purchase, or acquired by first-time owners were more likely to have a higher number of health disorders at 21 months old. One-quarter (n = 220/936; 23.5%) of owners had spent more than they expected on veterinary costs since acquiring their puppy, with owners of puppies sold without a microchip more likely to report this. Results suggest that longer-term health outcomes are linked to how and where a puppy is acquired. As many risk factors identified here are already illegal in England, Wales and Scotland, greater enforcement and awareness of this legislation is urgently needed to protect canine welfare.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13100921/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Thermal imaging: A potential tool for early detection of tail lesions in pigs? 热成像：猪尾部病变早期检测的潜在工具？

IF 2.3

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) Pub Date : 2026-04-01 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2026.10079

Anna Valros, Mari Heinonen, Miia Kariluoto, Frida Samuelsson, Jose Ceron, Elina Välimäki, Camilla Munsterhjelm

{"title":"Thermal imaging: A potential tool for early detection of tail lesions in pigs?","authors":"Anna Valros, Mari Heinonen, Miia Kariluoto, Frida Samuelsson, Jose Ceron, Elina Välimäki, Camilla Munsterhjelm","doi":"10.1017/awf.2026.10079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2026.10079","url":null,"abstract":"Tail biting in pigs is a serious problem both from an animal welfare and an economic perspective. Once the behaviour starts, it is important to identify it and intervene immediately to restrict the spread and risk of secondary problems, such as infections. In this study, we tested whether thermal camera imaging could be used as an aid for early detection of tail biting. We also assessed links between skin temperature, tail health and saliva biomarkers for stress and inflammation. Bitten tails were slightly warmer based on thermal imaging than non-lesioned tails. However, the difference was not sufficiently large or specific to enable its use as a practical tool in the early detection of tail lesions. The methodology, however, warrants further investigation. Shortened, but healed tails had a lower skin temperature than tails of other health categories. In combination with a lower saliva cortisol level in pigs with shortened tails, potentially indicative of chronic stress, this supports previous studies indicating chronic pain in shortened pig tails, and/or chronic stress as a result of being a victim of tail biting. These findings provide a further insight into the link between stress, infections and tail biting, while also illustrating potential for skin temperature changes to be used as an early indicator of health and welfare challenges in pigs.","PeriodicalId":520228,"journal":{"name":"Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)","volume":"35 ","pages":"e23"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13101028/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0