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Exploratory study of fecal cortisol, weight, and behavior as measures of stress and welfare in shelter cats during assimilation into families of children with autism spectrum disorder
| Contributor(s):: Carlisle, G. K., Johnson, R. A., Koch, C. S., Lyons, L. A., Wang, Z., Bibbo, J., Cheak-Zamora, N.
Background: Cats are a common companion animal (CA) in US households, and many live in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The prevalence of ASD is one in 54, and many children have behavior challenges as well as their diagnostic communication disorders. Objective:...
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Campylobacter and Salmonella in scavenging indigenous chickens in rural central Tanzania: prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and genomic features
| Contributor(s):: Rukambile, E., Sintchenko, V., Muscatello, G., Wang, QinNing, Kiiru, J., Maulaga, W., Magidanga, B., Banda, G., Kock, R., Alders, R.
Introduction: Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. are commonly reported bacterial foodborne pathogens causing morbidity and mortality worldwide. In rural areas, where there is a high occurrence rate of human–animal interactions and poor hygiene practices, shedding animals...
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Environmentally enriching American mink (Neovison vison) increases lymphoid organ weight and skeletal symmetry, and reveals differences between two sub-types of stereotypic behaviour
| Contributor(s):: Diez-Leon, M., Bursian, S., Galicia, D., Napolitano, A., Palme, R., Mason, G.
Enrichment studies for wild carnivores (e.g., in zoos) are often short-term, use enrichments of unknown motivational significance, and focus on glucocorticoids and stereotypic behaviour (SB), ignoring other stress-relevant variables. Our study assessed the broad behavioural and physiological...
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The influence of gentle interactions on avoidance distance towards humans, weight gain and physiological parameters in group-housed dairy calves
| Contributor(s):: Lurzel, S., Munsch, C., Windschnurer, I., Futschik, A., Palme, R., Waiblinger, S.
The quality of the relationship between cattle and their caretakers is important for animal welfare and productivity. Nevertheless, the influence of gentle interactions on group-housed dairy calves has not been thoroughly studied so far. We examined the effects of 42 min of gentle interactions...
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Hormonal and behavioural stress responses to capture and radio-collar fitting in free-ranging pampas deer ( Ozotoceros bezoarticus)
| Contributor(s):: Munerato, M. S., Marques, J. A., Caulkettt, N. A., Tomas, W. M., Zanetti, E. S., Trovati, R. G., Pereira, G. T., Palme, R.
This study evaluated the short-term hormonal and behavioural responses to capture and radio-collar fitting in free-ranging pampas deer ( Ozotoceros bezoarticus). Twenty adult deer (eleven females and nine males) were captured in the South Pantanal wetland (Brazil) and equipped with VHF...
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Enteric pathogens of dogs and cats with public health implications
| Contributor(s):: Kantere, M., Athanasiou, L. V., Chatzopoulos, D. C., Spyrou, V., Valiakos, G., Kontos, V., Billinis, C.
Dogs and cats play an important role in modern society, enhancing the psychological and physiological well-being of many people. However, there are well-documented health risks associated with human animal interactions. More specifically, enteric pathogens of zoonotic risk which are transmitted...
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Effects of visual contact with zoo visitors on black-capped capuchin welfare
| Contributor(s):: Sherwen, S. L., Harvey, T. J., Magrath, M. J. L., Butler, K. L., Fanson, K. V., Hemsworth, P. H.
Previous research has suggested that the presence of zoo visitors may be stressful for various primate species, and visual contact with visitors may be the sensory stimuli that mediate visitor effects. We studied a group of black-capped capuchins, Cebus apella, in a controlled experiment,...
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Group composition for fattening entire male pigs under enriched housing conditions - influences on behaviour, injuries and boar taint compounds
| Contributor(s):: Holinger, M., Fruh, B., Hillmann, E.
In organic farming, the production of pork from entire male pigs seems to be the most promising alternative to castration, as organic animal husbandry aims at high standards of animal welfare and elimination of mutilations. However, previous research on behaviour of entire male pigs was mostly...
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Early transfer of mated females into the maternity unit reduces stress and increases maternal care in farm mink
| Contributor(s):: Malmkvist, J., Palme, R.
Mated mammals on farms are typically transferred to another housing environment prior to delivery. We investigated whether the timing of this transfer - EARLY (Day -36), INTERMEDIATE (Day -18), or LATE (Day -3) relative to the expected day of birth (Day 0) - affects maternal stress, maternal care...
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Head partitions at the feed barrier affect behaviour of goats
| Contributor(s):: Nordmann, E., Barth, K., Futschik, A., Palme, R., Waiblinger, S.
Space allowance at the feeding places often forces goats to feed in close proximity, that is, less than their individual distances. In consequence, agonistic behaviour may increase as well as stress and injuries, while access to feed may decrease, especially in low-ranking goats. Partitions...
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Events around weaning in semi-feral and stable-reared Konik polski foals: evaluation of short-term physiological and behavioural responses
| Contributor(s):: Gorecka-Bruzda, A., Suwala, M., Palme, R., Jaworski, Z., Jastrzebska, E., Boron, M., Jezierski, T.
The annual weaning, stabling and subsequent sale of semi-feral Konik polski foals born in forest reserves ensure a stable population of free-roaming Konik polski horses. However, welfare concerns regarding the maternal and herd separation of young horses, manipulation by humans, transportation...
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Gut microbiota of humans, dogs and cats: current knowledge and future opportunities and challenges
| Contributor(s):: Deng, P., Swanson, K. S.
High-throughput DNA sequencing techniques allow for the identification and characterisation of microbes and their genes (microbiome). Using these new techniques, microbial populations in several niches of the human body, including the oral and nasal cavities, skin, urogenital tract and...
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Frustrated appetitive foraging behavior, stereotypic pacing, and fecal glucocorticoid levels in snow leopards ( Uncia uncia ) in the Zurich Zoo
| Contributor(s):: Burgener, N., Gusset, M., Schmid, H.
This study hypothesized that permanently frustrated, appetitive-foraging behavior caused the stereotypic pacing regularly observed in captive carnivores. Using 2 adult female snow leopards (U), solitarily housed in the Zurich Zoo, the study tested this hypothesis experimentally with a novel...
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A case study: fecal corticosteroid and behavior as indicators of welfare during relocation of an Asian elephant
| Contributor(s):: Laws, N., Ganswindt, A., Heistermann, M., Harris, M., Harris, S., Sherwin, C.
This study was a preliminary investigation of an enzyme immunoassay for measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in a male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) by investigating changes in behavior and cortisol metabolite excretion associated with a putative stressful event. The study collected...
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Impact of zoo visitors on the fecal cortisol levels and behavior of an endangered species: Indian blackbuck ( Antelope cervicapra L.)
| Contributor(s):: Thangavel, Rajagopal, Govindaraju, Archunan, Mahadevan, Sekar
This study investigated behavioral activities (resting, moving, aggressive, social, and reproductive behavior) and fecal cortisol levels in 8 individually identified adult male blackbucks during periods of varying levels of zoo visitors (zero, low, high, and extremely high zoo visitor density)....
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Effect of breed, cage type, and reproductive phase on fecal corticosterone levels in doe rabbits
| Contributor(s):: Prola, L., Cornale, P., Renna, M., Macchi, E., Perona, G., Mimosi, A.
Fecal corticosterone concentration (FCC) is increasingly being used as a noninvasive indicator of stress in assessment of nonhuman animal welfare. The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of breed, cage type, reproductive phase, and their interactions on FCC levels in doe rabbits. A total of...
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A survey of attitudes of local citizens of a residential area toward urban stray cats in Japan
| Contributor(s):: Uetake, K., Yamada, S., Yano, M., Tanaka, T.
This study surveyed the attitudes of local residents living in an urban area in Japan toward stray cats. An anonymous questionnaire asked local residents (359 houses) about their attitudes toward stray cats. Responses were received from 126 houses (35%). Answers about nuisance, respondents'...
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Abnormal behaviour in captive sooty mangabeys
| Contributor(s):: Crast, J., Bloomsmith, M. A., Perlman, J. E., Meeker, T. L., Remillard, C. M.
The influence of several factors on abnormal behaviour was investigated in 46 singly housed sooty mangabeys ( Cercocebus atys) (eight nursery-reared, 38 mother-reared), including self-injurious, self-directed, stereotypic locomotion, and faeces/urine-related behaviours (SIB, SDB, SL, FUR,...
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Measuring faecal glucocorticoid metabolites as a non-invasive tool for monitoring adrenocortical activity in South American camelids
| Contributor(s):: Arias, N., Requena, M., Palme, R.
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Effect of housing and husbandry practices on adrenocortical activity in captive Canada lynx ( Lynx canadensis)
| Contributor(s):: Fanson, K. V., Wielebnowski, N. C.
