Not long ago I was invited by the AVA Western Branch to be involved in a presentation on the topic of whether we are “going overboard with our pets”. In the ensuing discussion, one of the examples raised was whether using intravenous fluids for routine de-sexing was over-servicing. There are […]
Wildlife caught in bushfires’ blast
The recent bushfires in the eastern states have caused extensive stock deaths and taken a toll on endangered species. At the time of writing, the fires have burned more than 200,000ha of bush and agricultural land, devastating national parks and farms. Stock losses are believed to be around 21,000 throughout […]
Brain gene expression differences are associated with abnormal tail biting behavior in pigs
Knowledge about gene expression in animals involved in abnormal behaviors can contribute to understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms. The present study aimed to explore the motivational background to tail biting, an abnormal injurious behavior and severe welfare problem in pig production. Affymetrix microarrays were used to investigate gene expression differences […]