A welfare issue for horses fitted with tight nosebands has been highlighted by new research from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science. ‘The Effect of Noseband Tightening on Horses’ Behaviour, Eye Temperature, and Cardiac Responses’ was published in PLOS ONE journal in early May, and finds that horses […]
Abstracts: Pathogenesis of osteochondrosis dissecans: How does this translate to management of the clinical case?
Osteochondrosis (OC) is the most prevalent developmental orthopaedic disease in the horse. It is a complex disorder because of the interplay of factors that influence the formation of lesions and the ensuing natural healing process, the end result of which determines clinical outcome. The early pathogenetic mechanism of OC has […]
Vet Ethics: Man’s dominion and the worth of animals
In his book Animal Welfare: A Cool Eye Towards Eden, the well-known welfare scientist John Webster criticises the contribution of moral philosophy to the question of the treatment of animals and their welfare. Webster writes: “The moral philosophy approach to animal welfare – i.e. based upon our thoughts and values, […]
A tale of two terriers comes to an end
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has welcomed the conclusion of court proceedings against actress Amber Heard. Heard was charged with violating biosecurity laws after bringing two Yorkshire terriers into the country by private jet last year while her husband Johnny Depp was shooting a film. She was given one month […]
Abstracts: Assessing positive emotional states in dogs using heart rate and heart rate variability
Since most animal species have been recognised as sentient beings, emotional state may be a good indicator of welfare in animals. The goal of this study was to manipulate the environment of nine beagle research dogs to highlight physiological responses indicative of different emotional experiences. Stimuli were selected to be […]