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Contents
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About this book
Explains basic biological principles for students of animal housing, husbandry, management, and experimentation. "Essential for anyone....wanting to discover what the scientific study of animal welfare is all about" - Marion Stamp Dawkins, New Scientist.
Contents
Part 1 Approaching questions of stress and welfare: the scope of stress and welfare; animal welfre and social change; the current debate about animal welfare; the importance of beginning from basics; the challenge ahead. Part 2 Systems regulating body and brain: the basic concept of homeostatic control; inputs to control systems - simple inputs, complex inputs, adaptation, habituation and sensitisation; motivational state; outputs from decision centres - hormonal and neuro-hormonal outputs, integration of experiences over time; the nature of control systems - simple models of control, motivational state as the determinant of action, the concept of behavioural needs, responses to multiple needs and the "trade-off" concept; time factors affecting control systems - rates of neural and hormonal response, feedback and feedforward controls, predictability of stimulation; pain, fear and anxiety; development of regulatory systems - early preferences and abilities, neonatal experiences, learning and memory, lifetime and evolutionary changes. Part 3 Limits to adaptation: time limitations - changes in frequency, changes in duration, the impact of novelty, the value of forewarning; intensity limitations - changes in intensity, hazard avoidance and lethal limits; the significance of different modes of stimulation; integrating time, intensity and mode of stimulation; the concepts of tolerance and coping; variations in patterns of adaptation - differing rates of adaptation, hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity and stress-induced analgesia; other factors affecting adaptation - lack of stimulation, unpredictable stimulation, frustration of behavioural output. Part 4 Stress and strain, welfare and suffering: stress - definitions, selyte's concept of stress, other concepts of stress, a general model of stress and strain; welfare; welfare in relation to suffering and other subjective feelings; linguistic (semantic?) problems with welfare and wellbeing. Part 5 Assessing welfare - short term responses to difficult conditions: behavioural measures; physiological measures - heart-rate, the adrenal axis, other hormones, neurotransmitters, enzymes and metabolic products, muscle and other carcass characteristics; using indicators to evaluate welfare; short-term welfare problems and the concepts of stress. Part 6 Assessing stress and welfare in the long-term. Part 7 Title to be checked. Part 8 Ethical problems in determining welfare. Part 9 Solutions and conclusions.
Customer Reviews
Out of Print
By: DM Broom and KG Johnston
224 pages, Illus
'This is a highly topical and useful volume ... distinctly relevant to training of individuals who work with animals. I recommend it.' Ideal 'Broom and Johnson have produced an interesting and stimulating book. It clearly and concisely covers the basic background knowledge of stress and animal welfare ... This is a book which should be read by all who have an interest in animal welfare.' The Veterinary Record 'A suitable purchase for veterinary students ... the later chapters provide an interesting and scholarly account of recent physiological and behavioural research relevant to animal welfare, that in itself is very rewarding.' Alternatives to Laboratory Animals 'An extremely useful book, one that is likely to benefit a wide range of people interested in the scientific approach to animal welfare ... it will become essential for anyone, student or otherwise, wanting to discover what the scientific study of animal welfare is all about.' New Scientist 'Those seeking the latest views on stress in relation to the welfare of domestic animals will welcome this excellent account.' Pig News and Information