scholarly journals Animal welfare issues on the use of rabbits in an animal assisted therapy program for children

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 220 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. LOUKAKI (Κ. ΛΟΥΚΑΚΗ) ◽  
P. KOUKOUTSAKIS (Π. ΚΟΥΚΟΥΤΣΑΚΗΣ) ◽  
N. KOSTOMITSOPOULOS (Ν. ΚΩΣΤΟΜΗΤΣΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ)
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Complementary Therapy ◽  
Animal Assisted Therapy ◽  
Normal Behaviour ◽  
Good Communication ◽  
Therapy Program ◽  
Physical Problems ◽  
Positive Feelings

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a method of complementary treatment in the rehabilitation of many human illnesses and conditions. Although the dog is the most widely used therapy animal that is used in AAT program, the rabbit can also be used as an alternate animal species and complementary therapy for many diseases. It is an intelligent, human friendly and playful small animal, easily socialized and transported. Also, the rabbit has very good communication through its body language. A special bond, also, exists between children and rabbits, and in the animal world of children, the rabbit is a very popular animal mainly through children's literature. As a result, rabbits elicit positive feelings in children and enhance their imagination. Based on previousexperience from an AAT program with rabbits in a children's hospital, the rabbit can be easily accepted by children with emotional or physical problems. In order for an AAT program with a rabbit to be a success, it is very important to guarantee good health and normal behaviour of the rabbit, as well as its proper welfare. The contribution and participation of a veterinarian during the design and the implementation of the program are, also, very important for assuring the success of an AAT program with rabbits.

Recommendations for Intensive Care Management in Small Animals Following Anaesthesia

1992 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. 66-70
Author(s):  
Karol Mathews ◽  
Doris Dyson
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Care Management ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Small Animals ◽  
Monitoring Equipment ◽  
Intensive Care Management ◽  
Good Communication

Intensive care management can be provided in a small animal facility by centralisation of emergency and monitoring equipment. Good communication between all personnel involved in the case ensures that staff are prepared for complications that could arise related to recovery from anaesthesia.

Myocardial depression produced by sustained tachycardia in rabbits

1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (1) ◽  
pp. H63-H67 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Freeman ◽  
J. T. Colston
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Calcium Handling ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Failure Model ◽  
Myocardial Depression ◽  
Active Length ◽  
New Zealand White Rabbits ◽  
Heart Failure Model ◽  
Recent Attention

Much recent attention has been focused on the tachycardia-induced heart failure model. We hypothesized that sustained tachycardia would lead to myocardial depression in rabbits, as it does in dogs and swine. We evaluated the passive and active length-tension relations and postrest contraction behavior in right ventricular papillary muscles from 22 New Zealand White rabbits, 11 controls, and 11 subjected to ventricular pacing at a rate of 400 beats/min for 29.4 +/- 10.6 days. Studies were performed in oxygenated buffer at 22 degrees C. Active tension was significantly reduced at muscle lengths of 0.95.Lmax and above; at Lmax it was 4.7 +/- 0.2 g/mm2 for the control group and 3.3 +/- 0.2 g/mm2 for the paced group (P less than 0.005). Both groups showed increased force development when the concentration of calcium in the buffer was increased. There were no differences between the groups in the passive length-tension relations. Of note, postrest contraction data showed that the second postrest beat was smaller for the paced animals for rest intervals up to 2 min, suggesting that beat-to-beat trans-sarcolemmal calcium handling may differ from normal in this model. We conclude that sustained tachycardia will lead to myocardial depression in rabbits; the extension of this model to a small animal species may offer new ways to explore its causative mechanisms.

Small animal veterinary psychiatry

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorders ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Repetitive Behaviours ◽  
Normal Behaviour ◽  
Behaviour Modification ◽  
Veterinary Practice ◽  
Problem Behaviours ◽  
Physical Disorders ◽  
Learning Principles

Abstract This book contains 16 chapters that discuss mental and emotional health in the veterinary practice, ruling out physical disorders leading to behavioural changes, addressing pain in veterinary psychiatry, normal behaviour, raising mentally and emotionally healthy pets, diagnosis, learning principles and behaviour modification, psychopharmacology, problem behaviours and management, aggression, affective disorders, elimination problems, abnormal and repetitive behaviours and aging-related problems in cats and dogs.

Small animal species in the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in tropical Bolivia

2004 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 117-132
Author(s):  
R.T. Paterson ◽  
F. Rojas
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
The West ◽  
North West ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The City

In the Bolivian Department of Santa Cruz, the Provinces of Sara and Ichilo lie some 100 km North-West of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, where they occupy an area of about 21,000 km2. Most of the region is a flat, alluvial plain, 350-450 m above sea level, with young soils prone to localized, seasonal waterlogging, although the land becomes undulating and rises to 800 m as it approaches the foothills of the Andes to the west. The soils are moderately fertile with pH values often in the range of 4.5 to 5.5.

scholarly journals Impact of animal-assisted intervention on rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury

2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (39) ◽  
pp. 1549-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Zsoldos ◽  
Ágnes Sátori ◽  
Ágnes Zana
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Psychological Adaptation ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Complementary Therapy ◽  
Therapy Program ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Animal Assisted Intervention

Introduction: The animal-assisted programs represent an interdisciplinary approach. They can be integrated into preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitative processes as complementary methods. Aim: The aim of the study was to promote the psychological adaptation and social reintegration of patients who suffered spinal cord injury, as well as reducing depression and feelings of isolation caused by the long hospitalization. The hypothesis of the authors was that the animal-assisted intervention method can be effectively inserted into the rehabilitation process of individuals with spinal cord injury as complementary therapy. Methods: 15 adults with spinal cord injury participated in the five-week program, twice a week. Participants first filled out a questionnaire on socio-demographics, and after completion of the program they participated in a short, directed interview with open questions. During the field-work, after observing the participants, qualitative data analysis was performed. Results: The results suggest that the therapeutic animal induced a positive effect on the emotional state of the patients. Participants acquired new skills and knowledge, socialization and group cohesion had been improved. Conclusions: The authors conclude that the animal-assisted activity complemented by therapeutic elements can be beneficial in patients undergoing spinal cord injury rehabilitation and that knowledge obtained from the study can be helpful in the development of a future animal-assisted therapy program for spinal cord injury patients. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(39), 1549–1557.

Practolol metabolism in various small animal species

Xenobiotica ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 453-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Reeves ◽  
D. J. Mccormick ◽  
H. T. Jepson
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Small Animal

Ethical Aspects in Animal Assisted Therapy in Psychiatry

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 95-95
Author(s):  
Oana Maria Isailă ◽  
◽  
Sorin Hostiuc ◽  
George Cristian Curcă ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Complementary Therapy ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Animal Assisted Therapy ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Animal Interaction

"Animal-assisted therapy is a complementary therapy in which an animal that meets certain well-defined criteria is an integral part of the therapeutic process. It has proven its positive contribution in treating disorders such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, phobias, suicidal ideation. Human-animal interaction lowers stress, anxiety and increases quality of life. The therapy animal, in order to have the expected motivating role, must have a balanced personality and want to interact with people. In this sense, it goes through training programs based on obedience and desensitization to certain stimuli. This peculiar context raises ethical issues for the patient and the animal co-therapist, which requires setting boundaries. Although the legal framework sets out the elements on animal welfare, ethical issues that arise for animals are: the animal species that may be involved, limiting their freedom, endangering their welfare, the risk of exploitation (which can lead to their fatigue and burn-out), the type of interaction -which must be voluntary, bidirectional. Regarding the patient, in addition to the aspects related to beneficence and nonmaleficence, there are issues in obtaining an adequate informed consent (targeting possible allergies, some religious / cultural beliefs incompatible with this type of therapy). Thus, animal-assisted therapy must take into account the benefits of both parties involved, without instrumentalizing the animals. "

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