The legal, ethical and welfare implications of feeding vegan diets to dogs and cats

Veganism is on the rise both in humans and in companion animals, with many owners citing animal welfare as their primary reason for adopting a vegan lifestyle. Feeding vegan diet to dogs and cats significantly impacts their welfare as it puts them at undue risk of developing diet-induced disorders, leaving owners liable to prosecution if they are unwilling to adhere to expert recommendations. As commercial vegan diets are a relatively new phenomena, more research needs to be conducted to understand the full effects. In the meantime, veterinary professionals should continue to educate owners on suitable diets based on the individual's requirements.

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Animal Welfare Attitudes: Effects of Gender and Diet in University Samples from 22 Countries

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11071893 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1893

Author(s):

Christoph Randler ◽

Ana Adan ◽

Maria-Mihaela Antofie ◽

Arturo Arrona-Palacios ◽

Manecas Candido ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Vegetarian Diet ◽

Vegan Diet ◽

Short Version ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Gender Empowerment ◽

Welfare Attitudes ◽

And Gender

Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) are defined as human attitudes towards the welfare of animals in different dimensions and settings. Demographic factors, such as age and gender are associated with AWA. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences among university students in a large convenience sample from twenty-two nations in AWA. A total of 7914 people participated in the study (5155 women, 2711 men, 48 diverse). Participants completed a questionnaire that collected demographic data, typical diet and responses to the Composite Respect for Animals Scale Short version (CRAS-S). In addition, we used a measure of gender empowerment from the Human Development Report. The largest variance in AWA was explained by diet, followed by country and gender. In terms of diet, 6385 participants reported to be omnivores, 296 as pescatarian, 637 ate a vegetarian diet and 434 were vegans (n = 162 without answer). Diet was related with CRAS-S scores; people with a vegan diet scored higher in AWA than omnivores. Women scored significantly higher on AWA than men. Furthermore, gender differences in AWA increased as gender inequality decreased.

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The Perceived Impact of The First UK Covid-19 Lockdown on Companion Animal Welfare and Behaviour: A Mixed-Method Study of Associations with Owner Mental Health

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18116171 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 6171

Author(s):

Emily Shoesmith ◽

Luciana Santos de Assis ◽

Lion Shahab ◽

Elena Ratschen ◽

Paul Toner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Principal Component ◽

Companion Animal ◽

Free Text ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Human Animal

Background: Companion animals may be a positive presence for their owners during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the welfare of a companion animal is strongly influenced by the behaviour of their owners, as well as their physical and social environment. We aimed to investigate the reported changes in companion animal welfare and behaviour and to examine the association between these changes and companion animal owners’ mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of UK residents over 18 years of age was conducted between April and June 2020 (n = 5926). The questionnaire included validated, bespoke items measuring outcomes related to mental health, human-animal bonds and reported changes in animal welfare and behaviour. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe experiences associated with human-animal relationships during the first UK lockdown phase. Results: Animal owners made up 89.8% of the sample (n = 5323), of whom 67.3% reported changes in their animal’s welfare and behaviour during the first lockdown phase (n = 3583). These reported changes were reduced to a positive (0–7) and negative (0–5) welfare scale, following principal component analysis (PCA) of 17 items. Participants reported more positive changes for cats, whereas more negative changes were reported for dogs. Thematic analysis identified three main themes relating to the positive and negative impact on companion animals of the Covid-19 pandemic. Generalised linear models indicated that companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores pre-lockdown reported fewer negative changes in animal welfare and behaviour. However, companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores since lockdown reported more changes, both positive and negative, in animal welfare and behaviour. Conclusion: Our findings extend previous insights into perceived welfare and behaviour changes on a very limited range of species to a wider a range of companion animals. Owner mental health status has a clear, albeit small, effect on companion animal welfare and behaviour.

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Pheromones and 25 years of pheromonotherapy: what are they and how do they work?

The Veterinary Nurse ◽

10.12968/vetn.2021.12.3.116 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 116-122

Author(s):

Claire Hargrave

Keyword(s):

Veterinary Medicine ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Individual Member ◽

Insect Pheromones ◽

Synthetic Analogues ◽

Insect Infestations ◽

Veterinary Surgeon

The capacity of animals to communicate via pheromones is long established and, for generations, pheromones have been unwittingly used by man to manage the behaviour of animals in agriculture — using the chemicals produced by an individual member of a species to alter the behaviour of another member of that species. More recently, insect pheromones have been used in managing insect infestations of crops. However, approximately 25 years ago the French veterinary surgeon, Patrick Pageat, began to investigate the production of pheromones in both farm and companion animals and how synthetic analogues of pheromones could be used to improve animal welfare, creating a new field in veterinary medicine — pheromonotherapy. This article aims to summarise the main developments in pheromonotherapy over the last 25 years.

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An Overview of the Segments of the Beef Cattle Industry and Animal Welfare Implications of Beef Industry Practices

The Welfare of Cattle ◽

10.1201/b21911-17 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 173-179

Author(s):

Jason K. Ahola ◽

John J. Wagner ◽

Terry E. Engle

Keyword(s):

Beef Cattle ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Beef Industry ◽

Cattle Industry ◽

Welfare Implications

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Wildlife as Property

Wildlife Criminology ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781529204346.003.0002 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 19-36

Author(s):

Angus Nurse ◽

Tanya Wyatt

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Rights ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Wildlife Trade ◽

Entertainment Industry ◽

Short Discussion ◽

Criminological Perspective ◽

Psychological Harm ◽

Human Animal ◽

Animal Welfare Legislation

This chapter examines the notion of wildlife as property or ‘things’ and critically analyses the extent to which anthropocentric notions of wildlife as a resource for human exploitation determines harm caused to non-human animals. This chapter examines how anthropocentric notions of morality and human-centred values underpin the exploitation of non-human animals and the sense in which they are owned. Employing a green criminological perspective, the chapter examines the use and abuse of wildlife within the animal ‘entertainment’ industry. The chapter examines the use of wildlife within aquariums, zoos, and circuses and examines both the legality of this use and the non-human animal harm contained within such uses. Evidence exists, for example, of psychological harm caused to wildlife in zoos that would likely be unlawful if experienced by companion animals. Yet, zoos and safari parks are ostensibly legal operations, thus animal welfare legislation is often the only mechanism through which action can be taken in respect of what would otherwise be deemed unlawful captivity (see also Chapter 7 on animal rights). We end the chapter by touching on how wildlife come to be property – that is a short discussion of wildlife trade, including the online market.

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Familiarity and Interest in Working with Livestock Decreases the Odds of Having Positive Attitudes towards Non-Human Animals and Their Welfare among Veterinary Students in Italy

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani8090150 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (9) ◽

pp. 150 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Chiara Mariti ◽

Federica Pirrone ◽

Mariangela Albertini ◽

Angelo Gazzano ◽

Silvana Diverio

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Rights ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Attitude Scale ◽

Veterinary Students ◽

Normal Behaviour ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Species Type ◽

Potential Impact

We investigated the attitudes of veterinary students towards animals and their welfare in Italy. Regression analyses revealed predictors that are significant in differentiating students’ scoring tendency based on their gender, familiarity, and intention to work with a specific animal species, type of diet, and membership in an animal rights association. Female students, who were mostly familiar with pets and aspired to work with species other than livestock, following an animal-free diet and being a member of an animal rights association, had a significantly greater odds of having a high Animal Attitude Scale score (AAS), i.e., very positive attitude towards animals, versus a less positive attitude. Conversely, the familiarity with livestock and preference for working with livestock significantly increased the odds of a low AAS. Overall, students considered all of the Brambell Report’s Five Freedoms important for animal welfare protection. However, students scored higher for companion animals than for livestock, particularly regarding the freedom to express normal behaviour and the absence of fear and distress. This study suggests that veterinary students place less importance on the psychological aspects of welfare for livestock, and there is a tendency for students who are mostly familiar, or aspire to work, with livestock to have a less positive attitude towards non-human animals and their welfare. These findings should be considered within the veterinary educational curriculum due to their potential impact on animal welfare.

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Effects of Separation of Cows and Calves on Reproductive Performance and Animal Welfare in Tropical Beef Cattle

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9050223 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 223 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Agustín Orihuela ◽

Carlos S. Galina

Keyword(s):

Beef Cattle ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Ovarian Activity ◽

Early Weaning ◽

Established Method ◽

Common Procedure ◽

Traditional System ◽

Welfare Implications ◽

The Tropics

Nursing a calf suppresses postpartum ovarian activity prolonging the period of anestrus. Diverse methods are used to reduce the effect of suckling; the most popular, restricted suckling, reduces the number of encounters mother-calf. Temporal weaning of the calf for periods of 24 h, 48 h, or even 72 h also suppress the effect of suckling and is commonly applied to cow-calf operations in the tropics. Early weaning of the calf, usually three to five months after birth, is a practice gaining popularity over the traditional system of weaning at seven months. Furthermore, the use of nose-flaps in the calf to avoid suckling is a common procedure in South America. Finally, weaning during the first week after calving is an established method to reduce postpartum anestrus. The objective of the present review is to discuss the effects of these methods on the reproductive performance of beef cattle and their animal welfare implications.

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Redefining human-animal relationships: an evaluation of methods to allow their empirical measurement in zoos

Animal Welfare ◽

10.7120/109627286.28.3.247 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 247-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

F Patel ◽

K Whitehouse-Tedd ◽

SJ Ward

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Content Quality ◽

Search Terms ◽

Voluntary Approach ◽

Literature Searches ◽

Animal Welfare Science ◽

Welfare Implications ◽

Human Animal ◽

Potential Methods ◽

Definition Of

Scientific studies of human-animal interactions (HAIs) and how these develop into human-animal relationships (HARs) now represent some of the most significant contributions to animal welfare science. However, due to the current definition of HAR, studies have only been able to measure HAIs and infer its impact on HARs and animal welfare. Here, we redefine HARs as a series of repeated HAIs between two individuals known to each other, the nature of which is influenced by their historical HAIs and where consideration to the content, quality and the pattern of the interactions is also vital. With a new definition, it is now feasible to empirically measure HARs, however, first, it is important to evaluate current methods utilised in animal industries to allow standardisation across HAR research in zoos. Here, we review the current methods that have been used to assess HAIs in animals and determine their overall suitability for measuring HARs and their use in a zoo environment. Literature searches were conducted using the search terms 'human-animal' AND 'interaction', 'human-animal' AND 'relationship', 'human-animal' AND 'bond'. Subsequently, 'zoo', 'companion', 'agriculture', 'laboratory' and 'wild' were added to each combination yielding five potential methods to evaluate. These methods were assessed according to a panel of indicators including reliability, robustness, practical application and feasibility for use in a zoo environment. Results indicated that the methods utilising 'latency', 'qualitative behaviour assessment' and the 'voluntary approach test' were potentially viable to assess HARs in a zoo environment and could subsequently contribute to the assessment of welfare implications of these HARs for the animals involved. These methods now require empirical testing and comparisons within a zoo environment.

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Opinions towards Companion Animals and Their Welfare: A Survey of Croatian Veterinary Students

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10020199 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 199 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tomislav Mikuš ◽

Mario Ostović ◽

Ivana Sabolek ◽

Kristina Matković ◽

Željko Pavičić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Veterinary Medicine ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Companion Animals ◽

First Year ◽

The European Union ◽

Veterinary Students ◽

First Year Students ◽

Study Programme ◽

Study Results ◽

Before And After

This survey was the first one investigating opinions of veterinary students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, with special reference to dogs and cats as the most popular companion animals in the European Union. The study included students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate veterinary medicine study programme in Croatia. First-year students were surveyed twice, before and after having attended the course on animal welfare. Student opinions were assessed on the basis of their mean responses to five-point Likert scale questions and frequency of responses to Yes/No/I do not know questions and ratio scale questions. Study results revealed students to have strongly positive opinions towards companion animals and their welfare. The majority of student statements did not differ significantly between the first and sixth study years or before and after having attended the animal welfare course in the first study year, mostly yielding a straight, non-fluctuating line. Students were not sure whether welfare of companion dogs and cats was compromised. Study results pointed to reliable and reasonable opinions of veterinary medicine students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, as well as to the welfare issues these species may be facing nowadays.

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