scholarly journals Changes in Health Indicators of Welfare in Group-Housed Shelter Cats

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Vojtkovská ◽  
Eva Voslářová ◽  
Vladimír Večerek
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Condition ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Respiratory Sounds ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Welfare Indicators ◽  
Abnormal Posture

The aim of this study was to detect changes in health-oriented welfare indicators of shelter cats housed in a shelter by means of long-term monitoring of health indicators of welfare in a population of group-housed cats in a private, no-kill shelter in the Czech Republic. The cat population housed in a large group was monitored for 1 year. The data recording took place at 2-week intervals. A total of 220 cats were evaluated using a protocol containing eight health-oriented welfare indicators: body condition, third eye visibility, eye discharge, eye irritation, nose discharge, the presence of pathologically induced respiratory sounds, coat condition, and lameness and abnormal posture. The assessment was performed based on the observation by two trained evaluators. The cats' condition was rated on a 5-point scale for each indicator, where the optimal condition was represented by the score of 1 and a severe deterioration by the score of 5 for the given indicator, except for the body condition indicator, where the optimal condition was represented by the score of 3. A deterioration in the score in at least one of the indicators during the stay in the shelter was recorded in 52 (41.6%) of 125 cats that were assessed at least twice. The effect of the LOS, sex and age on the scores for each health indicator was examined via a linear mixed model analysis, as this method allows for handling of dependencies in the data of repeated measurements. The effect of predictors on the third eye visibility scores was not found. The age of cats predicted the coat condition and body condition scores. The LOS predicted scores of the abnormal posture and lameness indicator and scores of a composite index composed of indicators related to upper respiratory tract disease. The results suggest that despite the fact that some improvement of health was documented during the cats' stay in the shelter, there were a non-negligible number of animals experiencing a permanent or long-term deterioration in health. Efforts to minimize the undesirable factors contributing to the deterioration of well-being of cats during their stay in a shelter should be made.

Integrating Focusing and Differentiation: A Therapeutic Path for Couples in Intimate Relationships

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evi Zohar
Keyword(s):  
Couples Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Emotional Healing ◽  
Felt Sense ◽  
Inner World

Continuing the workshop I've given in the WPC Paris (2017), this article elaborates my discussion of the way I interlace Focusing with Differentiation Based Couples Therapy (Megged, 2017) under the systemic view, in order to facilitate processes of change and healing in working with intimate couples. This article presents the theory and rationale of integrating Differentiation (Bowen, 1978; Schnarch, 2009; Megged, 2017) and Focusing (Gendlin, 1981) approaches, and its therapeutic potential in couple's therapy. It is written from the point of view of a practicing professional in order to illustrate the experiential nature and dynamics of the suggested therapeutic path. Differentiation is a key to mutuality. It offers a solution to the central struggle of any long term intimate relationship: balancing two basic life forces - the drive for individuality and the drive for togetherness (Schnarch, 2009). Focusing is a body-oriented process of self-awareness and emotional healing, in which one learns to pay attention to the body and the ‘Felt Sense’, in order to unfold the implicit, keep it in motion at the precise pace it needs for carrying the next step forward (Gendlin, 1996). Combining Focusing and Differentiation perspectives can cultivate the kind of relationship where a conflict can be constructively and successfully held in the inner world of each partner, while taking into consideration the others' well-being. This creates the possibility for two people to build a mutual emotional field, open to changes, permeable and resilient.

scholarly journals Unravelling causality from correlations: revealing the impacts of endemic ectoparasites on a protected species (tuatara)

Parasitology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHANIE S. GODFREY ◽  
JENNIFER A. MOORE ◽  
NICOLA J. NELSON ◽  
C. MICHAEL BULL
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protected Species ◽  
Manipulative Experiments ◽  
Sphenodon Punctatus ◽  
Correlative Studies ◽  
Experimental Structure

SUMMARYUnderstanding the impacts of endemic parasites on protected hosts is an essential element of conservation management. However, where manipulative experiments are unethical, causality cannot be inferred from observational correlative studies. Instead, we used an experimental structure to explore temporal associations between body condition of a protected reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) and infestation with ectoparasites (ticks and mites). We surveyed tuatara in a mark-recapture study on Stephens Island (New Zealand), which encompassed the pre-peak, peak and post-peak infestation periods for each ectoparasite. Tick loads during the peak infestation period were negatively related to body condition of tuatara. Body condition before the peak was not related to subsequent infestation rates; however, tick loads in the peak were negatively related to subsequent changes in body condition. Mite loads during the peak infestation period were not correlated with body condition of tuatara. Body condition before the peak had no effect on subsequent mite infestation rates, but mite loads of small males during the peak were negatively related to subsequent changes in body condition. Our results suggest that both ectoparasites reduce the body condition of tuatara, which has implications for the long-term conservation management of this host and its parasites.

Training for Sustained Performance: Moving Toward Long-Term Musician Development

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Clark ◽  
Tânia Lisboa
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Young Student ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Sustained Performance ◽  
Mental Demands ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Effective Use

Success in the performing arts, like sports, is dependent upon the acquisition and consistent use of a diverse range of skills. In sports, an understanding of safe and effective use of the body is required to facilitate long-term involvement in that activity. In order to assist athletes to attain their performance goals, and ensure healthy and sustained involvement, long-term athlete development (LTAD) models have been devised and adapted by professional sporting bodies throughout the world. LTAD models emphasize the intellectual, emotional, and social development of the athlete, encourage long-term participation in physical activities, and enable participants to improve their overall health and well-being and increase their life-long participation in physical activity. At present there is no such long-term development model for musicians. Yet musicians must cope with a multitude of career-related physical and mental demands, and performance-related injuries and career burnout are rife within the profession. Despite this, musicians’ training rarely addresses such issues and musicians are left largely to learn about them through either chance or accrued experience. This paper discusses key concepts and recommendations in LTAD models, together with music-specific research highlighting the need for the development of a comprehensive long-term approach to musicians’ training. The results of a survey of existing music training programs are compared to recommendations and the different development stages in LTAD models. Finally, implementation science is introduced as a methodological option for identifying how best to communicate the body of evidence-based knowledge concerning healthy and effective music-making to young student musicians.

scholarly journals Long-term trends in the body condition of parents and offspring of Tengmalm’s owls under fluctuating food conditions and climate change

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Kouba ◽  
Luděk Bartoš ◽  
Jitka Bartošová ◽  
Kari Hongisto ◽  
Erkki Korpimäki
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Tengmalm's Owl

AbstractPhysical condition is important for the ability to resist various parasites and diseases as well as in escaping predators thus contributing to reproductive success, over-winter survival and possible declines in wildlife populations. However, in-depth research on trends in body condition is rare because decades-long datasets are not available for a majority of species. We analysed the long-term dataset of offspring covering 34 years, male parents (40 years) and female parents (42 years) to find out whether the decline of Tengmalm’s owl population in western Finland is attributable to either decreased adult and/or juvenile body condition in interaction with changing weather conditions and density estimates of main foods. We found that body condition of parent owl males and females declined throughout the 40-year study period whereas the body condition of owlets at the fledging stage very slightly increased. The body condition of parent owls increased with augmenting depth of snow cover in late winter (January to March), and that of offspring improved with increasing precipitation in late spring (May to June). We conclude that the decreasing trend of body condition of parent owl males and females is important factor probably inducing reduced adult survival and reduced reproduction success thus contributing to the long-term decline of the Tengmalm’s owl study population. The very slightly increasing trend of body condition of offspring is obviously not able to compensate the overall decline of Tengmalm’s owl population, because the number of offspring in turn simultaneously decreased considerably in the long-term. The ongoing climate change appeared to work in opposite ways in this case because declining depth of snow cover will make the situation worse but increased precipitation will improve. We suggest that the main reasons for long-term decline of body condition of parent owls are interactive or additive effects of reduced food resources and increased overall predation risk due to habitat degradation (loss and fragmentation of mature and old-growth forests due to clear-felling) subsequently leading to decline of Tengmalm’s owl study population.

The effect of body condition of gilts at first mating on long-term sow production

1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 144-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
C M Challinor ◽  
G Dams ◽  
B Edwards ◽  
W H Close
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Backfat Thickness ◽  
Reproductive Efficiency ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Commercial Trial ◽  
Development Unit ◽  
Long Term Performance ◽  
Term Performance

The body condition of the gilt at first mating may have a significant effect upon its lifetime reproductive performance. (Gueblez et al, 1985). Gaughan et al (1995), have recently demonstrated that gilts with low backfat thickness (9- 13mm) had fewer litters and weaned fewer piglets than gilts with medium (14-16mm) and high (>17mm) levels. The extent to which variations in both body weight and backfat thickness of gilts at first mating influence long-term reproductive efficiency has been further investigated in a commercial trial at the JSR Commercial Development Unit, Catwick. The overall objective of the trial was to assess the long-term performance of modern pig genotypes under commercial conditions.

Captive husbandry and veterinary care of seabirds during the MV Rena oil spill response

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 610 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. Gartrell ◽  
P. F. Battley ◽  
C. Clumpner ◽  
W. Dwyer ◽  
S. Hunter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Seabird Species ◽  
Rehabilitation Protocols ◽  
Common Causes ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract ContextSeabirds were the most common taxa captured alive as part of the oiled wildlife response to the grounding of the container vessel MV Rena in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. AimsTo describe the management of seabirds during the spill response, to outline the common problems encountered and to make recommendations for future responses. MethodsSeabirds were collected from 7 October 2011 to 14 January 2012. They were stabilised and underwent pretreatment, washing and rinsing procedures to remove oil, followed by swimming physiotherapy to restore waterproofing and long-term housing in outdoor aviaries. The birds were released in batches close to the original sites of capture once the wild habitat was cleaned. Key results428 live seabirds were admitted. There were two temporal peaks in admissions associated with the ship grounding and when the ship broke up. The majority of live birds were little penguins (Eudyptula minor; 394/428, 92%). Most seabirds admitted (393/428, 91.8%) were contaminated with heavy fuel oil, with the remainder (35/428, 8.2%) found unoiled but starving and/or exhausted or with injuries. Little penguins had lower mortality during rehabilitation (28/394, 7.1%) than other seabird species combined (27/34, 79.4%). Seabirds in poorer body condition on arrival had higher mortality, and unoiled birds were also more likely to die than oiled birds. In oiled little penguins, the degree of oiling on the plumage ranged from 1 to 100%, but mortality was not significantly associated with the degree of oiling (P=0.887). Pododermatitis affected 66% of little penguins. The most common causes of death (n=45) included weakness, anaemia and hypothermia in oiled seabirds (16/45, 35.6%), and starvation and weakness in unoiled seabirds (14/45, 31.1%). ConclusionsTotal survival to release was 87.1%, primarily influenced by the species involved and the body condition of the birds on arrival. Unoiled seabirds had higher mortality rates than oiled seabirds. ImplicationsOiled wildlife can be rehabilitated with good success, even when heavily oiled, or to a lesser extent, when found in poor body condition. More work is needed to refine species-specific rehabilitation protocols for seabirds, especially for those being admitted in emaciated body condition.

Equine obesity and the role of the veterinary nurse

UK-Vet Equine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 265-268
Author(s):  
Clarissa Seeley ◽  
Stella Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Condition Scoring ◽  
Client Education ◽  
Inherent Problem ◽  
Equine Obesity ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk

Equine obesity is defined as a medical disease in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it has an adverse effect on the general health of the horse. Obesity is a cause for concern, with one-third of the equine population in the UK being regarded as obese, although owner recognition of obesity in horses is an inherent problem, with many underestimating the body condition or weight of their horse. This is further complicated by the fact that with larger framed horses, or horses that are already overweight, assessing body condition is more difficult. There are a number of ways to assess body condition and the most practical means of regular assessment is body condition scoring, although this is regarded as subjective. As with many diseases and disorders, the cause of obesity is multifactorial. However, the most common reason for a horse to become obese is overfeeding, coupled with a lack of exercise. Obesity can be addressed with client education and veterinary nurses can provide advice on weight management programmes. However, these need to be tailored to the individual horse and owners need to recognise that they are entering into a long-term commitment.

scholarly journals Influence of environmental variability on the body condition of the mangrove horseshoe crab Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda from Banyuasin Estuarine, South Sumatra, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Nita P. Sari ◽  
Noviantrio Gulo ◽  
Miftahun Najah ◽  
Fauziyah .
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Horseshoe Crab ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Condition Indices

The body conditions indices were useful to determine an individual's well-being, and favorable food availability indicating a good environmental condition. The conditions of the mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda) might be related to several environmental parameters. The study's aim was to analyze the key environmental parameters affecting the body condition of C. rotundicauda found in Banyuasin Estuary Waters. The sampling was conducted in July 2019 in Banyuasin Estuary Waters.  The data of weight and prosomal width for C. rotundicauda were used to estimate the body conditions indices (relative condition factor). While the environmental parameters data were recorded for each sampling site. The backward stepwise regression was used to determine the key environmental parameters affecting the body condition indices. The best-fitted model (adjusted R2 = 91.9%; F = 60.102; p < 0.05) indicated several environmental parameters (salinity, pH, seafloor temperature, clay and silt contents) significantly affecting the body condition indices. Changes in the key environmental parameters could generate changes in the availability of favorable food for C. rotundicauda. The result also can be used as baseline data for determining the marine conservation areas as well as horseshoe crab management plan.

scholarly journals Relative condition factor: Le Cren's legacy for fisheries science

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Éder André Gubiani ◽  
Renata Ruaro ◽  
Vinícius Ricardo Ribeiro ◽  
Úrsula Morgana Gomes de Santa Fé
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Condition Factor ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Scientometric Analysis ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Relative Condition Factor ◽  
Length Relationship ◽  
Thomson Reuters

Abstract: Aim In this paper we present a scientometric analysis aimed at to assess and quantify the contribution of Le Cren’s condition factor and the main ideas advanced by ‘Le Cren, 1951’ to studies on the health of individuals or populations in aquatic environments. Specifically, we addressed the following questions: (i) what are the temporal and spatial citation trends of ‘Le Cren, 1951’?; (ii) Which journals cited ‘Le Cren, 1951’ most frequently?; (iii) In which types of aquatic environments and organisms have Le Cren’s condition factor been most commonly applied?; (iv) Which of the main applications addressed in ‘Le Cren, 1951’ have been most frequently used by fisheries scientists?; (v) Which of the methods (i.e., Quételet’s index or body mass index, Fulton’s condition factor, Le Cren’s condition factor, relative weight, residual index and scaled mass index) used to estimate condition factor identified in the papers that cited ‘Le Cren, 1951’ have been most frequently used? In addition, the main criticisms of the use of the relative condition factor are discussed. Methods We carried out a scientometric analysis on the papers published from 1951 to December 2015 that cited Le Cren’s article. The papers were obtained from the Thomson Reuters database (ISI Web of Knowledge, apps.isiknowledge.com) in May 2016. Results In total, 1128 papers were assessed. The number of citations increased significantly over time. Most citations occurred in two journals (Journal of Fish Biology and Journal of Applied Ichthyology). Most of papers were carried out in marine environments. In addition, we show that Le Cren's paper has been cited mainly in articles that estimate the condition factor or the weight-length relationship of populations. Finally, we emphasize that the relative condition factor proposed by Le Cren in 1951 is still the main method used to estimate the body condition of an individual or population. Conclusions Le Cren's significant contribution to animal well-being is undeniable, and we emphasize that among the methods identified in the papers that cited ‘Le Cren, 1951’ that estimated body condition, the relative condition factor proposed by Le Cren in 1951 is still the most commonly used method.

scholarly journals Preparation and administration of medicaments body weight of animals and drug dosage

2018 ◽  
pp. 024-030
Author(s):  
Tagesu Abdisa
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Drug Dosage ◽  
Visual Observation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Automatic Balance

The body condition of a livestock is generally assessed by visual observation. The references to an animal being too thin, in good fl esh, or obese all relate to the animal’s weight. Therefore, the weight of an animal can be used as a measurement tool to determine its well-being, or the presence of problems which may threaten the health of the horse. The weight of small animalsand poultry may be carried out by balance by automatic balance machine several methods can be used to determine the body weight of livestock in an approximate scale.

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