Assessing Animal Welfare: A Guide to the Valid Use of Indicators of Affective States

Assessing Animal Welfare

Assessing Animal Welfare: A Guide to the Valid Use of Indicators of Affective States by Georgia J. Mason, Birte L. Nielsen, and Michael T. Mendl provides a practical guide to evaluating animal welfare through scientifically validated indicators of emotions and moods. The book explores different assessment methods, their reliability, limitations, and practical applications, helping readers better understand animals' emotional states and overall well-being.

Key Features:

• Animal Welfare Assessment: Explains scientific methods for evaluating animal emotions, moods, and overall welfare.
• Validated Indicators: Examines 11 indicators used to assess short-term emotions and long-term welfare.
• Emotional State Analysis: Covers vocal signals, heart rate, body temperature, and stress-related responses.
• Mood Assessment: Explores judgement biases, play behaviour, hormones, and reward responsiveness.
• Long-Term Welfare: Discusses abnormal repetitive behaviours, cellular aging, and brain changes.
• Scientific Methods: Explains approaches for validating the accuracy and reliability of welfare indicators.
• Practical Guidance: Highlights common assessment limitations and provides advice for interpreting results correctly.
• Ideal for Professionals: Suitable for veterinarians, animal welfare researchers, and students of animal science.