Article

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

Authors:
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract

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 previous experience 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.

No full-text available

Request Full-text Paper PDF

To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.

... The use of animals in animal assisted interventions (AAI) is becoming more popular (Hediger et al., 2021). Unfortunately, most of the studies in this field have an anthropocentric focus, thereby neglecting the assessment of the physical and mental health of the animals involved (Loukaki et al., 2010). Despite animal welfare having recently come to the fore, most of the studies pointing to the stress they experience when used for AAI are about dogs (Glenk, 2017;d'Angelo et al., 2021) and horses (Malinowski et al., 2018;Cravana et al., 2021). ...
... Despite animal welfare having recently come to the fore, most of the studies pointing to the stress they experience when used for AAI are about dogs (Glenk, 2017;d'Angelo et al., 2021) and horses (Malinowski et al., 2018;Cravana et al., 2021). Although rabbits are becoming more popular for AAI, especially in kindergartens and schools (Loukaki et al., 2010;Loukaki and Koukoutsakis, 2014), there is only one study so far assessing rabbits stress during an AAI session (Suba-Bokodi et al., 2022). ...
... As mentioned previously, rabbits are mostly used as therapy animals for children (Loukaki et al., 2010;Loukaki and Koukoutsakis, 2014;Molnár et al., 2019). It is for this reason that we decided to investigate the behaviour of rabbits during AAI sessions involving children. ...
Article
The use of rabbits for therapy is becoming more popular. However, only a few studies have been conducted into their welfare during these sessions. The question arises: How do these prey animals experience such close contact with humans, often with children, when their instinctive reaction is to flee and hide? Recent studies have shown that small movements of the eyes, ears, nostrils, or jaw are indicative of the emotional state of animals. The aim of the presented pilot study was therefore to assess the emotional state of rabbits based on behavioural changes during animal assisted interventions (AAI) in three different situations. The randomized controlled in-house experiment, with repeated measurements, involved 9 female domesticated rabbits of 9–10 months of age, which were used to being handled by humans, and 4 boys aged 9–11 years. The rabbits were observed in the following situations: a) on a specially adapted table without any human intervention and with the possibility for the rabbit to retreat, b) on a specially adapted table with participant present and with the possibility to retreat, c) on a pillow on the child’s lap during an AAI. Several behaviour indicators were observed, namely the position of the rabbit’s ears, the openness of the eyes, the freeze reaction, and the frequency of self-grooming. The behaviour of the rabbits was video-recorded and then analysed using Observer XT software. For the statistical analysis, SAS software (version 9.4; procedures MIXED and GLIMMIX) was used. When placed on a child’s lap, the rabbits displayed significantly more discomfort compared to both table situations, as evidenced by the length of time their ears were pressed back and their eyes were closed, and by the higher frequency of the freeze reaction. The significant positive effect of the specially adapted table was behaviourally evident in terms of lower frequency of the freeze reaction compared to the lap situation. The length of time the rabbits’ ears were pressed back was significantly shorter in the situation with the table and a child present compared to when they were directly placed on a child’s lap. Shorter duration of eyes closed was apparent in the situation with the table and a child present compared to situation on a child’s lap, but the difference was not significant. This study reveals that rabbits experience negative emotional response during AAI sessions. Further studies are therefore needed to better understand a rabbit’s emotional state when used for AAI.
... They are also easier to train for therapy (Bert et al., 2016). Other species, such as small pets, are increasingly introduced in AAI on the other hand because of their small size and toy-like appearance that can allow for the development of other forms of relationships (Loukaki et al., 2010). ...
... On one hand, it is probably due to the fact that, in France, the practice of AAI with horses represents an independent and regulated field (Michalon, 2014). On the other hand, it can be due to the fact that small pets are increasingly introduced in AAI because of their small size and toy appearance (Loukaki et al.,2010). However, the variety of animal species involved in AAI points to the necessity to take into account the needs of each species in future guidelines. ...
... nterventions in healthcare facilities. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 233(3), 394-402. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.233.3.394Licorne & Phénix.(2018). Définitions concernant les Interventions Assistées par l'Animal et les recommandations pour assurer le bien-être des animaux associés à ces activités. Traduction white paper.Loukaki, K., Koukoutsakis, P., & Kostomitsopoulos, N. (2010). Animal welfare issues on the use of rabbits in an animal assisted therapy program for children. Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary MedicalSociety, 61(3), 220-225. Lucidi, P., Bernabò, N., Panunzi, M., Villa, P. D., & Mattioli, M. (2005). Ethotest: A new model to identify (shelter) dogs' skills as service animals or adoptable pets. Appl ...
Thesis
La majorité des recherches sur la médiation animale se sont concentrées sur la validation des bénéfices de cette pratique pour la santé humaine en excluant le potentiel impact négatif de ce travail pour les chiens impliqués. Au sein de plusieurs recherches abordant les caractéristiques de la médiation animale, les représentations des intervenants sur leur pratique et le bien-être de leur chien ainsi qu’une étude de terrain, nous avons étudié les facteurs de risque pour le bien-être des chiens en médiation animale. Le premier chapitre montre que la médiation animale est une pratique hétérogène en tant qu’approche interspécifique complémentaire à d’autres prises en charge, mais qu’il est possible d’en faire une première catégorisation entre une spécialisation de professionnels du soin et une profession à part entière. Le deuxième chapitre suggère une place centrale de l’intervenant dans la sélection et le bien-être de son chien. En outre, l’interrogation des intervenants souligne la nécessité d’une prise en compte du bien-être des chiens en médiation animale à travers : l’environnement de travail, les interactions avec les bénéficiaires et l’intervenant lui-même. Le troisième chapitre pointe la nécessité d’une attention particulière sur les interactions entre les chiens et les bénéficiaires mais aussi avec l’intervenant lors des séances de médiation animale. De futures études sont nécessaires pour étudier les facteurs de risque pour le bien-être des chien en médiation animale en adoptant de nouvelles méthodologies interdisciplinaires et collaboratives.
... Accordingly, behavioral signs of discomfort can be very subtle and therefore, difficult to notice for the animal handler or the AAI recipient. An early paper by Loukaki et al. (2010) provided instructions to support rabbit welfare in AAIs from an ethological and veterinary point of view. If transportation is necessary, only safe and suitable cages should be used. ...
... Appropriate socialization and training reduce the likelihood of anxious and avoidance behavior. Environmental enrichment is recommended in maintaining rabbit behavioral and social health (Loukaki et al., 2010). Research by Suba-Bokodi et al. (2022) indicates that the stress tolerance of dwarf rabbits is impacted by participation in AAIs. ...
Chapter
The body of research into the effects of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) on human health outcomes has been rapidly growing over the past decades. In contrast, scientific efforts to address the animal perception of AAIs have been comparably scarce. Also, early studies merely focused on therapy dogs or horses, as they were and continue to be the most frequently used species in AAIs. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in both the numbers of studies investigating animal welfare in AAIs and the variability of species including rabbits, guinea pigs, and donkeys. Research has primarily focused on physiological and behavioral welfare indicators as well as handler, experimenter, or client surveys to identify work-related stress in therapy animals. Study outcomes suggest that frequency and duration of AAI sessions, novelty of the environment, controllability, duration and intensity of contact with the recipient as well as age and familiarity of recipients modulate animal welfare. The generalizability of scientific findings is however limited due to the heterogeneity of AAI programs, recipient and session characteristics, small animal sample sizes, and lack of methodological rigor. The most commonly studied animal welfare indicators in AAI research are behavioral indices of comfort and discomfort as well as analyses of cortisol and heart rate to parallel work-related arousal. More recent studies have included analysis of oxytocin, respiration rate, and temperature monitoring. Overall, research outcomes do not give rise to an accumulation of adverse effects or severe concerns for animal welfare that challenge current AAI practices. However, science-based recommendations for practice include adequate and timely socialization and training, matching the duration and frequency of sessions to meet an animal's individual requirements and species-specific preferences, providing sufficient time to adapt to novel environments, as well as a shelter or a resting area that is exclusive for the animal. Lack of opportunity to withdraw from guided human–animal interaction in AAIs negatively impact the individual's stress tolerance. Recipients' characteristics and previous experiences with a species should be considered as well as the level of familiarity with the animal(s) involved in AAIs. Cross-species synchronization patterns have been observed during affiliative interactions, but also cumulating stress in the animal handler may be transferred to the animal. Environmental factors such as high ambient temperature, noise or transportation to the AAI setting have been related to higher arousal. As the current body of evidence on animal welfare in AAIs is based on relatively small sample sizes, future research is challenged to raise methodological rigor to facilitate the generalizability of study outcomes.
... Another example is the use of live tarantulas in exposure therapy. In effect, Eustis paved the way for a variety of -more (dogs, cats, ponies, horses, alpacas, rabbits [17]) or less (reindeer, penguins, or tarantulas [18,19] in therapy training [19]) intuitive -animals to support people with specific needs [20]. ...
... Importantly, while humans are of course critical, ethics must not stop at anthropocentric viewpoints [17]. The health of the animals is important, too. ...
Article
Full-text available
Background Many systematic reviews identify support animals or animal assisted activity as a beneficial and standard practice in several medical disciplines for patients (children, adolescents, and adults) and residents in care homes. A variety of animals are used such as dogs, cats, ponies, horses, alpacas, reindeer, penguins, rabbits, and tarantulas. Our objective was to explore the evidence regarding effects of animal assisted activity on a further population of interest; namely, healthcare staff. Methods We asked the question “how do support animals in healthcare settings affect the well-being of healthcare staff?” As an addendum, we were also interested in what - possibly more unique - animals have visited healthcare settings at Christmas time in particular. We conducted a scoping literature review using PubMed and Web of Science (search as of 26 April 2023). Results Twenty studies (in the USA, Australia, Europe; dogs: n = 19; cats: n = 1) since 2002 included: studies with biological measures (n = 3), longitudinal survey studies with analyses (n = 5), cross-sectional survey studies with analyses (n = 2), and cross-sectional survey studies with descriptive statistics (n = 10). Overall, animal assisted activities appear to be well-received by staff and there do not seem to be negative impacts on staff well-being. Conclusions Relevant positive effects and avenues of research are identified. Our review suggests that, but not exactly how, animal assisted activity benefits staff. Study evidence is limited with most studies being cross-sectional, descriptive, having low participant numbers, and mostly only involving dogs. Nonetheless, the evidence is mostly positive. The potential of animal assisted activities impacting positively on staff well-being warrants systematic research. Gaps in hard-fact-evidence should not deter us – especially at the festive season – to encourage work with, and systematic research regarding, support animals that provide warmth, empathy, comfort, and more in healthcare settings.
... The "service animal" is rather a (assistive) 'tool', yet at the same time its psychological effect is outstanding. Helping animals provide significant support for their daily lives, which increases their sense of safety and comfort and their overall activity (Kruger and Serpell, 2010). Examples include guide dogs or seizure alert dogs. ...
Article
Full-text available
Animal assisted interventions in everyday life can help reduce stress and make life of the visually impaired more complete. For this, not only dogs are available, but also other animal species. We chose the dwarf rabbit for this purpose. The dwarf rabbit is a popular pet, soft, confidential, hands-on; can be taught basic rules, and its care needs are easier to meet for a visually impaired than a dog's. The objective of our research was to develop and test a set of criteria for the selection of rabbits suitable for the visually impaired, furthermore, to determine whether a person with sight is able to select rabbits for the visually impaired, or whether there are large differences in their assessment? In the course of research, we developed a 14-point criteria that included confidential questions, pleasant experience questions and questions about the stress of rabbits. The scoring scale ranged from 1 to 5, with the highest point marking the most suitable rabbit. The rabbits in the study were of 6 to 12 months of age, tamed for four generations, of different sizes, hair lengths and colours. The study included 12 special education undergraduate students and one person with visual impairment. The participants worked in pairs, first blindfolded and then with sight of the rabbits. The rabbits were assigned in random order, so students didn't know what number of point the rabbits had previously received. The eye-binding of the students did not affect the scoring, but the visually impaired subject gave the rabbits an average of 0.1 points higher. Because the scores for each student were high, we did not get a significant result. We looked at who at what chance could have given each points. It turned out that the visually impaired gave 5 points - 10% of the time more often - and gave 3 points - 3% - than the undergrad students. We looked at which of the 14 aspects had greater differences in their perception: there were differences, but they were not significant. Comparing the rabbits, we received a significant difference, based on which this criteria system may be useable for the selection of rabbits suitable for visually impaired, as significant differences were discovered between rabbits. People with sight can also use the test, but they slightly more rigorously. It is recommended to conduct further studies involving several visually impaired people.
... They are also easier to train for therapy [64]. Other species, such as small pets, are increasingly introduced in AAI on the other hand because of their small size and toy-like appearance that can allow for the development of other forms of relationships [65]. ...
Article
Background Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) are well implemented in human healthcare, in France as elsewhere; yet there are still difficulties in characterizing these practices and misconceptions about their mechanisms - little is known about the French practice of AAI and about the human-animal team. Objectives This study aims to characterize AAI by exploring their specificities through French handlers’ perspectives. Material and method An online survey addressed to French handlers working in AAI with mainly one dog was carried out. This research included questions about their practice in AAI (registration status, beneficiaries, and animals) and their background (training in AAI, training in the medico-social field, training in animal behavior). We then examined a phenomenological understanding of handlers’ definitions of their practice in AAI, their motivations to work with these approaches, and the expectations of the human-animal team. We used an open coding strategy and created major themes from their answers. Results 111 handlers participated in this study. The quantitative data highlighted a heterogeneity of handlers’ profiles and professional backgrounds, although most profiles had previous training in healthcare. Five themes characterizing AAI emerged from the qualitative analysis: (1) AAI as additional approaches to care settings, (2) AAI as person-centered approaches, (3) the complementarity between handlers and their animal(s), (4) the shared role of mediator, and (5) handlers’ beliefs about the human-animal relationship related to their personal experiences. This survey allowed us to understand how the French use AAI and its role in the care system. Conclusion The benefits of AAI are numerous both for care settings and for the caregivers mainly by making the care more humane. AAI seem to put the wellbeing of beneficiaries and the relationship with the caregiver at the center of the care. The complementarity of the human-animal team is the common feature of these practices and is critical to their success. Future interdisciplinary studies are required to explore the particularities of these interspecific approaches and the differences between countries.
... kullanıldığı görülmüştür. Literatürde HDU'larda, kedi [43,[47][48][49][50] tavşan, [51][52][53] fil, [54] balık, yunus, keçi, böcekler, [55] kuşlar, [42] Gine domuzu [12] gibi çeşitli canlı, pelüş [13,47,56] ve robotik [19] hayvanların kullanıldığı belirtilmektedir. Literatürde, canlı hayvanın yanı sıra, HDU'lar kapsamında NAO ve PARO'ların kullanıldığı görülmektedir. ...
Article
Full-text available
Animal-assisted practice; nursing intervention; systematic review.
... The animal assistance was more effective in integrating schools. It can be concludedthat rabbit-assisted interventions were suitable for decreasing the anxiety levels of elementary school children, improving the efficacy of the education activity of teachers [13,14,15]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Education needs serious changes. In one aspect, the students are not the same as their previous generation was, and on the other hand, the digital word what is around us, changed the understanding, and remembering processes. A new teacher aspect appears in a reversed socialization process, where the prestige is not necessarily an automatic entitlement. The research results of the authors show, that the students, who kept rabbits spent less time with computer games on their smart phones and other digital devices. They spent less time with their phones on social media sites, and spent more with their personal contacts, what can be hide huge possibilities, because, they spent more time in the real world. Keeping pet rabbits seems good for improve their communication capability, furthermore it helps to expand their knowledge of biology. INTRODUCTION Education needs serious changes. In one aspect, the students are not the same as their previous generation, and the other hand, the digital word what is around us, changed the understanding, and remembering processes. The most important parts of the teaching are the reading and understanding capability, and the monotony tolerance. Questions about concentration, motivation, and attention get in front with high priority. The motivation of learning has changed, and the education faces challenges, and, needs to move out their standards,whatever still using the old methods. Cognitive capabilities are in transition. Researches confirmed that, we can remember the route of the information much better, the content of the information itself,that's why the old evolved main points moved. The creation of the matter/ doesn't matter aspects are changing in a certain sense the general education too. The new generation of studentswith there out of ordinary learning methods, mean a real challenge for the current educational system. The challenge is serious, the new wave of students grow up in a world with comfortable admittance of information. They expect to use efficient educational methods. They don't like the well-known, frontal-sometimes monotone-lessons and courses,but the grouped and interactive practices are pretended. Other set of problem, that how the teachers and schools can be able to comply with these needs. The larger part of the teachers socialized and learned in that time, when the authoritarian and conventional teacher-student dissymmetry typified education. A new teacher aspect appears in a reversed socialization process, where the prestige is not necessarily an automatic entitlement. This status makes emotions and anger, and generating the feeling of disappointment. This is a hard situation, because, the process of education cannot be without emotions, and of course, the teacher must find happiness in the handover of knowledge. The wish for a new learning attitude is more concrete.Worldwide, in every type of schools, there is a huge problem, in the process of the re-reformation, the concentration and discipline should make a stay, what is need for comfortable learning process, and it should be go really focused. The persistent use of internet taught the group of Generation Z to get the answers to their questions immediately.That caused, the students are more impatient, and they can tolerate harder the late success. To teach them slow down, concentrate and deep involve in something is a hard task for every teacher.
... kullanıldığı görülmüştür. Literatürde HDU'larda, kedi [43,[47][48][49][50] tavşan, [51][52][53] fil, [54] balık, yunus, keçi, böcekler, [55] kuşlar, [42] Gine domuzu [12] gibi çeşitli canlı, pelüş [13,47,56] ve robotik [19] hayvanların kullanıldığı belirtilmektedir. Literatürde, canlı hayvanın yanı sıra, HDU'lar kapsamında NAO ve PARO'ların kullanıldığı görülmektedir. ...
... Some studies describing the effects of rabbits on humans are already published [40][41][42]. On the contrary, no publication is available examining the effect of AAI on rabbits. ...
Article
Full-text available
The effect of rabbit-assisted interventions on the anxiety levels of first-grade children at a primary school was analyzed. At the beginning of our research, no rabbit-assisted intervention was applied for 6 weeks in order to establish the level of stress caused by the start of the education period. We then alternated 6-week-long periods with and without rabbit-assisted intervention. The level of anxiety in children was assessed every three weeks both in the assisted and non-assisted periods, using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, STAI-C. One of the examined classes did not apply the integrating policy while the other class contained pupils with special education needs (called the integrating class). Rabbit-assisted interventions proved to be efficient, as anxiety level scores were significantly lower during the animal-assisted periods. The rabbits actively initiated encounters with humans, not only in the framework of animal-assisted interventions, but also at other occasions. In cases of discomfort, the rabbit retreated to the cage and stayed inside for a short time. The children displayed signs of pleasure when the rabbits approached them. The favorable effect of animal assistance was more apparent in the integrating class. It could be concluded that rabbit-assisted interventions were suitable for decreasing the anxiety levels of elementary school children, improving the efficacy of the educational ability of teachers.
... On the basis of our study, the territories with the highest number of providers are Lombardy (16%), Veneto (13%) and Piedmont (11%), followed by Tuscany (9%), Lazio (9%) and Emilia Romagna (7%). This distribution could reflect the great sensitivity of these territories towards AAI: their regional authorities have been historically involved in AAI development within their communities and they were particularly active in the (Loukaki et al. 2010). ...
Article
Full-text available
Animal assisted interventions (AAI) have become increasingly popular in Western countries during the last fifty years, attracting a lot of attention both from the general public and the scientific community. In Italy, similarly to other countries, this evolution has been accompanied by the diffusion of associations delivering AAI. What is the current state of AAI in Italy? How many realities are dealing with AAI? What professionals and animals are involved? The results of the questionnaire here reported have the objective to answer these questions, outlining a snapshot of the distribution and the main features of AAI within Italian territory. According to the 208 respondents, the sector has seen a remarkable expansion over the last twenty years. AAI providers are located mainly in the North and Centre of the country, the majority of them are arranged in associations or AAI specialized centers and work mainly with dogs and equids in animal assisted activity (AAA) programs addressed to disabled people and children. The picture of the sector still appears fragmented in particular regarding team of professionals involved and their training; nonetheless, the recent set up of national guidelines by the Italian authorities has the objective of standardizing the field and defining best practices for each type of intervention.
... Their entrusting care to the client will help them learn both responsibility and empathy [9]. Rabbits are suitable as a supplemental form of therapy for children with emotional and physical problems and for abused and neglected children [23]. For example, in the Czech Republic [24] in Thomayer hospital, dwarf rabbits are used for zootherapy and they have a positive effect on patients. ...
Article
Full-text available
Humans previously had a significantly greater connection with nature and bred animals primarily for their own benefit. Currently in today's fast-paced society, nature is being replaced by pet ownership. In some situations, people cannot have their own pets or do not have enough resources to take care of a living animal. The goal of this paper is to provide information relating to the use of small animals in the zootherapy and their impacts on clients. The use of animals for therapeutic purposes – zootherapy or animal therapy involves various forms. The most commonly used method of rehabilitation and therapeutic treatments are the use of the direct assistance of the animals. In both the broader world and in the Czech Republic, there are very widely used methods including the most well-known horses and dogs, hipotherapy and canistherapy. It is also possible to use other animal species and categories such as farm animals (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and llamas) and other more exotic animals including the use of dolphins. These are used in addition to species that we could classify as small animals and pets. It is possible to include in this group of small pets, such creatures as cats, rabbits, ferrets, birds, fish, etc. For some species we briefly discuss the biology of these animals. They are also used in schools, zoos, hospitals and homes for the elderly. Homes for the elderly and hospitals can also benefit from birds (most of them already have parrots and other species). The other alternative is an aquarium with fish. The article describes the different types of zootherapies which, above all, has a positive influence on the mental and physical health of a person. The primary part deals with the use of specific types of small animals in the zootherapy. It is described in more details the use of cats, ferrets, rabbits, rodents, birds, and fish.
Article
Full-text available
A survey was carried out among high school students in Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok County, Hungary. The aim of the work was to get information on the effects of pet rabbit keeping on the development of personality of young people. Data were gathered with a questionaire in four different type high schools (n=322). The questions were focused on how can facilitate the proximity and the constant care of an animal the process of gaining knowledge and the development of mental and emotional capability. The girls were more persistent and pet rabbits had a slightly greater influence on their emotional development.
Book
Full-text available
This is a book. The Preface describing contents is uploaded.
Article
Full-text available
To predict when food reward was available, 12 New Zealand White rabbits were trained to discriminate between two humans. All subjects had significantly higher response rates and greater behavioral arousal in the presence of the positive stimulus person. The ability to discriminate between individual humans sets the stage for unanticipated Pavlovian conditioning, which may have considerable implications for animal research in behavioral and biomedical settings.
Article
Little is known about the social behaviour of young domestic rabbits, although in rabbit meat production young animals represent a large category and problems with aggressive behaviour are known to occur. Whether this behaviour is part of the normal social development of young rabbits, leading to injuries only because of lack of space or of places to hide from attacks, or whether it is a consequence of too high densities or of the food supply being concentrated in one place, is unclear. To help in answering such questions we investigated the social behaviour of young domestic rabbits during the fattening period (Days 30–125 of life) in two successive breeding groups in an enclosure (600 m2) covered with grass and bushes and with additional feeding huts provided. During 117h of observation quantitative data on 13 individuals were collected.
Article
The commercial breeding of rabbits in individual cages presents a number of problems with respect to animal protection legislation. These problems are first presented in an overview of the subject. Starting from the behaviour shown by domestic rabbits in a richly structured near-to-nature enclosure, a new concept for keeping breeding groups is presented. In the housing system for breeding groups (4-5 does, 1 buck, plus young until weaned) which is then developed, the main characteristics of near-to-nature surroundings required for normal behaviour are replaced by manageable artificial substitutes. The individual components of the housing system and the spatial arrangements are described and discussed. Ethological examination of group breeding has shown that this housing system is both more suitable to the requirements of the rabbits themselves and more in the interest of breeders than the present commercial cage system. However, since cages will certainly remain the most important means of housing laboratory and fattening rabbits in the medium term, the ethological requirements for keeping domestic rabbits in cages will be also be discussed.
Article
Child-life therapy programs and pet-therapy programs are often used in pediatric hos-pital settings to provide emotional support and diversion; however there is little re-search about their efficacy. How play and pet therapy affect children was examined in this study of 70 hospitalized children. Self-reported mood, displayed affect, amount of touch, heart rate, blood pressure, and salivary cortisol were measured. Children and parents viewed both therapies as mood enhancing experiences for the child. Heart rates, parents' ratings of the child's mood, and display of positive affect were en-hanced in the pet-therapy group. Pet therapy likely provides an additional supportive activity for hospitalized children. Illness and hospitalization constitute a major stress in early childhood develop-ment. They effect a profound change in the children's lifestyle as they face separa-tion from parents and from the security of home routines (Petrillo & Sanger, 1980; Kurz, 1987). Play is one way in which children deal with the normative (e.g., devel-opmental stage) and non-normative (e.g., hospitalization) conflicts in their life. Play enables a child to master anxiety, externalize problems and conflicts, re-hearse new solutions, and turn from passive to active roles in conflict resolution (Sturner & Howard, 1997). Play can provide several methods of coping for the hos-pitalized child (McCue, 1988; Vessey & Mahon, 1990). Play may act as a diversion, refocusing attention away from stressors. It may enable the child to exert some con-trol over a situation by allowing some choices (e.g., which game to play, which dog to pet) to help compensate for the lack of control in other areas of hospitalization. Play may also enable the child to express, master, and ultimately better cope with CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE, 31(4), 321–335 Copyright © 2002, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Article
In recent years, there has been an increasing use of pets and farm animals in therapy for the emotionally ill, the mentally retarded, children, and others who suffer from isolation and loneliness. We see love, affection, touch, and nurturance of animals as a positive step in socializing troubled young people to nurturing roles in society. Assisting young people in developing positive relationships with animals and their environment can be a novel and useful approach to addressing the needs of youngsters in child and youth care. This review of the literature sets the context for examining this approach, which has particular relevance for work in residential settings.
Article
This review is a general discussion of common zoonotic infections of companion animals in the United States. Microbes, routes of transmission, and risks to immunocompromised persons are discussed. The primary focus of this article is dogs and cats, although zoonoses of avian, rodent, and rabbit companion animals are discussed in brief. An awareness of zoonoses will allow veterinarians and physicians to collaboratively prevent transmission and treat clinical disease in both human and veterinary patients.
Article
Animal-assisted therapy is a familiar method of treatment in the rehabilitation of many illnesses and conditions, but is still not applied sufficiently in our milieu. This paper gives an overview of the available literature and some of the research which demonstrates that the interaction between the patient, animal and therapist provides a context which improves communication, elevates self-confidence, reduces the symptoms of diseases, and improves the quality of life. The dog, cat, horse, birds and toy animals are most often used in therapy. Short-term contacts with animals are used, as well as long term keeping of animals, which are looked after by patients following a particular methodology. The therapy is used in the treatment of psychiatric patients afflicted with depression, schizophrenia, phobias and addiction problems. Loneliness is easier to endure in the company of animals. It is also applied in cardiovascular diseases, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, child cerebral paralysis, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, and other diseases. Research shows a more rapid reduction of symptoms of many diseases when animals are included in the therapeutic process.
Article
As much as we hate to admit it, even the gentlest of our friendly pets can harbor harmful pathogens, and although the fact is not widely known, pet-associated infections can significantly affect the health of humans. In this article, Dr Morrison focuses on pets and their accompanying potential zoonoses, outlining how these diseases can be transmitted to humans and how the infections are treated. Special attention is paid to rabies and toxoplasmosis, which have attained particular notoriety over time.
Article
The primary enclosure of a laboratory animal's environment should encourage species-typical behavior and enhancement of the animal's well-being, as indicated by the Guide. Enrichment devices have been documented to decrease the incidence of stereotypical behaviors and increase overall activity of rabbits. An 8-week study was performed to evaluate the effect of an environmental enrichment device, stainless-steel rabbit rattles on spring clips, on individually housed rabbits in a Safety Assessment facility. We used 48 New Zealand White rabbits; the devices were placed on cages of 32 study rabbits, and 16 control rabbits had no devices. Food consumption measurements and observations of device manipulations (taken during a predetermined peak interaction 1-h timeframe) were collected 5 days per week. All rabbits were bled for evaluation of hematologic parameters for the stress triad (neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and eosinopenia) and weighed weekly. No significant differences were found between study and control rabbits when body weights, food consumption, and hematologic parameters were analyzed. Our study supports previous findings that interaction with enrichment devices decreases over time, thus indicating the need for frequent rotation of different enrichment devices. In addition, no adverse effects of the analyzed parameters were found, indicating that stainless-steel rabbit rattles on spring clips are suitable devices for safety assessment studies, in which the introduction of new variables is often unacceptable.
Article
In recognition of Dr. Nathan Brewer's many years of dedicated service to AALAS and the community of research animal care specialists, the premier issue of JAALAS includes the following compilation of Dr. Brewer's essays on rabbit anatomy and physiology. These essays were originally published in the ASLAP newsletter (formerly called Synapse), and are reprinted here with the permission and endorsement of that organization. I would like to thank Nina Hahn, Jane Lacher, and Nancy Austin for assistance in compiling these essays. Publishing this information in JAALAS allows Dr. Brewer's work to become part of the searchable literature for laboratory animal science and medicine and also assures that the literature references and information he compiled will not be lost to posterity. However, readers should note that this material has undergone only minor editing for style, has not been edited for content, and, most importantly, has not undergone peer review. With the agreement of the associate editors and the AALAS leadership, I elected to forego peer review of this work, in contradiction to standard JAALAS policy, based on the status of this material as pre-published information from an affiliate organization that holds the copyright and on the esteem in which we hold for Dr. Brewer as a founding father of our organization.
Article
Is nonhuman animal-assisted therapy (AAT) a form of exploitation? After exploring possible moral vindications of AAT and after establishing a distinction between "use" and "exploitation," the essay distinguishes between forms of animal-assisted therapy that are morally unobjectionable and those modes of it that ought to be abolished.
Article
The minimization of pain in laboratory animals is a gold standard with implications for improvements in both animal welfare and research quality. Changes in behavioral parameters may indicate that an animal is in pain, but in order to effectively use behavioral change to assess pain, the observer must be familiar with normal behaviors. The author discusses normal and pain-related behaviors exhibited by rodents, rabbits, and ferrets.
Animal assisted therapy: assessing the benefits
  • Anonymous
Anonymous (1996) Animal assisted therapy: assessing the benefits. Journal of Small Animal Practice 39:310-311.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Anonymous (2008) Americans with Disabilities Act. http://www.ada. gov/svcabrs3.pdf [accessed 28 January 2010].
Report of the Technical Committee to enquire into welfare of animals kept under intensive livestock husbandry systems. Command paper 2836. Her Majesty's Stationary Office
  • Brambell Committee
Brambell Committee (1965) Report of the Technical Committee to enquire into welfare of animals kept under intensive livestock husbandry systems. Command paper 2836. Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London.
Commission Recommendation on guidelines for the accommodation and care of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes
European Commission (2007) Commission Recommendation on guidelines for the accommodation and care of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes (2007/526/EC). L197:1-89.
Assessing animal well-being: common sense, uncommon science
  • D Fraser
Fraser D (1993) Assessing animal well-being: common sense, uncommon science. In Food Animal Well-Being.West Lafayette (USA), USDA and Purdue University. http://hund.ansc.purdue.edu/ wellbeing/FAWB1993/ Fraser.pdf [accessed 25 January 2010].
A Pet therapy program in a greek paediatric hospital. Proccedings 11th Hellenic Veterinary Congress
  • K Loukaki
  • P Koukoutsakis
  • E Kosmidi
  • G Liapi-Adamidi
  • S Tsitoura
  • A Konstadopoulos
  • D Kafetzis
Loukaki K, Koukoutsakis P, Kosmidi E, Liapi-Adamidi G, Tsitoura S, Konstadopoulos A, Kafetzis D (2009) A Pet therapy program in a greek paediatric hospital. Proccedings 11th Hellenic Veterinary Congress, 19-22 March 2009, Athens: 520-521.
For your consideration: A pet-assisted therapy facilitator code of ethics. The Latham Letter
  • R J Preziosi
Preziosi RJ (1997) For your consideration: A pet-assisted therapy facilitator code of ethics. The Latham Letter, Spring.
A practical guide to indoor companion rabbits
  • J Royce
Royce J (1996) A practical guide to indoor companion rabbits. http://www.therabbitresource.org/rabcare.htm [accessed 30
Animal welfare: a cool eye towards Eden
  • J Webster
Webster J (1994) Animal welfare: a cool eye towards Eden. Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford.
  • Περιοδικο
  • Eλληνικησ
  • Etaipeiaσ
JOURNAL OF THE HELLENIC VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY 2010, 61(3) ΠΕΡΙΟΔΙΚΟ ΤΗΣ EΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ KTHNΙΑΤΡΙΚΗΣ ETAIPEIAΣ 2010, 61(3)