The Role of Preventative Medicine Programs in Animal Welfare and Wellbeing in Zoological Institutions

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In animals undergoing veterinary treatment, including therapeutic, quarantine and preventative medicine, their physiology and behaviour are derailed from their normal states and the animal’s choices and comfort are de facto limited. Traditional paradigms of animal welfare do not apply perfectly to animals under veterinary care, including quarantine and preventative medicine. A paradigm separating animal wellbeing from animal welfare is proposed in order to instil much needed clarity of thought and to guide actions in regard to the welfare of animals under human care. Using such a model, preventative medicine programs emerge as a cornerstone of zoo and aquarium animal welfare. Preventative medicine programs tailored to individual animals and organizations must weigh the expected benefits versus the risks inherent associated with veterinary procedures. As veterinary medicine and husbandry science continue to advance, preventative veterinary procedures can be carried out more safely and more frequently. The inclusion of operant conditioning to zoo veterinary practice allows the voluntary participation of the animals, thereby reducing the associated risks and costs. It also facilitates the collection of abundant and reliable physiological data, including the indicators of animal wellbeing, to help objectively evaluate the adequacy of the animal welfare. ABSTRACT: The overarching goal of a preventative medicine program is to minimize the chances of health problems developing and to maximize the chances of detecting health problems early, in a manner that best benefits the animals and the organization. The traditional paradigms of animal welfare, stemming from the five freedoms and being progressively fleshed out to five domains, the 24/7 approach and so forth do not apply perfectly to zoological collections and less so to animals undergoing veterinary treatments. The physiology and behaviour of animals undergoing veterinary treatments, including therapeutic, quarantine and preventative medicine, are derailed from their normal states and their choices and comfort are de facto limited. A paradigm separating animal wellbeing from animal welfare is necessary to instil clarity of thought and to guide actions in regard to the welfare of animals under human care. Using such a model, preventative medicine programs emerge as a cornerstone of zoo and aquarium animal welfare, all the more if it incorporates modern veterinary and husbandry techniques, including operant conditioning.