Table 7.
Summary of the information provided in the user's manual for assessing health domain.
| Indicator (ABM) | Method | Reference | Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defecation behavior | If the animal is observed during defecation, check body posture, facial expressions and vocalizations. | Does the animal have difficulty or pain during defecation? | A: absence of difficulty or pain during defecation. B: slight difficulty or pain during defecation. C: difficulty or moderate to severe pain during defecation. |
| Stool score | Observe the characteristics of stool with the aid of the approved fecal condition scales for the species. | Is the stool adequate in terms of consistency, shape, color, frequency of excretion and macroscopic composition (blood, mucus, undigested food, foreign matter)? | A: normal stool, without alterations in any of the aspects to be considered. B: stool with some of the aspects to be considered slightly or incipiently altered. C: stool with some of the aspects to be considered severely altered. |
| Micturition behavior | If the animal is observed during urination, check body posture, facial expressions and vocalizations. | Does the animal have difficulty or pain to urinate? | A: absence of difficulty or pain on urination. B: slight difficulty or pain during urination. C: difficulty or pain moderate to severe pain during urination. |
| Urine appearance | Observe the characteristics of urine such as stream fluidity, urine color, frequency and quantity. | Are there any abnormalities in the urine? | A: normal urine, without alterations in any of the aspects to be considered. B: urine with some of the aspects to be considered slightly or incipiently altered. C: urine with two or more of the aspects to be consider altered in a severe way or for several days. |
| Coat/feathers/ tegument |
Observe the characteristics of the skin and the phanerae (features to consider: quantity, brightness and integrity). | Is the plumage/fur/coat/ integument in good condition? | A: good condition of plumage/coat/integument. B: Slight alteration in the quantity or condition of the condition of the coat/plumage/tegument without alteration of its integrity. C: severe alteration in the quantity or condition of the coat/plumage/tegument. |
| Lesions/injuries | Note the presence of wounds (Pay attention to hair removal, abrasion, redness, swelling, bleeding, abscesses, bruises, presence of flies). | Does the animal appear free of lesions or wounds? | A: absence of lesions and wounds. B: shallow wounds or lesions, small in size and low in number, without infection, suppuration or flies, with mild and short-term effects on animal welfare. C: deep, medium or large wounds or lesions, several in number, with infection, suppuration or flies, with moderate to severe or long-term effects on animal welfare. |
| Hooves/claws/teeth | According to the species, observe the condition of hooves, claws and teeth as appropriate. Take advantage of situations where the animal is close enough to inspect them (e.g., in training sessions for clinical procedures, when performed). | Is the animal free of overgrowth or lesions on hooves, nails, claws, teeth? | A: hooves/claws/teeth are free of overgrowth and lesions. B: hooves/claws/teeth show mild to moderate overgrowth but are free of lesions. C: hooves/claws/teeth show severe overgrowth and/or lesions. |
| Locomotion | Observe how the animal moves around the enclosure (features to consider: lameness, reluctance to walk or jump, facial expressions of pain and/or vocalizations while moving) | Does the animal ambulate without difficulty? | A: the animal moves without difficulty or evidence of pain. B: the animal presents mild lameness (grade 1 or 2). C: the animal presents moderate to severe lameness (grade 3 or 4) and/or is reluctance to move and/or experiences evident pain when walking. |
| Sleep/wakefulness | Observe sleep and activity behaviors at different times of the day. | Does the animal show activity in accordance with the circadian rhythm of its species in nature? | A: the animal's activity is in accordance with the circadian rhythm of the free-living species. C: the animal does not present an activity in accordance with the circadian rhythm of the free-living species. |
| Signs of illness | Look for any signs of disease (pay attention to ears, mouth, muzzle, perineal region, respiration, general condition and other anatomical regions or body structures where signs of disease may be evident, depending on the species). Consider signs of disease as identified in the available literature for the species. | Does the animal appear healthy and free of visible signs of disease? | A: the animal appears clinically healthy. B: mild and/or recent symptoms of disease, with minimal effect on animal welfare and/or good prognosis. C: moderate or severe symptoms of disease, or mild but long-standing symptoms, with significant effects on animal welfare and/or unfavorable prognosis. |
ABM, Animal-based measurement.