Discovering the relationship between dietary nutrients and cortisol and ghrelin hormones in horses exhibiting oral stereotypic behaviors: A review

Hanis, Farah; Chung, Eric Lim Teik; Kamalludin, Mamat Hamidi; Zulkifli, I.

doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2020.05.012

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…This practice (with faeces only) is a common and important behaviour in foal development (Lindenberg et al, 2019;Siskova et al, 2006) but rare in adults. When observed in adults, coprophagia may be indicative of a deficient diet of high concentrate, low protein and low fibre (Boyd, 1988;Hanis et al, 2020;McDonnell, 2003). In this study mules had very restrictive high concentrate diets and limited access to foraging opportunities either at liberty or from forage materials offered by owners.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study mules had very restrictive high concentrate diets and limited access to foraging opportunities either at liberty or from forage materials offered by owners. Coprophagia may increase the risk of ingestion of internal parasites (Hanis et al, 2020;Studzinska et al, 2020), and may also be a contributing factor in the colic episodes recorded during fieldwork, which in a population of equids with limited access to veterinary services is of concern.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The welfare and access to veterinary health services of mules working the mountain trails in the Gorkha region, Nepal

Watson¹,

Kubasiewicz²,

Nye

et al. 2023

Austral j. vet. sci.

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Working equid populations are mainly present in low to middle-income countries, their work directly contributing to the lives of people reliant on their presence. Although assistance from working equids is important to support people and their communities in these regions, their welfare is often poor. This study aims to provide insight into the welfare status of mules distributing supplies in the Gorkha region of Nepal; a population of working equids which has been largely overlooked and under recorded. The welfare of mules was assessed via the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping (EARS) tool using a trained assessor; livelihood surveys gathered basic demographic and ownership information; and semi-structured interviews gained the perspectives of 26 key informants. Mule body condition was found to be ideal in many cases, but their management was in the majority of cases inappropriate; characterised by integumentary trauma from equipment use and inhumane handling, unsuitable dietary provision, and insufficient access to water. This difficult situation was compounded by inadequate access to suitably qualified, experienced veterinary professionals able to offer appropriate levels of support. Organisations aiming to improve welfare in these remote locations need a multifaceted approach where owners are facilitated and empowered to improve the welfare of their own equids; in addition, industry professionals are encouraged to improve training and provision within veterinary services.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The welfare and access to veterinary health services of mules working the mountain trails in the Gorkha region, Nepal

Watson¹,

Kubasiewicz²,

Nye

et al. 2023

Austral j. vet. sci.

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“…These behaviours have traditionally been considered to be expressed as a response to a suboptimal environment and boredom [62]. However, research in various species has identified poor nutrition as another leading factor in their manifestation, which likely influences the microbiome [62,63]. Depending upon the hosts' nutrition and the food source provided to the gut microbes, different populations of gut microbes will prosper, and, in turn, their metabolites will differ in abundance [64,65].…”

Section: Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gut Microbiota and Behavioural Issues in Production, Performance, and Companion Animals: A Systematic Review

Homer

Judd

Mohammadi‐Dehcheshmeh

et al. 2023

Animals

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The literature has identified poor nutrition as the leading factor in the manifestation of many behavioural issues in animals, including aggression, hyperalertness, and stereotypies. Literature focused on all species of interest consistently reported that although there were no significant differences in the richness of specific bacterial taxa in the microbiota of individual subjects with abnormal behaviour (termed alpha diversity), there was variability in species diversity between these subjects compared to controls (termed beta diversity). As seen in humans with mental disorders, animals exhibiting abnormal behaviour often have an enrichment of pro-inflammatory and lactic acid-producing bacteria and a reduction in butyrate-producing bacteria. It is evident from the literature that an association exists between gut microbiota diversity (and by extension, the concurrent production of microbial metabolites) and abnormal behavioural phenotypes across various species, including pigs, dogs, and horses. Similar microbiota population changes are also evident in human mental health patients. However, there are insufficient data to identify this association as a cause or effect. This review provides testable hypotheses for future research to establish causal relationships between gut microbiota and behavioural issues in animals, offering promising potential for the development of novel therapeutic and/or preventative interventions aimed at restoring a healthy gut-brain-immune axis to mitigate behavioural issues and, in turn, improve health, performance, and production in animals.

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“…One may observe that analyzing hair cortisol concentration provides a more reliable assessment of long-term stress compared to saliva or serum measurements [105]. This is attributed to the belief that hair cortisol concentration serves as an indicator of cortisol secretion and the stress experienced over extended periods [106]. Moreover, horses with higher concentration of hair cortisol tend to exhibit lower compliance in training or work.…”

Section: Hair Cortisolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Cortisol in Horse’s Welfare and Health

Sikorska,

Maśko,

Ciesielska

et al. 2023

Agriculture

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This review describes the physiological role of cortisol in the horses’ body and the usefulness of cortisol concentration measurements in assessing welfare and diagnosing diseases. Cortisol is examined in terms of its production and functions, along with the concept of circadian cortisol rhythms and potential disruptions in these patterns. The significance of cortisol concentration is emphasized, as it provides insights into stress levels, and the connection between cortisol and stereotypical horse behaviors, raising the question of whether these behaviors signify stress or serve as coping mechanisms. Moreover, cortisol concentration helps in diagnosing various health conditions such as Cushing’s Disease, inflammation, and metabolic imbalances. As cortisol concentration is considered a stress indicator that may be affected by the sampling protocol, the matrices for cortisol sampling and their practical applications are summarized. In this review, three major cortisol sampling methods: plasma, salivary, and hair cortisol, are described in detail. Plasma cortisol measurements offer acute stress insights, while salivary cortisol analysis provides a non-invasive method for continuous stress monitoring. Hair cortisol, on the other hand, offers an assessment of long-term stress levels. This text underscores the importance of cortisol control in safeguarding the welfare and health of horses.

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Discovering the relationship between dietary nutrients and cortisol and ghrelin hormones in horses exhibiting oral stereotypic behaviors: A review

Cited by 15 publications

References 119 publications

The welfare and access to veterinary health services of mules working the mountain trails in the Gorkha region, Nepal

The welfare and access to veterinary health services of mules working the mountain trails in the Gorkha region, Nepal

Gut Microbiota and Behavioural Issues in Production, Performance, and Companion Animals: A Systematic Review

Role of Cortisol in Horse’s Welfare and Health

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