BCSE Animal Welfare and Behavior 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which behavioral indicator is most reliable for assessing chronic pain in laboratory rodents?
- Grimace scale scoring (Correct answer)
- Body weight alone
- Fur coat appearance
- Cage activity during light phase
Correct answer: Grimace scale scoring
The Mouse Grimace Scale quantifies facial action units (orbital tightening, nose bulge, cheek bulge, ear position, whisker change) that are validated markers of chronic pain.
Question 2: The 'five freedoms' framework for animal welfare was originally developed by which organization?
- Farm Animal Welfare Council (UK) (Correct answer)
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
Correct answer: Farm Animal Welfare Council (UK)
The Five Freedoms were articulated by the UK's Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1979 and have since become the global baseline for assessing animal welfare.
Question 3: A dog repeatedly circles its kennel, vocalizes, and self-mutilates. These signs are most consistent with:
- Stereotypic behavior from chronic stress (Correct answer)
- Normal exploratory behavior
- REM sleep disorder
- Hepatic encephalopathy
Correct answer: Stereotypic behavior from chronic stress
Repetitive, invariant motor patterns (stereotypies) plus self-mutilation in a restricted environment indicate chronic psychological stress and compromised welfare.
Question 4: Environmental enrichment for non-human primates in research settings primarily serves to:
- Promote species-typical behavior and reduce psychological distress (Correct answer)
- Increase caloric intake
- Simplify husbandry procedures
- Reduce aggression between technicians and animals
Correct answer: Promote species-typical behavior and reduce psychological distress
Enrichment provides cognitive stimulation and social outlets that allow expression of species-typical behaviors, directly improving psychological welfare.
Question 5: Which regulatory body in the US directly oversees the Animal Welfare Act compliance for research institutions?
- USDA APHIS Animal Care (Correct answer)
- NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare
- FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
- CDC Office of Safety, Security, and Asset Management
Correct answer: USDA APHIS Animal Care
USDA APHIS Animal Care conducts inspections and enforces AWA regulations at research facilities, zoos, and other covered establishments.
Question 6: Tonic immobility in poultry is frequently used as a measure of:
- Fear reactivity (Correct answer)
- Dominance hierarchy status
- Nutritional status
- Reproductive readiness
Correct answer: Fear reactivity
Tonic immobility duration—the time a bird remains motionless after being placed on its back—is a validated index of fear in poultry welfare research.
Question 7: In the context of humane endpoints, which criterion should trigger early euthanasia in a rodent tumor model?
- Tumor volume exceeding 10% of body weight or causing mobility impairment (Correct answer)
- Any palpable tumor mass regardless of size
- Loss of fur color around the tumor
- Tumor detection by imaging only
Correct answer: Tumor volume exceeding 10% of body weight or causing mobility impairment
Humane endpoints specify objective criteria—typically tumor burden relative to body mass or functional impairment—to limit suffering before the scientific endpoint.
BCSE Animal Welfare and Behavior 2
Which behavioral indicator is most reliable for assessing chronic pain in laboratory rodents?