School of Veterinary Medicine
The School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1884, and has a long-standing tradition as a global leader in veterinary medicine education, research, and clinical care, with a tradition of compassionate clinical expertise, intellectual rigor and the pursuit of innovative thinking.
Our mission at Penn Vet is to train the next generation of veterinary leaders to advance healthcare outcomes and access, ensure global health, bolster sustainable agriculture, support interdisciplinary career paths, and foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in the profession.
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Publication Evaluating Pullet Rearing Practices: Strengthening Cage-Free Production Through Current Guidelines(2024) Mitchell, HeatherThis Capstone Research review investigates how pullet-rearing practices influence the transition to cage-free egg production systems in the United States. The hypothesis is that enhancing rearing conditions for pullets-such as providing physical activity, cognitive stimulation, environmental enrichment, and stress management-will improve their welfare and adaptability, thus supporting a successful transition to cage-free systems. The approach involved a comprehensive review of scientific literature, industry practices, and existing guidelines, with a focus on physiological parameters, natural behaviors, and emotional states. Key findings indicate that early-life interventions significantly enhance the welfare and adaptability of pullets, reducing the risk of behavioral and physical complications in adult hens. The results support the conclusion that legislative and industry efforts must advocate for cage-free pullet rearing to achieve the full benefits of cage-free systems. Despite the importance of this life phase, current legislations often exclude the juvenile hen, although many third-party certification programs have recognized its significance. This study advocates for integrating pullet-specific rearing standards into future legislation and certification programs to ensure a holistic improvement in poultry welfare.Publication The Effect of Implementing a Quiet-Hour in a Kennel Environment on the Activity Levels of Working Dogs(2024) Amanda ChristyStudies have shown that dog kennels are considered an overstimulating environment which can result in a negative welfare state. This study investigated the effects of implementing a quiet-hour during the day on the activity levels of 12 working dogs. Dogs had accelerometers placed on their collars and activity levels were recorded continuously for three weeks. After the first three weeks, a quiet-hour was implemented from 12-1pm each day (Monday-Friday) and data was continuously recorded for another three weeks. The implementation of a quiet-hour reduced not only overall activity levels, but also activity levels at night when the dogs were not in the kennel as well as during the days the dogs were not in the kennel (weekends and holidays). Quiet- hour is an easily implemented method that has the potential to improve welfare of not only working dogs, but other dogs in a kennel environment. Further studies are required to explore the extent of how a quiet-hour could improve sleep patterns and the performance of working dogs.Publication Exploring Feline Aggression: A Comprehensive Understanding of the Cat-Owner Relationship(2024) Kaitelyn DorletteThe dynamics of cat-owner relationships are often marred by misconceptions, particularly regarding feline aggression. This study explores the complexities of aggression in cats, investigating its various forms and origins to provide a nuanced understanding for owners. This study compares behaviors in single-cat and multi-cat households, analyzing how social structures and human interaction influence feline aggression. Behavioral data were collected through structured observation forms completed by cat owners. Results indicate that multi-cat households exhibit higher frequencies of aggressive and stress-related behaviors, such as ear flattening, hissing, and scratching, compared to single-cat households. Conversely, single-cat households show higher frequencies of biting and retreating, likely due to the solitary cats' reliance on humans for social interaction and stimulation. The study suggests that the presence of multiple cats increases social stress, resulting in more frequent aggressive behaviors. In contrast, single cats may direct their aggression toward their owners or exhibit stress through withdrawal. Promoting multi-pet households could mitigate some aggressive behaviors by fulfilling the social needs of cats, potentially reducing aggression towards humans and enhancing feline well-being. This research aims to educate cat owners about feline aggression's intricacies, advocating for better understanding and improved cat-owner interactions, ultimately contributing to higher adoption rates and better care for domestic cats.Publication Overlooked Cats and Evidence-based Strategies to Get Them Adopted(2024) Laura McRaeAbstract included in video presentationPublication A Call to Action: Companion Animal Welfare Determination at the Clinical Veterinary Encounter(2024) Indu ManiThere is a dearth of animal welfare education and implementation in the companion animal medical setting, which may cause many companion animals to suffer diminished welfare without veterinarian or pet owner recognition or awareness. Patient suffering and clinical moral distress may be common sequelae of the lack of companion animal welfare assessment, since quality of life measurements, commonly used in veterinary medicine, may not be adequate substitutes for welfare assessment. This capstone will propose the creation of a companion animal welfare tool at the point of clinical care powered by artificial intelligence, with the primary goal of objective, unbiased, valid, and reliable welfare assessment to identify and improve poor welfare in patients. This will provide ongoing welfare education to practitioners as another medical indicator of patient status.Dataset Evaluation of digital radiographic measurements for the diagnosis of acute laminitis(2024-05-14) Andrew van Eps; Georgia Skelton; Darko Stefanovski; Elizabeth AcuttBackground: Traditional radiographic measurements of distal phalanx (Pd) displacement are not useful for diagnosis and monitoring of acute laminitis. Objectives: To compare LLZ between healthy horses and those with acute or subacute laminitis. We hypothesized that the distance between the inner hoof wall and Pd (“lamellar lucent zone”; LLZ) measured on lateromedial digital radiographs would be increased in acute and subacute laminitis. Study design: Retrospective and in vivo experimental study. Methods: Forelimb radiographs from 32 healthy and 18 laminitic mixed-breed horses were analyzed retrospectively. Laminitis was defined by at least 2 clinical signs (acute multi-limb lameness, increased digital pulse amplitude and/or persistently warm hooves) for ≤ 3 days (acute), or >3 and ≤14 days (subacute) duration, without overt palmar rotation (≥ 3°), remodeling, or distal displacement of the Pd. Twelve measurements including LLZ at proximal, middle, and distal locations were performed on 126 forelimb radiographs that met the criteria for acute laminitis (n=39), sub-acute laminitis (n=23) or healthy control (n=64). A mixed effects linear regression model was used for comparisons and a receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve created for select measurements. Results: The marginal mean [95% confidence interval] LLZ (mm) was increased in acute and subacute laminitis compared to control in the proximal (acute=8.8 [8.4-9.2]; subacute=9 [8.4-9.5]; control=7.3 [6.9-7.7]), middle (acute=8.9 [8.5-9.3] ; subacute=9.1 [8.6-9.6]; control=6.9 [6.5-7.2]), and distal (acute=9.2 [8.6-9.7]; subacute=10.2 [9.5-10.9]; control=7.5 [7-8]) dorsal lamellar regions (P<0.001). At a cut-off of >7.5 mm for middle LLZ, sensitivity was 87% and specificity 91% for diagnosis of acute laminitis. Using the ratio of middle LLZ to distal phalanx cortical length, sensitivity and specificity were 95% (cutoff >0.11). Main Limitations: Lack of histological confirmation of acute laminitis. Conclusions and clinical importance: LLZ measurements are potentially useful for radiographic diagnosis of acute and subacute laminitis.Dataset Climate Change as a Wildlife Health Threat: A Scoping Review(2024-10-17) Greening, Sabrina; Pascarosa, Lucie; Munster, Avery; Gagne, Roderick; Ellis, JulieBackground: The definition of wildlife health continues to expand with the recognition that health is more than the absence of disease. As climate-associated impacts on wildlife health become inevitable, it is increasingly important to integrate concepts such as vulnerability, adaption, and resilience into wildlife health research, surveillance, and management actions. Here, we performed a scoping review to identify literature from 2008 onwards with a focus on climate change impacts on wildlife health. The literature fed into an AI-based thematic analysis which was used to describe the scope and depth of existing literature and identify key themes and knowledge gaps that are important to consider in future wildlife health frameworks. The themes identified in the analysis were then manually reviewed and refined by interpreting them in context. Results: In total, 2,249 citations were retrieved from the literature search. After applying a set of inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 372 papers were retrieved and split into one of two groups: 1) papers focusing on climate-associated impacts on wildlife health and 2) papers focusing on climate-associated impacts on vector distribution. Thematic analyses were performed separately on each group although results from both groups identified aspects of the host as a top theme including immunological response, physiological stress response, and body size for group one and host population density, host-vector-pathogen interactions, and the importance of reservoir host species for group 2. Conclusions: A large number of the papers retrieved in the literature search focused on how climate change impacts the distribution and abundance of host, vector, and pathogen species, remaining disease-centric in their approach. Themes related to potential management actions, with the exception of vector control, were found across only a limited number of papers reflecting some uncertainty on how best to respond and prepare for climate change as a threat to wildlife health.Publication The Role of Farmer Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Animal Welfare Audits and the Impact on Animal Welfare Outcomes(2024) Cassity, LockardConsumers consider a number of factors when making purchasing decisions. Among the common drivers such as price, convenience, taste, and health, sustainability has also emerged as an important influence in society. Although sustainability is a broad term, animal welfare falls under this umbrella as an ethical consideration and viewpoint consumers reportedly care about. As a result, the assessment of animal welfare has become an essential practice driven by the increasing concerns to provide assurances that farmers are meeting industry standards for animal welfare expectations. To provide this assurance, animal welfare programs, standards, and schemes have emerged, with animal welfare audits a common component of these programs used to assess the welfare of animals. These animal welfare audits are one of the most commonly utilized mechanisms to ensure these standards are being met, as can be supported by market claims and certifications. With the evidence that attitudes impact animal welfare, this paper explores farmer attitudes and perceptions towards animal welfare audits more specifically, and the impact they have on animal welfare and animal welfare outcomes. Due to the gaps between farmer and consumer, the complexities of animal welfare audits, extraneous variables unrelated to animal welfare that influence farmer perceptions during the audit process, as well as conflicting welfare goals that may not align with farmer beliefs, it may not be possible to separate these factors from interfering with these perceptions. As a result, more research is needed in order to determine how audits and farmer attitudes and perceptions towards audits influence animal welfare.Publication A SURVEY TO EVALUATE OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE ANIMAL EXPERIENCE AND WELFARE OF CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS) UNDERGOING REHABILITATION AT RESCUE CENTERS IN CALIFORNIA, U.S.A.(2024) Megan Ann KoehnCalifornia sea lions are one of the most common pinniped species to strand along the United States west coast, particularly along California coastlines. While data on the number of strandings that occur on a yearly basis, analyses of why they strand, and the criteria for an individual to be released are well documented, knowledge gaps still persist. The welfare of marine mammals under permanent human care has been studied; although more is known about cetacean welfare than pinnipeds. However much less is known about the welfare of many marine mammals during rehabilitation, and particularly about California sea lions. Thus, a survey of those supervising the rescue, rehabilitation, and release process of these animals promises a clearer understanding of the animal experience, and thus hopeful indications of their general welfare, when undergoing rehabilitation. Data collected from survey answers will serve in exploring a wide array of topics related to the rehabilitation process. These topics include those directly related to the animals as well as the administrative background of these facilities. This survey will serve as a way to better understand the interconnectivity of each aspect of the rescue, rehabilitation, and release process while also identifying areas of the process that are thriving and those that may need improvement or further exploration.Publication An evaluation of the awareness of the 3Rs within biomedical research institutions(2024) Jennifer DavisApproximately 1.1 million laboratory rodents (mice and rats) are used for biomedical research in the United States (Carbone, 2021). Contributing to the large animal numbers is the genetically modified mouse. Hundreds, if not thousands, of different strains of mice have been developed to better understand human disease. The principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement, known as the 3Rs, are crucial in ensuring the ethical treatment of research animals. In accordance with US federal law, it is the responsibility of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to oversee the ethical use of animals in biomedical research. Many biomedical research institutions continue to face challenges in upholding the principles of the ‘3Rs’, particularly in the aspect of reduction. Here I assess the promotion of the 3Rs, specifically reduction, and welfare in the regulations and standards set by the US government for research involving animals. Additionally, NIH-funded peer institutional policies and staff training related to laboratory mouse breeding and colony management were also examined. Upon review and in line with the existing literature, it is crucial to consistently emphasize the significance of the 3Rs and animal welfare to research staff. These principles should be integral to training programs, actively implemented by all individuals engaged in animal research oversight, and regularly referenced by regulatory agencies.