News about Animals

DNA in Viking poop sheds new light on 55,000-year-old relationship between gut companions

Using stool samples from Viking latrines, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have genetically mapped one of the oldest human parasites – the whipworm. The mapping reflects the parasite’s global spread and its…

Ethicists’ commentary on appropriate use of pharmaceuticals

Ethical question of the month, June 2022 You are an equine veterinarian who relies on firocoxib as your “go to” for chronic arthritis pain. There was no equine-labelled product in Canada until recently, so you were…

Compete or Cooperate with ‘Dr. Google’? Small Animal Veterinarians’ Attitudes towards Clients’ Use of Internet Resources

Using a questionnaire, we found that a majority of Austrian, Danish, and UK veterinarians (n = 641) surveyed were occasionally confronted with clients who question their medical advice based on information obtained from…

New revelations about an ancient fish: the secret to swimming upside down

An after-hours trip to Aarhus University Hospital Skejby’s radiology department has shed light on a mysterious and ancient fish, one that remains one of the world’s rarest – the Coelacanth. Researchers from the…

The modern dog fights a lonely battle

Separation anxiety and behavioral problems. Veterinary care and malnutrition are no longer the main problems for Danish dogs, as was the case a hundred years ago. On the other hand, our sky-high expectations of them are…

The modern dog fights a lonely battle

Separation anxiety and behavioral problems. Veterinary care and malnutrition are no longer the main problems for Danish dogs, as was the case a hundred years ago. On the other hand, our sky-high expectations of them are…

Ethicists’ commentary on obtaining hormones from pregnant mares

Ethical question of the month, May 2022 Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG) is used in farmed animal agriculture for the induction and synchronization of ovulation in cattle, pigs and sheep, superovulation in cattle…

Shelter use by horses during summer in relation to weather conditions and horsefly (Tabanidae) prevalence

This study investigated use of artificial shelters by 10 horse groups continuously for eight summer week to understand how horses use shelters to provide shade and a refuge from biting insects during summer.

Zombie fly fungus lures healthy male flies to mate with female corpses

A unique fungus survives by 'bewitching' male flies into mating with dead female flies. The longer a female fly carcass has lain and rotted, the greater the male’s lust. This, according to a new study led by researchers…

Invasive ant species headed to Denmark: super colony builders ruled by several thousand queens

A warmer climate is causing new species of ants to head for Denmark. One of them is likely to invade soon, according to a researcher at the University of Copenhagen. The species spreads quickly and can be a great…

Wild animal welfare

In this commentary on Rowan et al’s article on sentience politics, especially regarding farm animals, we ask how the welfare of wild animals differs from that of farmed animals, especially how the ability to make…

Ethicists’ commentary on nutritional neglect

Ethical question of the month, April 2022 A colleague refers an 11-year-old German shepherd dog to you for a cardiac ultrasound examination. The dog has a history of ascites and elevated resting respiratory rate. The…

Ethicists’ commentary on humane killing of healthy surplus animals

Ethical question of the month, March 2022 The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) position statement on the Care of Neonatal Calves on Dairy Farms states that euthanasia/humane killing of surplus calves is th…

Ethicists’ commentary on treating animals without payment or without owners

Ethical question of the month, February 2022 You manage a multi-doctor practice in a low-income area of a city. You have accepted many animals that have been hit by cars; however, these animals are never claimed, or…

Estimating the Population of Unowned Free-Ranging Domestic Cats in Denmark

This study estimated the size of the population of unowned free-ranging domestic cats and their distribution in Denmark using a combination of questionnaires and GPS tracking

Ethicist’s commentary on use of Ventilation Shut Down

Ethical question of the month, December 2021 Ventilation Shut Down (VSD) and VSD 1 (the plus is the addition of heat or CO2) is a mass depopulation method employed in barns in “constrained circumstances” by the poultry…

Market driven initiatives can improve broiler welfare – A comparison across five European countries

Market driven initiatives can have a strong impact on improving broiler welfare, building on those standards achieved by animal welfare legislation.

Insect wingbeats will help quantify biodiversity

Insect populations are plummeting worldwide, with major consequences for our ecosystems and without us quite knowing why. A new AI method from the University of Copenhagen is set to help monitor and catalogue insect…

Positive animal welfare: Bridging the gap or raising inequalities worldwide?

This paper takes a comparative approach to the ways animals are kept in various parts of the world, and highlights the opportunities and potential barriers to promote positive animal welfare in a global context.

After thousands of years, an iconic whale confronts a new enemy

The iconic tusked whale of the Arctic has a new enemy – noise. A unique study from the University of Copenhagen and the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources shows that narwhals are highly affected by noise from ship…

New phenomenon: Forest mammals eavesdrop on messy monkeys

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered a unique phenomenon among forest mammals – eavesdropping. Their study demonstrates that various animal species depend on one another in more ways than ever…

Tigers end their days in high-pressure cookers

Thousands of tigers, bred on farms like pigs and raised in basements, end up in high-pressure cookers, where their bones are dissolved and transformed into traditional medicine. University of Copenhagen researchers are…

Colleague suspected of illegal behavior

Ethical question of the month, September 2021 You provide regular 1 day per week locum services to a solo small animal veterinarian. You receive a call from the Registrar of the provincial veterinary regulator. With no…

Zebrafish reproduction affected by plastic particles in the aquatic environment

Plastic nanoparticles cause mild inflammation, disrupt metabolic pathways, change the gut microbiota and affect reproduction in zebrafish.