Based on a recent symposium that brought together experts in behavior, nutrition, physiology, immunology, and human and animal medicine, this volume presents an up-to-date discussion of the problems and methods of studying animal stress today. Section one reviews the evolutionary and ontogenetic determinants of animal suffering and the assessment of well-being. The second section examines biological responses to stress and methods of monitoring stress in animals. Section three shows how stress can threaten animal health, disrupt normal reproduction, and influence growth and metabolism. The final section relates the importance of animal stress to developing guidelines on the use of animals in scientific research. This is an invaluable reference for exploring these complex responses

Inhalt

What Constitutes Animal Well-Being?.- Evolutionary and Ontogenetic Determinants of Animal Suffering and Well-Being.- Biological Response to Stress: Key to Assessment of Animal Well-Being?.- A Definition of Stress?.- Behavioral Responses to Stress in Farm Animals.- Stress in Domestic Animals: A Psychoneuroendocrine Approach.- Spontaneous Oscillations in Heart Rate: Potential Index of Stress.- Assessment of Pain in Animals.- Implantable Biotelemetry and Social Separation in Monkeys.- Specific Effects of Stress on Disease Processes.- Stress-Induced Immunomodulation: What Is It, If It Is?.- Immunological Consequences of Changing Environmental Stimuli.- Cortisol as Mediator of Stress-Associated Immunosuppression in Cattle.-Influence of Stress on Reproduction: Measure of Well-being.- Influence of Stress on Protein Metabolism.- Regulations and Guidelines for Animal Care: Problems and Future Concerns.- Definition of Laboratory Animal Environmental Conditions.