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Above: WelfareTrakTM can help animal care staff more quickly identify changes in animals’
behavior. Right: Some tools that staff use to treat our Przewalski’s horses are developed
from the domestic animal world. Far right: A penguin receives a routine wellness check.

Keeping Welfare on Trak When doing pain assessment on horses,
equine vets and care staff are looking for a
Animal care staff are continually looking to improve the change in the way the animals hold their
ways they go about doing this monitoring. In 2013, the faces—what is their ear posture like? Do they
Society launched WelfareTrakTM, a web application that have tension around their eyes? How are they
tracks animal care specialists’ assessments of an animal’s holding their nostrils? By applying the same
physical, mental, and emotional state. (WelfareTrakTM analysis to our hoofed mammals, animal care
is currently used by several other institutions throughout staff can notice if an animal is uncomfortable
the United States.) before it starts exhibiting more specific
symptoms.
When using WelfareTrakTM, animal care specialists
complete brief weekly surveys about the animals in their Many equine specialists also use a pain
care. The surveys—which take just two or three minutes assessment scale to identify lameness.
to fill out—include questions about the animals’ activity The scale goes from 0 to 5, with 0 signifying
level, appetite, social behavior, and more. completely normal behavior at all gaits, and
5 signifying that an animal is not bearing
When the surveys are filled out on a regular basis, it weight on one of its legs.
becomes easy to see if an animal begins to display unusual
or unnatural behavior. Care staff can more quickly identify “This scale is very helpful, though we don’t
subtle changes in behavior that otherwise might have been let our animals get to 5,” said Joan Daniels,
missed for weeks or months. This can be a particularly useful curator of mammals. “We step in much
tool when working with older animals—lethargy, decreased before that point to offer pain management
appetite, or removing oneself from the social group could be and care.”
signs an animal needs a closer examination.

A lot of other tools that staff are beginning to use have
been developed from the domestic animal world. For example,
many hoofed mammals, including domestic horses, but also
addax, Przewalski’s horses, and camels, experience arthritis
as they age (along with intermittent periods of lameness).
Staff looked to see how equine specialists address this
common ailment.

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