Teaching
| In the context of our teaching in laboratory animal science, animal welfare, and ethology, veterinary medicine students will acquire ethological fundamentals for understanding animal behavior and to familiarize themselves with the behavioral biology of key farm and laboratory animals. Animal welfare is to be understood as a socio-political concern, with animal welfare laws regarded as instruments for its enforcement. Additionally, students will learn scientific concepts and methods for assessing animal welfare. This will enable them to evaluate animals biological needs in relation to their environment, their adaptability, and their limits — prerequisites for assessing animal welfare specific to each species. Biological insights will be mapped onto legal provisions for evaluating animal welfare, contextualized within societal and political frameworks. |  |
Courses
The professorship offers seminars. Information about each event can be found here.
Additionally, the professorship participates in Research4Vets and Support4Vetmed.
Elective Courses
The professorship offers various elective courses.
These courses reflect the interdisciplinary nature and complexity of animal welfare beyond the contents of the Animal Welfare Act.
Information about each courset can be found here.
State Examination in Animal Welfare and Ethology
"§ 33 Animal Welfare and Ethology
In the examination subject of Animal Welfare and Ethology, students are required to demonstrate their knowledge of species-appropriate and behaviorally appropriate housing and care of animals, as well as their knowledge of animal protection in animal trade, during animal transport, at slaughter or euthanasia, and in animal experiments. They must also demonstrate their knowledge of animal welfare regulations, including their ethical and scientific foundations, and in ethology."
Excerpt from the Regulation for the Licensing of Veterinary Surgeons (TAppV) as of December 6, 2011 (Verordnung zur Approbation von Tierärztinnen und Tierärzten (TAppV) in der Fassung vom 6. Dezember 2011 )
Exam Format
The examination subject Animal Welfare and Ethology is assessed in a written format using a multiple-choice test after the 7th semester. The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, with a duration of 60 minutes for completion.
Basis for the Exam
Lectures on Animal Welfare I, II, III
Animal Welfare Act and relevant regulations
Dates
For upcoming exam dates, please refer to the examination office's website ( Info ).
Medical Training
In veterinary practice, successful treatment always relies on a thorough clinical examination and, if necessary, additional diagnostic procedures. However, what happens if the patient refuses to cooperate with the examination? How can coercive measures be reduced, and unpleasant treatments still carried out promptly?
In what is known as Medical Training, knowledge from the fields of animal learning behavior and training (classical and operant conditioning) is imparted, specifically tailored for application in veterinary practice. Through targeted behavior modification, Medical Training aims to achieve cooperation from the patient even during uncomfortable procedures.
A cooperative patient allows for a more thorough examination and accurate diagnosis. Furthermore, stress-induced alterations in examination parameters are significantly reduced. From an ethical perspective, the practical application of Medical Training is desirable as it helps minimize negative emotions for all involved parties.
Moreover, knowledge of Medical Training promotes economically efficient practices. With a cooperative patient, less personnel is required for restraint, and treatments can be conducted more efficiently. Work-related accidents, such as bites resulting from fear-induced aggression, are also reduced or prevented.
Many zoological institutions have benefited from implementing Medical Training for years in the medical care of their wild animals. Similarly, integrating Medical Training into veterinary care for domestic and farm animals can optimize daily practice routines.
Information about specific events related to Medical Training can be found here.
Interdisciplinary Teaching
At the Department of Agricultural Sciences, we offer the master's module "Aspects of Animal Welfare in Research."
Module Details:
- Credits: 6 CP
- Offered from 1st to 4th semester
- Elective module
- Applicable to the following programs: Profile, Master (1—4th semester)
Course Description: The lecture provides a general introduction to animal welfare and ethology, covering the legal, ethical, and scientific foundations of animal welfare. Using ethological approaches and methods, students learn to assess the welfare of animal husbandry and handling practices. The lecture series also addresses case studies on practical animal welfare issues.
Additionally, European animal welfare regulations and their implementation and significance for national legislation are discussed. The module explores the historical development of animal welfare ethics, the importance of animal welfare in the EU and Europe, and the history of laboratory animal science. It examines replacement and refinement methods in animal experimentation based on the 3R concept by Russell and Burch (refinement, replacement, reduction) and discusses the recognition and assessment of stress in animal experiments, along with methods to reduce stress. Fundamentals of animal ethics and the ethical considerations of animal experimentation are taught, as well as the process of approval procedures with authorities and responsibilities related to animal experiments.
The content meets the requirements of the legal module for courses in laboratory animal science, which serves as evidence of competence for scientific work involving animals. Students have the opportunity to complete the legal module by attending the lectures and obtaining a participation certificate signed by the lecturer, which serves as an officially recognized certificate of competence. (Proof of participation in the event signed by the lecturer is required.)
QSL-Z Project: Animal Welfare in Teaching
The transmission of knowledge about so-called companion, farm, and wild animals has been established in school subjects such as natural science and biology for many decades. However, there has been less emphasis on the competency area of animal welfare.
An interdisciplinary teaching cooperation at the intersection of pedagogy and veterinary medicine allows for integrating competencies, skills, and abilities in the areas of animal welfare and education. The collaboration between the Department of Educational Science with a focus on learning disabilities and the Department of Laboratory Animal Science and Animal Welfare at the Justus Liebig University in Gießen has pioneered this approach at the educational level. The project engages students from two different disciplines in dialogue and enables an exploration of animal welfare from diverse perspectives.
Laboratory Animal Science Block Week
Veterinary students have the opportunity to complete the laboratory animal science legal module during the 8th semester as part of the Laboratory Animal Science block week.
The module's content is assessed through a 1-hour exam at the end of the block week. Successful participation in lectures is a prerequisite for taking the exam.
Registration is done via Stud.IP.
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Stephanie Krämer, Dr. Guido Haschke, Celina Pabst