Animal Welfare

Study finds male rats prefer rougher play than female rats

A new SRUC study published in F1000Research has revealed that juvenile male and female rats respond differently to tickling, with males showing a preference for rougher play.…

SRUC News
06/11/2025

Scientists lead world-first study to track antibiotic resistance in pets

The study is important for the health of pets and their owners. Scientists in Scotland will lead the world’s first study of antibiotic resistance levels in the nation’s pet population to help reduce…

SRUC
29/07/2025

AI biosecurity tool could help save farmers time

Scientists are developing a new webtool which will use Artificial Intelligence to give time-pressured farmers tailored advice on how to protect their livestock from disease.…

SRUC
21/03/2025

‘Cool Calf’ could help accelerate dairy journey to net zero

Hilda, the first Langhill Herd calf to be born through IVF, is part of the Cool Cows project, which aims to establish a nucleus of highly methane-efficient animals.…

SRUC
03/01/2025

Waders project celebrates win at Nature of Scotland Awards

The Clyde Valley Waders Farming Group won the ‘Farming with Nature’ category at the Nature of Scotland Awards in Edinburgh.…

SRUC
29/11/2024

SRUC welcomes first cohort of veterinary degree students

Scotland’s first new vet school in over 150 years is already fulfilling its promise to widen access to the sector, with more than half of its first intake of students hailing from rural or remote Scottish locations.…

SRUC
23/10/2024

New health web app to improve farm productivity

A dynamic new web application has been designed to enhance health risk management for beef and sheep farmers and their vets. …

SRUC
17/10/2024

SRUC innovator secures prize at Converge Awards

An SRUC project has enjoyed success at this year’s Converge Awards, an annual ceremony designed to celebrate the pinnacle of Scottish academic innovation. …

SRUC
04/10/2024

Young Farming Innovators wanted for ‘Dragon’s Den’ competition

Young farmers from across Scotland are being invited to pitch innovative ideas to help the dairy industry in a new Dragon’s Den-style competition. …

SRUC
12/09/2024

Veterinary Diagnostics Company MI:RNA Raises $4 million Series A Funding

MI:RNA, the veterinary diagnostics company which originally spun out of SRUC, has secured $4 million in Series A funding. The capital will be used to continue global growth plans and revolutionise animal health testing, improving diagnosis and wellness among the pet, agriculture and equine sectors.…

SRUC
03/07/2024

Report calls for short leash for dogs – and owners

Following a workshop with countryside rangers, dog training experts and farmers among others, new report by researchers at SRUC has called for changes to legislation and for guidance around livestock worrying to be reviewed.…

SRUC
28/03/2024

Research highlights importance of cooling hot dogs

In a bid to prevent the suffering that commonly results from the potentially fatal disorder of heatstroke, researchers at SRUC and the Royal Veterinary College investigated the effectiveness of different cooling methods for dogs after exercise.…

SRUC
20/03/2024