All/General

Associations between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms, empathy towards animals and implicit associations towards animals

Oxytocin has been well researched in association with psychological variables and is widely accepted as a key modulator of human social behaviour. Previous work indicates involvement of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human-human empathy, however little...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Connor, M., Lawrence, A. B., Brown, S. M. 2018. Associations between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms, empathy towards animals and implicit associations towards animals. Animals 8(8), 140.

Emotions and ethical decision-making in animal ethics committees

Ethical evaluation of projects involving animal testing is mandatory within the EU and other countries. However, the evaluation process has been subject to criticism, e.g., that the committees are not balanced or democratic enough and that the utilitarian weighting of...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Tjärnström, E., Weber, E. M., Hultgren, J. et al. 2018. Emotions and ethical decision-making in animal ethics committees. Animals 8(10), 181.

No-touch measurements of vital signs in small conscious animals

Measuring the heartbeat and respiration of small conscious animals is important for assessing their health and behavior, but present techniques such as electrocardiogram (ECG), ultrasound, and auscultation rely on close skin contact with the animal. These methods can also require...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: X. Hui, Kan, E. C. 2019. No-touch measurements of vital signs in small conscious animals. Science Advances 5, eaau0169.

Transportation of Laboratory Animals: Proceedings of a Workshop

To examine these issues [transportation of laboratory animals], the Roundtable on Science and Welfare in Laboratory Animal Use held a workshop on September 3-4, 2014, in Washington, DC. More than 200 people participated in the workshop in person and online,...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Transportation of Laboratory Animals: Proceedings of a Workshop. The National Academies Press: Washington, DC, 106 pp.

Making sense of it all: The importance of taking into account the sensory abilities of animals in their housing and management

In this selective review, examples are given of how different animal species use different sensory modalities in different ways. These examples serve to illustrate that we should not forget to take sensory abilities of the animals that we manage into...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Nielsen, B. L. 2018. Making sense of it all: The importance of taking into account the sensory abilities of animals in their housing and management. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 205, 175-180.

Automated microsampling technologies and enhancements in the 3Rs

Data collected in vivo is essential for advising decisions on drug screening and development and basic research, and animal models are used extensively for acquiring experimental measurements. Traditionally, collection of specimens has been invasive, stressful to animal subjects, labor intensive,...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Hopper, L. D. 2016. Automated microsampling technologies and enhancements in the 3Rs. ILAR Journal 57(2), 166-177.

Report of a RSPCA/APHA meeting on the welfare of wild animals used in research

This is a report of a one-day meeting jointly convened by the RSPCA and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which brought together around 70 researchers, veterinarians, animal technologists, regulators and others with an interest in the welfare of...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, External Bodily Equipment, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Reed, B., Beatham, S., Carter, S. et al. 2017. Report of a RSPCA/APHA meeting on the welfare of wild animals used in research. Animal Technology and Welfare 16(1), 13-25. [Meeting Report]

The psychobiology of social pain: Evidence for a neurocognitive overlap with physical pain and welfare implications for social animals with special attention to the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)

Social pain is the negative affect signaling threat or harm to social relationships. Loneliness is perceived social isolation and can be found across phylogeny. Evidence from diverse fields demonstrates an overlap of social and physical pain. Social pain can elicit...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General, Dog

Citation: McMillan, F. D. 2016. The psychobiology of social pain: Evidence for a neurocognitive overlap with physical pain and welfare implications for social animals with special attention to the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Physiology & Behavior 167, 154-171.

Effects of water bottle materials and filtration on bisphenol A content in laboratory animal drinking water

Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins that are found in laboratory animal husbandry materials including cages and water bottles. Concerns about BPA exposure in humans has led to investigations that suggest physiologic health...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Honeycutt, J. A., Nguyen, J. Q. T., Kentner, A. C. et al. 2017. Effects of water bottle materials and filtration on bisphenol A content in laboratory animal drinking water. JAALAS 56(3), 269-272.

Operational details of the five domains model and its key applications to the assessment and management of animal welfare

In accord with contemporary animal welfare science understanding, the Five Domains Model has a significant focus on subjective experiences, known as affects, which collectively contribute to an animal's overall welfare state. Operationally, the focus of the Model is on the...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Mellor, D. Operational details of the five domains model and its key applications to the assessment and management of animal welfare. Animals 7(8), 60.