Mouse

Refined ways to pick up mice

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement of laboratory animal welfare, the North American 3Rs Collaborative (NA3RsC) brought together several experts to examine the evidence, impact, and practicality of alternative methods for picking up mice.

Year Published: 2022Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: LaFollette, M. R. 2022. Refined ways to pick up mice. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(2) (March/April), 46-48.

A new feeder device to provide cleaner and accessible diet gel to laboratory mice

Gel solutions are simple to use, have a relative long shelf life and can be delivered with plastic cups or pouches. A common issue encountered by many institutions is that the gel becomes soiled quickly due to multiple factors such...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Scorrano, F. 2022. A new feeder device to provide cleaner and accessible diet gel to laboratory mice. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(2) (March/April), 50-52.

Effects of hair removal creams on mouse skin

Human hair removal brands such as Nair™ are sometimes used in research to remove hair from mice before surgery, imaging, and other procedures.1,3 While the use of these depilatory creams in rodent research is relatively widespread, few studies have evaluated...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Reichert, M., Koewler, N., Hargis, A. M. et al. 2022. Effects of hair removal creams on mouse skin. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(3) (May/June), 46-47.

Social buffering as a tool for improving rodent welfare

The presence of a conspecific can be calming to some species of animal during stress, a phenomenon known as social buffering. For rodents, social buffering can reduce the perception of and reaction to aversive experiences. With a companion, animals may...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Denommé, M. R., Mason, G. J. 2022. Social buffering as a tool for improving rodent welfare. JAALAS 61(1), 5-14.

Evaluation of various IVC systems according to mouse reproductive performance and husbandry and environmental parameters

IVC systems are marketed for improving the health and management of mouse colonies. The current study compared mouse reproductive performance and husbandry and environmental parameters among 3 high-density (HD) IVC rack systems (RS1, RS2, and RS3), which were present in...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Stover, M. G., Villano, J. S. 2022. Evaluation of various IVC systems according to mouse reproductive performance and husbandry and environmental parameters. JAALAS 61(1), 31-41.

Behavioral and physiologic effects of dirty bedding exposure in female ICR mice

Exposure of sentinel mice to dirty bedding is commonly used in health monitoring programs to screen colonies for clinical and subclinical disease. Despite the potential stressors present in dirty bedding, including but not limited to microorganisms, pheromones, and ammonia, it...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Merley, A. L., Hubbard, J. S., Rendahl, A. K. et al. 2022. Behavioral and physiologic effects of dirty bedding exposure in female ICR mice. JAALAS 61(1), 42-51.

Comparison of gelatin flavors for oral dosing of C57BL/6J and FVB/N mice

Precise oral dosing in rodents is usually achieved by intragastric gavage. If performed incorrectly due to technical difficulties, inexperience, or animal resistance, oral gavage may have animal welfare implications such as esophageal and gastric rupture and aspiration. The stress that...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Martins, T., Matos, A. F., Soares, J. et al. 2022. Comparison of gelatin flavors for oral dosing of C57BL/6J and FVB/N mice. JAALAS 61(1), 89-95.

Performance and consistency of circulating warm water blankets for rodents

General anesthesia as used for rodent research can have adverse effects on physiologic mechanisms. Thermoregulation is often greatly inhibited, with resultant deleterious effects on cardiac and respiratory function. These potential effects can be mitigated by providing external heat support. The...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Other Rodent, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Nicolis, I. N., Beale, C. N., Bidot, W. A. et al. 2022. Performance and consistency of circulating warm water blankets for rodents. JAALAS 61(1), 96-100.

Short-term housing in metabolic caging on measures of energy and fluid balance in male C57BL/6J mice (Mus musculus)

Metabolic caging is an important tool for quantitative urine and feces collection in rodents, although significant limitations and problems accompany its use. Despite strong opinions among investigators regarding the effects of metabolic caging on energy and fluid homeostasis, careful quantitative...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Ziegler, A. A., Grobe, C. C., Reho, J. J. et al. 2022. Short-term housing in metabolic caging on measures of energy and fluid balance in male C57BL/6J mice (Mus musculus). JAALAS 61(2), 132-139.

Environmental enrichment for rats and mice housed in laboratories: A metareview

Environmental enrichment has been widely studied in rodents, but there is no consensus on what enrichment should look like or what it should achieve. Inconsistent use of the term “enrichment” creates challenges in drawing conclusions about the quality of an...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ratuski, A. S., Weary, D. M. 2022. Environmental enrichment for rats and mice housed in laboratories: A metareview. Animals 12(4), 414.