Mouse

Alternatives to carbon dioxide—Taking responsibility for humanely ending the life of animals

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is commonly used to kill rodents. However, a large body of research has now established that CO2 is aversive to them. A multidisciplinary symposium organized by the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office discussed the drawbacks...

Year Published: 2019Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Other Rodent, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Axiak Flammer, S., Eskes, C., Kohler, I. et al. 2019. Alternatives to carbon dioxide—Taking responsibility for humanely ending the life of animals. Animals 9(8), 482.

Refinement of analgesia following thoracotomy and experimental myocardial infarction using the Mouse Grimace Scale

What is the central question of this study? There is an ethical imperative to optimize analgesia protocols for laboratory animals, but this is impeded by our inability to recognize pain reliably. We examined whether the Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS) provides...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Faller, K. M., McAndrew, D. J., Schneider, J. E. et al. 2015. Refinement of analgesia following thoracotomy and experimental myocardial infarction using the Mouse Grimace Scale. Experimental Physiology 100(2), 164-172.

The effect of gentle handling on depressive-like behavior in adult male mice: Considerations for human and rodent interactions in the laboratory

Environmental factors play a significant role in well-being of laboratory animals. Regulations and guidelines recommend, if not require, that stressors such as bright lighting, smells, and noises are eliminated or reduced to maximize animal well-being. A factor that is often...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Neely, C., Lane, C., Torres, J. et al. 2018. The effect of gentle handling on depressive-like behavior in adult male mice: Considerations for human and rodent interactions in the laboratory. Behavioural Neurology 2018, 2976014.

Behavioural syndromes in stereotypic striped mice

Stereotypical behaviours (SBs) are abnormal, repetitive behaviours often observed in captivity. SBs are linked to impoverished captive conditions, and stereotypic individuals show a particular set of behaviours (e.g. bolder personality, greater activity) indicating proactive coping. Yet, we do not know...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Abnormal/Problematic BehaviorAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Silber, S., Joshi, S., Pillay, N. 2019. Behavioural syndromes in stereotypic striped mice. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 212, 74-81.

Ethanol and a chemical from fox faeces modulate exploratory behaviour in laboratory mice

Mice are macrosmatic animals that use olfaction as their main source of information to increase fitness; they process predator cues to assess risk, and plants and fruit cues to find nutritional resources and assess their quality or toxicity. In this...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Grau, C., Leclercq, J., Descout, E. et al. 2019. Ethanol and a chemical from fox faeces modulate exploratory behaviour in laboratory mice. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 213, 117-123.

Can live with ‘em, can live without ‘em: Pair housed male C57BL/6J mice show low aggression and increasing sociopositive interactions with age, but can adapt to single housing if separated

The basic question as to whether male laboratory mice should be singly or group housed represents a major animal welfare concern within current laboratory animal legislation and husbandry. To better understand the behavioural and physiological mechanisms underlying this issue, we...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Melotti, L., Kästner, N., Eick, A. K. et al. 2019. Can live with ‘em, can live without ‘em: Pair housed male C57BL/6J mice show low aggression and increasing sociopositive interactions with age, but can adapt to single housing if separated. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 214, 79-88.

Lighting environment: What colour of light do male C57BL/6J prefer?

Environmental factors applied in animal research facilities need to be regulated accurately not only for the welfare of laboratory animals but also for the reliability of the experimental results. However, the effect of lighting environment and its characteristics on animals...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Paronis, E., Kapogiannatou, A., Paschidis, K. et al. 2018. Lighting environment: What colour of light do male C57BL/6J prefer? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 209, 99-103.

Low welfare impact of noise: Assessment in an experimental model of mice infected by Herpes simplex-1

The breeding practices adopted and the equipment typically found in animal facilities produce sounds at frequencies within the auditory range of the mice (1 to 100 kHz), which can cause hearing and other non-hearing effects. Another aspect that could potentially...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Trindade Madeira Araújo, F., de Cássia Espírito Santo, L., Peixoto Teixeira, A. C. et al. 2018. Low welfare impact of noise: Assessment in an experimental model of mice infected by Herpes simplex-1. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 207, 79-88.

Sex- and strain-related differences in the stress response of mice to CO₂ euthanasia

The 2013 edition of the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals recommends a 10% to 30% volume displacement rate (VDR) per minute for CO2 euthanasia of rodents. Here we sought to evaluate behavior and plasma catecholamine levels in multiple...

Year Published: 2018Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Creamer-Hente, M. A., Lao, F. K., Dragos, Z. P. et al. 2018. Sex- and strain-related differences in the stress response of mice to CO₂ euthanasia. JAALAS 57(5), 513–519.

Vibration-induced behavioral responses and response threshold in female C57BL/6 mice

Despite documented adverse effects, limits for rodent exposure to vibration in the laboratory animal facility have not been established. This study used female C57BL/6 mice to determine the frequencies of vibration at which mice were most sensitive to behavioral changes,...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Garner, A. M., Norton, J. N., Kinard, W. L., et al. 2018. Vibration-induced behavioral responses and response threshold in female C57BL/6 mice. JAALAS 57(5), 447–455.