Rabbit

Physiological response of rabbits to heat, cold, noise and mixing in the context of transport

Exposure to noise produced muscular damage as demonstrated by an increase in plasma concentrations of CK and LDH.

Year Published: 2007Animal Type: Rabbit

Citation: De la Fuente, J., Diaz, M. T., Iba?ez, M. et al. 2007. Physiological response of rabbits to heat, cold, noise and mixing in the context of transport. Animal Welfare 16, 41-47.

Topics in medicine and surgery: Behavior problems in pet rabbits

The domestic rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, is descended from the European rabbit, which lives in large social groups and digs extensive warrens. Behavior problems include urine spraying, failure to use the litter box, fear of humans and human-directed aggression, intraspecies aggression,...

Year Published: 2007Animal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Crowell-Davis, S. L. 2007. Topics in medicine and surgery: Behavior problems in pet rabbits. Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine 16, 38-44.

Capture of group-housed animals

Rats, mice and rabbits can be induced to come forward and be picked up by luring them with a food reward. Guinea pigs tend to be more timid but will run into a shelter in which they can then be...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cat, Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Capture of group-housed animals. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 104-106. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Guidelines for the assessment and management of pain in rodents and rabbits

This paper presents an overview of current concepts of pain and provides recommendations for the assessment, prevention and treatment of pain in rodents and rabbits. Also provided are guidelines for developing pain management protocols, tables describing the potential physiologic effects...

Year Published: 2007Animal Type: Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: Kohn, D. F., Martin, T. E., Foley, P. L. et al. 2007. Guidelines for the assessment and management of pain in rodents and rabbits. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 46(2).

Providing single rabbits with social contact and choice in activities

Perforated cage deviders are used to provide non-contact communication.

Year Published: 2007Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Kirby, H. 2007. Providing single rabbits with social contact and choice in activities. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 12(2), 1-2.

Environmental enrichment: mirrors, music, toys, paper-based items and wooden objects

The literature suggests that mirrors may be useful to buffer isolation stress in some species. We do not really know if being forced to listen to loud music of the personnel's liking is also to the animals' liking. If it...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General, Dog, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment: mirrors, music, toys, paper-based items and wooden objects. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 60-71. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment: Shelter and nesting material for rodents and rabbits; bedding for rodents

The needs for a shelter and nesting material of mice and rats are quite different. Building their own nests is almost a must for mice, and the nest will then also be used as a retreat. For rats, access to...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment:Shelter and nesting material for rodents and rabbits; bedding for rodents. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 74-79. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment for ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits

You do not have to spend a lot of money to make ferrets happy. Empty bedding bags were a great hit! They also enjoyed rolling around small cat balls with bells in them, though they destroyed them rapidly and, hence,...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Ferret, Guinea Pig, Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment for ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 87-90. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Individual housing – justifications

Studies in which I feel single-housing of rodents and rabbits is justified are those involving cannulatio, nutrition studies where we need to record intake/refusals,post-op animals after substantial surgery where the patient needs intensive nursin g.All single-caged animals must be housed...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Individual housing - justifications. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 29-30. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Maladaptive behaviors: Stereotypical behavior; hair pulling-and-eating and alopecia (hair loss); self-injurious biting

Animals kept in legally minimum-sized, unstructured enclosures very often exhibit stereotypical behaviors. Traditionally, these repetitive movement patterns without obvious goals or functions are categorized as abnormal. A healthy animal kept in a small, barren enclosure has little choice of expressing...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Abnormal/Problematic BehaviorAnimal Type: All/General, Cat, Dog, Guinea Pig, Nonhuman Primate, Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Maladaptive behaviors: Stereotypical behavior; hair pulling-and-eating and alopecia (hair loss); self-injurious biting. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 39-45. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.