Rat

Improving rat welfare through the development of a peribulbar anaesthesia technique for ophthalmic procedures: A preliminary study

Rats are a commonly used animal model for the study of the pathogenesis and novel treatments of glaucoma, which is induced experimentally using invasive, painful procedures. Peribulbar anaesthesia (PBA) is frequently used in people and domestic animals prior to ophthalmic...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Eliav, A., Ofri, R., Brust, K. et al. 2024. Improving rat welfare through the development of a peribulbar anaesthesia technique for ophthalmic procedures: A preliminary study. Laboratory Animals 58(2), 116–126.

Rats prefer condensed milk to strawberry jam – a new possibility for voluntary oral drug administration

Voluntary oral drug administration using sweet substances promotes rodents' therapeutic compliance while reducing stress induced by forced drug administration. We aimed to test whether rats would willingly eat strawberry jam or condensed milk from a syringe, and which one they...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ferreira-Duarte, M., Lopes, I. M., Morato, M. et al. 2024. Rats prefer condensed milk to strawberry jam – a new possibility for voluntary oral drug administration. Laboratory Animals 58(2), 160–163.

An exploratory interview study of researchers’ and technicians’ perceptions of rat tickling

This paper highlights the main themes which emerged from a study carried out with Animal Technicians and researchers to better understand: - perceptions of rat tickling - potential drivers and barriers to the uptake of tickling in a laboratory environment

Year Published: 2023Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Beechener, S., Brown, S., Bombail, V. et al. 2023. An exploratory interview study of researchers' and technicians' perceptions of rat tickling. Animal Technology and Welfare 22(3), 201–209.

An assessment of rat hammocks as enrichment

Research has shown there are numerous welfare and scientific benefits to housing rats in more enriched and environmentally complex housing opposed to conventional housing. With the aim of increasing environmental complexity, providing opportunities for climbing and exploring and providing additional...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hickman, M., Miller, L., MacDonald, R. 2023. An assessment of rat hammocks as enrichment. Animal Technology and Welfare 22(3), 221–223.

Evaluation of score parameters for severity assessment of surgery and liver cirrhosis in rats

Severity assessment in animals is an ongoing field of research. In particular, the question of objectifiable and meaningful parameters of score-sheets, as well as their best combination, arise. This retrospective analysis investigates the suitability of a score-sheet for assessing severity...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Krueger, J. C., Habigt, M. A., Helmedag, M. J. et al. 2023. Evaluation of score parameters for severity assessment of surgery and liver cirrhosis in rats. Animal Welfare 32, e29.

Non-invasive assessment of positive affective state using infra-red thermography in rats

With recent increased focus on positive welfare in animal welfare science, there is demand for objective positive welfare indicators. It is unclear whether changes in body surface temperature can be used to non-invasively identify and quantify positive states in mammals....

Year Published: 2023Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Wongsaengchan, C., McCafferty, D. J., Lennox, K. et al. 2023. Non-invasive assessment of positive affective state using infra-red thermography in rats. Animal Welfare 32, e66.

The effects of enrichment novelty versus complexity in cages of group-housed rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Although experimental work on environmental enrichment has answered many important questions, it is not yet known whether beneficial effects of enrichment are more strongly influenced by regular provision of novel objects, or by the diversity of objects present at any...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Abou-Ismail, U. A., Mendl, M. T. 2016. The effects of enrichment novelty versus complexity in cages of group-housed rats (Rattus norvegicus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 180, 130-139.

Rats move nesting materials to create different functional areas: Short report

Here we document how rats separate their living space into different functional regions. Five groups of four female Sprague Dawley rats were housed in caging systems that consisted of two standard cages connected by a tube. Both cages were provided...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Amendola, L., Xu, N., Weary, D. M. 2023. Rats move nesting materials to create different functional areas: Short report. Laboratory Animals 57(1), 75–78.

Getting a handle on rat familiarization: The impact of handling protocols on classic tests of stress in Rattus norvegicus

Experimenter familiarization with laboratory rodents through handling prior to experimentation is an important practice in neurobehavioral research and is implicated in stress, study variability, and replicability. Unfortunately, different handling protocols have not been thoroughly examined. Determining optimal experimenter familiarization protocols...

Year Published: 2023Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bigelow, L. J., Pope, E. K., MacDonald, D. S. et al. 2023. Getting a handle on rat familiarization: The impact of handling protocols on classic tests of stress in Rattus norvegicus. Laboratory Animals 57(3), 259–269.

Feasibility of pair-housing of rats after cranial implant surgery

Rat models employing cranial implants are increasingly employed to facilitate neural stimulation and recording in freely moving animals. Due to possible damage to wound, implant or attached devices, rats with cranial implants are traditionally housed singly, and little information is...

Year Published: 2023Topics: External Bodily Equipment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Evers, J., Sridhar, K., Lowery, M. 2023. Feasibility of pair-housing of rats after cranial implant surgery. Laboratory Animals 57(1), 69–74.