Rat

Should cages of laboratory rats be enriched physically or socially?

Experiments of environmental enrichment usually compare between group-housed rats in enriched and unenriched cages or between group-housed rats in enriched cages and single-housed rats in unenriched cages. This bias is mainly to maximize the chance of enrichment both socially and...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Abou-Ismail, U. A., Darwish, R. A., Ramadan, S. G. A. 2014. Should cages of laboratory rats be enriched physically or socially? Global Veterinaria 13(4), 570-582.

Electroencephalographic responses of anaesthetised rats to carbon dioxide inhalation

Exposure to high concentrations of CO2 is a common means of stunning and killing laboratory rodents. However, there is concern regarding the potential for animals to have aversive experiences, such as pain or breathlessness, prior to loss of awareness. This...

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

Citation: Kells, N. J., Beausoleil, N. J., Sutherland, M. A. et al. 2018. Electroencephalographic responses of anaesthetised rats to carbon dioxide inhalation. Animal Welfare 27(3), 215-223.

Specific 50-kHz vocalizations are tightly linked to particular types of behavior in juvenile rats anticipating play

Rat ultrasonic vocalizations have been suggested to be either a byproduct of physical movement or, in the case of 50-kHz calls, a means to communicate positive affect. Yet there are up to 14 distinct types of 50-kHz calls, raising issues...

Year Published: 2017Topics: VocalizationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Burke, C. J., Kisko, T. M., Swiftwolfe, H. et al. 2017. Specific 50-kHz vocalizations are tightly linked to particular types of behavior in juvenile rats anticipating play. PLOS ONE 12(5), e0175841.

Is there a reasonable excuse for not providing post-operative analgesia when using animal models of peripheral neuropathic pain for research purposes?

Introduction: The induction of neuropathic pain-like behaviors in rodents often requires surgical intervention. This engages acute nociceptive signaling events that contribute to pain and stress post-operatively that from a welfare perspective demands peri-operative analgesic treatment. However, a large number of...

Year Published: 2017Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hestehave, S., Munro, G., Christensen, R. et al. 2017. Is there a reasonable excuse for not providing post-operative analgesia when using animal models of peripheral neuropathic pain for research purposes? PLOS ONE 12(11), e0188113.

Facial indicators of positive emotions in rats

Until recently, research in animal welfare science has mainly focused on negative experiences like pain and suffering, often neglecting the importance of assessing and promoting positive experiences. In rodents, specific facial expressions have been found to occur in situations thought...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Finlayson, K., Lampe, J. F., Hintze, S. 2016. Facial indicators of positive emotions in rats. PLOS ONE 11(11), e0166446.

The influence of isoflurane anaesthesia on the rat grimace scale

Over 234,000 rats were used in regulated procedures in the UK in 2014, many of which may have resulted in some degree of pain. When using animals in research, there is an ethical and legal responsibility to alleviate or at...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Miller, A. L., Golledge, H. D. R., Leach, M. C. 2016. The influence of isoflurane anaesthesia on the rat grimace scale. PLOS ONE 11(11), e0166652.

Automated recording of home cage activity and temperature of individual rats housed in social groups: The Rodent Big Brother project

Measuring the activity and temperature of rats is commonly required in biomedical research. Conventional approaches necessitate single housing, which affects their behavior and wellbeing. We have used a subcutaneous radiofrequency identification (RFID) transponder to measure ambulatory activity and temperature of...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Redfern, W. S., Tse, K., Grant, C. et al. 2017. Automated recording of home cage activity and temperature of individual rats housed in social groups: The Rodent Big Brother project. PLOS ONE 12(9), e0181068.

Assessment of housing density, space allocation and social hierarchy of laboratory rats on behavioural measures of welfare

Minimum space allowances for laboratory rats are legislated based on weight and stocking rates, with the understanding that increased housing density encourages crowding stress. However, there is little evidence for these recommendations, especially when considering positive welfare outcomes. This study...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Barker, T. H., George, R. P., Howarth, G. S. et al. 2017. Assessment of housing density, space allocation and social hierarchy of laboratory rats on behavioural measures of welfare. PLOS ONE 12(9), e0185135.

Studies of the thyroid apparatus. I. The stability of the nervous system as a factor in the resistance of the albino rat to the loss of the parathyroid secretion.

The relative mortality subsequent to thyroparathyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy of rats was much lower (13%) in animals who had been handled compared with animals who had not been handled (79%).

Year Published: 1921Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hammett, F. S. 1921. Studies of the thyroid apparatus. I. The stability of the nervous system as a factor in the resistance of the albino rat to the loss of the parathyroid secretion. American Journal of Physiology 56, 196-204.

Brief exposure to novel or enriched environments reduces sucrose cue-reactivity and consumption in rats after 1 or 30 days of forced abstinence from self-administration

Environmental enrichment (EE) reduces drug and sucrose cue-reactivity in rats. In a previous study we reported that 1 month of EE (large cage, toys, and social cohorts) significantly reduced sucrose cue-reactivity. In the present study, we examined whether overnight (22...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Grimm, J. W., Weber, R., Barnes, J. et al. 2013. Brief exposure to novel or enriched environments reduces sucrose cue-reactivity and consumption in rats after 1 or 30 days of forced abstinence from self-administration. PLOS ONE 8(1), e54164.