Rat

Opportunistically using a Chronic Unpredictable Stress study to investigate ‘inactive-but-awake’ behaviour as a potential welfare indicator in laboratory rats

Being awake but motionless, inactive-but-awake (IBA), has been suggested to reflect low arousal negative affect in several species. This preliminary study investigated IBA in rats exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS), opportunistically (to comply with the 3Rs) during biomedical research...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Young, L., McCallum, R., Perreault, M. et al. 2024. Opportunistically using a Chronic Unpredictable Stress study to investigate ‘inactive-but-awake' behaviour as a potential welfare indicator in laboratory rats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 274, 106249.

Disentangling developmental effects of play aspects in rat rough-and-tumble play

Animal play encompasses a variety of aspects, with kinematic and social aspects being particularly prevalent in mammalian play behaviour. While the developmental effects of play have been increasingly documented in recent decades, understanding the specific contributions of different play aspects...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Liu, Q., Radchenko, M., Špinka, M. 2024. Disentangling developmental effects of play aspects in rat rough-and-tumble play. Biology Letters 20(5), 20240037.

Combining melatonin with dexmedetomidine improves anesthesia in rats

Melatonin (ML) and dexmedetomidine (DM) are used separately as anesthetic premedication or as an anesthetic in humans and laboratory animals. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anesthetic properties of both drugs combined. The anesthetic effects of several combinations...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Cogo Pagella, J., Rodríguez, M. F., Frisina, F. et al. 2024. Combining melatonin with dexmedetomidine improves anesthesia in rats. Laboratory Animals 58(3), 277–280.

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.