Rodent

Report of the 2010 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting – The effect of husbandry on welfare and promoting good practice

The RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group holds a one-day meeting every autumn so that its members can discuss current welfare research, exchange views on rodent welfare issues and share experiences of the implementation of the 3Rs of replacement, reduction and refinement...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, Handling, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hawkins, P., Burn, C., Hurst, J. et al. 2011. Report of the 2010 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting - The effect of husbandry on welfare and promoting good practice. Animal Technology and Welfare 10(2), 105-114.

Environmental enrichment improves fertility and pup survival

Historically, we have added approximately half a cup of shredded aspen bedding for nest making into each littering cage. This procedure was continued as we looked into additional environmental enrichment. There are many types of environmental enrichment available on the...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Griess, R. S. 2011. Environmental enrichment improves fertility and pup survival. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 16(1), 2-3.

Effects of wire-bottom caging on heart rate, activity and body temperature in telemetry-implanted rats

Some experimental procedures are associated with placement of animals in wire-bottom cages. The goal of this study was to evaluate stress-related physiological parameters (heart rate [HR], body temperature [BT], locomotor activity [LA], body weight [BW] and food consumption) in rats...

Year Published: 2011Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Giral, M., García-Olmo, D., Kramer, K. 2011. Effects of wire-bottom caging on heart rate, activity and body temperature in telemetry-implanted rats. Laboratory Animals 45(4), 247-253.

Cage change influences serum corticosterone and anxiety-like behaviors in the mouse

Environmental variables and husbandry practices can influence physiology and alter behavior in mice. Our study evaluated the effects of cage change on serum corticosterone levels and anxiety-like behaviors in C57BL/6 male mice. We examined the effects of 3 different methods...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Handling, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Rasmussen, S., Miller, M., Filipski, S. B. et al. 2011. Cage change influences serum corticosterone and anxiety-like behaviors in the mouse. JAALAS 50(4), 479-483.

Cage-change interval preference in mice

Before animal research facilities began using individually ventilated cage (IVC) systems formice, cages were often changed one or more times per week. When using IVC systems, however, it is standard practice to change cages only once every 2-3 weeks. When...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Godbey, T., Gray, G., Jeffery, D. 2011. Cage-change interval preference in mice. Lab Animal 40(7), 225-230.

Effect of animal facility construction on basal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and renin-aldosterone activity in the rat

Although loud noise and intense vibration are known to alter the behavior and phenotype of laboratory animals, little is known about the effects of nearby construction. We studied the effect of a nearby construction project on the classic stress hormones...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Handling, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Raff, H., Bruder, E. D., Cullinan, W. E. et al. 2011. Effect of animal facility construction on basal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and renin-aldosterone activity in the rat. Endocrinology 152(4), 1218-1221.

Rats free each other from cages

Following a two-week introduction period, pairs of rats were put inside an arena. One was trapped inside a central restrainer, while the other roamed free in the larger space. By day six or seven, on average, the roaming rat learned...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gewin, V. 2011. Rats free each other from cages. Nature News.

Refining housing and husbandry techniques in transgenic mice through environmental enrichment

Dynamic changes in housing and husbandry techniques based on the concept of 3Rs should be included as routine practice in breeding and experimental animal facilities tending to improve animal welfare. Immunosupressed mice are susceptible to diseases and have special requirements...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Paula, A. A., Goyeneche, L., Crispo, M. 2011. Refining housing and husbandry techniques in transgenic mice through environmental enrichment. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 777 (Abstract #P148).

The naked truth: Breeding performance in outbred and inbred strains of nude mice with and without nesting material

In laboratories, mice are housed at ambient temperatures between 20 to 24 °C, which is below their lower critical temperature of 30 °C, but comfortable for human workers. Thus, mice are thermally stressed, which can compromise many aspects of physiology...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B., Winnicker, C. L., Garner, J. P. et al. 2011. The naked truth: Breeding performance in outbred and inbred strains of nude mice with and without nesting material. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 741 (Abstract #PS95).

Cage enrichment with paper tissue, but not plastic tunnels, increases variability in mouse model of asthma

Environmental enrichment, besides having a great impact on animal welfare, can also be a potential variable in experimental research. Thus, we investigated whether enrichment of cages with paper tissues or plastic tunnels affects scientific outcome in the well-described mouse model...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Pasalic, I., Bosnjak, B., Ivetic Tkalcevic, V. et al. 2011. Cage enrichment with paper tissue, but not plastic tunnels, increases variability in mouse model of asthma. Laboratory Animals 45(2), 121-123.