Rodent

Enriched environment increases neurogenesis and improves social memory persistence in socially isolated adult mice

Social memory consists of the information necessary to identify and recognize cospecifics and is essential to many forms of social interaction. Social memory persistence is strongly modulated by the animal's experiences. We have shown in previous studies that social isolation...

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

Citation: Monteiro, B. M., Moreira, F. A., Massensini, A. R. et al. 2014. Enriched environment increases neurogenesis and improves social memory persistence in socially isolated adult mice. Hippocampus 24(2), 239-248.

Presence of nesting material does not prevent ability to accurately identify sick or dead mice during routine health checking

Whether nesting material assists or hinders the ability to identify sick mice during routine health check is a widely debated topic. Currently, our large and diverse academic research institution is exploring the possibility of providing nesting material to all of...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Burlingame, L. A., Lofgren, J. L. 2014. Presence of nesting material does not prevent ability to accurately identify sick or dead mice during routine health checking. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 603 (Abstract #P204).

Impact of blood sampling procedures on the welfare of laboratory mice

A previous study showed that blood sampling either automatically, through a catheter, or by puncture of the tail vein is less stressful than facial vein phlebotomy in mice. We decided to investigate how facial vein phlebotomy would affect animal welfare...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Teilmann, A. C., Madsen, A. N., Holst, B. et al. 2014. Impact of blood sampling procedures on the welfare of laboratory mice. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 600-601. (Abstract #P195).

Useful rodent enrichment: Party in a bag

Based on standard practice, all laboratory animals should be given enrichment for physical and mental wellbeing. However, depending on the type of enrichment, it can become costly or impede with accurate health observations. We assessed different types of enrichment to...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Schroen, A., Dunbar, M., Hughes, L. J. 2014. Useful rodent enrichment: Party in a bag. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 575-576. (Abstract #P102).

Assessing the emotions of laboratory rats

Rats are one of the most commonly used species in research, and decades of testing have yielded a large amount of information pertaining to their experience of emotion. The aim of this review is to bring together information on rat...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Makowska, I. J., Weary, D. M. 2013. Assessing the emotions of laboratory rats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 148, 1-12.

Enriched cages for groups of laboratory male rats and their effects on behaviour, weight gain and adrenal glands

We investigated if there were any negative effects on the behaviour and physiology of rats housed in groups of five in two types of enriched cages and compared them with paired-housed rats housed in traditional cages. Eighty-four male Wistar and...

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

Citation: Lidfors, L., Wichman, A., Ewaldsson, B. et al. 2014. Enriched cages for groups of laboratory male rats and their effects on behaviour, weight gain and adrenal glands. Laboratory Animals 48, 36-49.

Do singly housed male mice get lonely? Evidence of depressive states after short-term single housing of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice

Through behavioral and preference studies we know that mice prefer company. Laboratory mice should thus never be housed alone, if a viable option exists. Yet single housing is a fairly common practice, in particular with male mice, because an experimental...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Kalliokoski, O., Teilmann, A. C., Jacoben, K. R. et al. 2014. Do singly housed male mice get lonely? Evidence of depressive states after short-term single housing of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 597. (Abstract #P184).

A simplified method to identify and reduce flooded rodent caging

The number of flooded cages per cage change cycle (14 days) was tracked and it was identified that leaks and flooding often times occurred shortly after cage changing. To reduce the occurrence of flooded caging, we developed a pre-screening process...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Holley, A., Drayer, J., Rammling, M. et al. 2014. A simplified method to identify and reduce flooded rodent caging. Charles River, Orlando, FL.

Aggression in laboratory mice: Potential influences and how to manage it

Aggression is a naturally occurring behavior of mice that can provide benefit to those that display it in the wild. Many factors appear to influence these negative social interactions between mice, making mitigation in the laboratory more complicated. Based on...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B. 2014. Aggression in laboratory mice: Potential influences and how to manage it. Enrichment Record 18, 22-25.

Role of noise and music as anxiety modulators: Relationship with ovarian hormones in the rat

This work aims to verify the role of noise and music as anxiety modulators and their relationship with ovarian hormones. For this purpose, female Wistar rats were used and treated, forming different experimental groups, with 17-β-estradiol, progesterone, allopregnanolone, finasteride (inhibitor...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Escribano, B., Quero, I., Feijóo, M. et al. 2014. Role of noise and music as anxiety modulators: Relationship with ovarian hormones in the rat. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 152, 73-82.