Rodent

Housing and husbandry alternatives for naked mole rat colonies used in research settings

Naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are a unique rodent species originating in Africa and are increasingly being used in research. Their needs and characteristics differ from those of other rodents used in research. Unique housing systems are necessary to address...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mole Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ragland, N. H., Compo, N. R., Wiltshire, N. et al. 2022. Housing and husbandry alternatives for naked mole rat colonies used in research settings. JAALAS 61(5), 412-418.

Ecology and social behaviour of the Mongolian gerbil: A generalised review

The present review provides a compilation of the published data on the ecology and social behaviour of Mongolian gerbils. Behavioural observations in the wild show that the Mongolian gerbil is a diurnal social rodent living in extended family groups. Seasonal...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Gromov, V. 2022. Ecology and social behaviour of the Mongolian gerbil: A generalised review. Behaviour 159(5), 403-441.

Effect of different ambient temperatures on reproductive outcome and stress level of lactating females in two mouse strains

Ambient temperature is an important non-biotic environmental factor influencing immunological and oncological parameters in laboratory mice. It is under discussion which temperature is more appropriate and whether the commonly used room temperature in rodent facilities of about 21 °C represents...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Kolbe, T., Lassnig, C., Poelzl, A. et al. 2022. Effect of different ambient temperatures on reproductive outcome and stress level of lactating females in two mouse strains. Animals 12(16), 2141.

Impact of refinements to handling and restraint methods in mice

There is increasing evidence that, compared to non-aversive handling methods (i.e., tunnel and cupping), tail handling has a negative impact on mouse welfare. Despite this evidence, there are still research organisations that continue to use tail handling. Here, we investigated...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Handling, RestraintAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Davies, J. R., Purawijaya, D. A., Bartlett, J. M. et al. 2022. Impact of refinements to handling and restraint methods in mice. Animals 12(17), 2173.

Report of the 2021 RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group meeting

The RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group has held a one-day meeting every autumn for the last 28 years, so that its members can discuss current welfare research, exchange views on welfare issues and share experiences of the implementation of the 3Rs...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stevens, C., Dobbinson, K., Brook, E. et al. 2022. Report of the 2021 RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group meeting. Animal Technology and Welfare 21(2), 83-91.

Refinement of handling and dosing methods for rats and mice

Modified Handling for Mice: Handling mice by gripping the base of the tail has been shown to negatively impact animal welfare by increasing anxiety and aversion to handling. We aimed to refi ne the dosing procedure by finding a handling...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bartlett, J., Davies, J., Purawijaya, D. et al. 2022. Refinement of handling and dosing methods for rats and mice. Animal Technology and Welfare 21(2), 120-124.

Medicated jelly as a replacement for injectables and the use of Maropitant to manage itchy skin in mice

It is desirable to administer drugs by the least invasive route to (1) optimise welfare, (2) reduce the risk of injury to animal handlers and (3) minimise the impact of restraint and transient pain on physiological and experimental readouts. Bio-Serv®...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Donaldson-Wing, M. 2022. Medicated jelly as a replacement for injectables and the use of Maropitant to manage itchy skin in mice. Animal Technology and Welfare 21(2), 134-136.

The evolution of how guinea pigs are housed at high containment in the Biological Investigations Group

Previously, we housed guinea pigs in pairs, where study design allowed, using RC2R cages (NKP-Isotec). Our change was to house guinea pigs in bigger groups with more space. This resulted in moving the guinea pigs into a floor pen, which...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Emm, L., Heydon, J. 2022. The evolution of how guinea pigs are housed at high containment in the Biological Investigations Group. Animal Technology and Welfare 21(2), 137-140.

Evaluation of different types of enrichment – their usage and effect on home cage behavior in female mice

Numerous studies ascertained positive effects of enriched environments on the well-being of laboratory animals including behavioral, physiological and neurochemical parameters. Conversely, such conclusions imply impaired animal welfare and health in barren husbandry conditions. Moreover, inappropriate housing of laboratory animals may...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Hobbiesiefken, U., Mieske, P., Lewejohann, L. et al. 2021. Evaluation of different types of enrichment - their usage and effect on home cage behavior in female mice. PLOS ONE 16(12), e0261876.

Improving well-being and survival in the 6-OHDA lesion model of Parkinson´s disease in mice: Literature review and step-by-step protocol

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative motor disorder and primarily affects movement control but also a range of non-motor functions. With unknown etiology and lack of cure, much research is dedicated to unravel pathological mechanisms and improve clinical...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Guillaumin, A., Vlcek, B., Wallén-Mackenzie, Å. 2022. Improving well-being and survival in the 6-OHDA lesion model of Parkinson´s disease in mice: Literature review and step-by-step protocol. Scandinavian Journal of Animal Science 48(1), 1-21.