Rodent

Improvement of the Mouse Grimace Scale set-up for implementing a semi-automated Mouse Grimace Scale scoring (Part 1)

The Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS) has been widely used for the noninvasive examination of distress/pain in mice. The aim of this study was to further improve its performance to generate repeatable, faster, blinded and reliable results for developing automated and...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Ernst, L., Kopaczka, M., Schulz, M. et al. 2020. Improvement of the Mouse Grimace Scale set-up for implementing a semi-automated Mouse Grimace Scale scoring (Part 1). Laboratory Animals 54(1), 83–91.

Impulse for animal welfare outside the experiment

Animal welfare is a growing societal concern and the well-being of animals used for experimental purposes is under particular scrutiny. The vast majority of laboratory animals are mice living in small cages that do not offer very much variety. Moreover,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Lewejohann, L., Schwabe, K., Häger, C. et al. 2020. Impulse for animal welfare outside the experiment. Laboratory Animals 54(2), 150–158.

Infrared thermography as an indicator of heat loss in fur-chewing chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera)

Fur-chewing is a common problem in chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera). It may affect the welfare of animals due to heat loss, thereby possibly impacting food and water intake to maintain body temperature. In this context, infrared thermography seems to be a...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Abnormal/Problematic BehaviorAnimal Type: Chinchilla, Rodent

Citation: Łapiński, S., Orel, J., Niedbała, P. et al. 2020. Infrared thermography as an indicator of heat loss in fur-chewing chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 23(3), 338-347.

Is that a rat in your pocket? A novel pocket method for rat restraint

At the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign (UIUC), we routinely teach novice research personnel how to appropriately handle, restrain, and perform basic experimental techniques on rats. Barriers to teaching include fear of animal bites to the handler, stress to...

Year Published: 2020Topics: RestraintAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ludwig, J. L. 2020. Is that a rat in your pocket? A novel pocket method for rat restraint. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 8(1) (January/February), 48-49.

Isoflurane and carbon dioxide elicit similar behavioral responses in rats

Euthanasia in rodents is an ongoing topic of debate due to concerns regarding the aversive nature of gases with anesthetic properties such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and isoflurane. The aim of this study was to expand upon previously published work...

Year Published: 2020Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kulkarni, S., Hickman, D. 2020. Isoflurane and carbon dioxide elicit similar behavioral responses in rats. Animals 10(8), 1431.

It’s Okay to Cry – Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume V

This is the 5th volume of selected discussions that took place on the electronic Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum between February 2016 and December 2019. The forum was created in October 2002; it allows the international animal care community...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, External Bodily Equipment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cat, Chinchilla, Dog, Ferret, Guinea Pig, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Reinhardt, V. (ed.) 2020. It’s Okay to Cry - Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume V. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Just hanging out: Elevating rat enrichment in small spaces

This article describes how an Animal Care Technician at Mayo Clinic Rochester campus designed and created a novel enrichment item for rats: a ‘hammock’ made of PVC tunnels hung onto the lid of standard laboratory rat cages.

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Brekke, J., Scholz, J. 2020. Just hanging out: Elevating rat enrichment in small spaces. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 8(3) (May/June), 40-42.

Long-term effect of environmental enrichment on reproductive performance of Swiss Webster mice and their female offspring

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an environmental enrichment (EE) plan on the reproductive performance of Swiss Webster mice and their female offspring used as recipients for embryo transfer. A total of 54 breeder mice...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Meikle, M. N., Arévalo, A. P., Schlapp, G. et al. 2020. Long-term effect of environmental enrichment on reproductive performance of Swiss Webster mice and their female offspring. Animals 10(8), 1438.

Gentle stroking stimuli induce affiliative responsiveness to humans in male rats

Gentle tactile stimuli have been shown to play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of affiliative social interactions. Oxytocin has also been shown to have similar actions. We investigated the effects of gentle stroking on affiliative relationships between...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Okabe, S., Takayanagi, Y., Yoshida, M. et al. 2020. Gentle stroking stimuli induce affiliative responsiveness to humans in male rats. Scientific Reports 10, 9135.

Handling and training of mice and rats results in calmer animals during experimental procedures

This article describes the handling and training protocols for mice and rats in preparation for their use in toxicology studies at the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE).

Year Published: 2020Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bengtsson, C., Eriksson, M. 2020. Handling and training of mice and rats results in calmer animals during experimental procedures. AWI Quarterly 69(2) Summer, 6-8.